Time for a Deep Breath: Psalm 23

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I was interested to learn that King Charles was anointed with holy oil at his coronation. Olive oil from Jerusalem, I believe.
Yeah, the idea of anointing kings has stuck around, eh. Though I imagine this is just ordinary oil, not the special stuff from Exodus given Charles isn't a King of Israel.
 
The Lord is my Shepherd ------

Did you know that Jacob was first to call God a Shepherd ---Genesis 48 ----Jacob is nearing death and he blesses Joseph's 2 sons ------you can read all yourself ---verse 15 is what I am posting

15 Then Jacob (Israel) blessed Joseph, and said,
“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked [in faithful obedience],
The God who has been my Shepherd [leading and caring for me] all my life to this day,

So what does Shepherd mean in Hebrew ------

What is the Hebrew meaning for shepherd?

The Hebrew word ra'ah, meaning “shepherd,” describes one who tends, leads, feeds, and protects his flock of sheep. As a shepherd cares for his flock, so Yahweh Ra'ah cares for his people, providing for all their needs and guiding and protect-ing them.

I say
So knowing what the word Shepherd means in the Scripture gives light to this Psalm of David ----as everything we need is supplied by our Shepherd who is Jesus ------we need not worry or fret for anything in our need ------it will be supplied -----I shall not want for anything ------

This Psalm is about how one lives in Relationship to God -------do you Agape God ---if you truly do then your Faith and Trust in Him is unshakeable ------you will definitely lie down in a green pasture and the waters around you will be calm and quiet ----and your soul will be refreshed ---that is the soul will be -relived of stress ---depression and fatigue -------- and you will be taken down the right path of righteousness which means your uprightness and right standing with God will be maintained --------

So this verse here ----

4 Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.


This is an interesting knowing here about this statement -
valley of the shadow of death

The Hebrew word is perhaps composed of tsel, "shadow," and maweth, "death," and the idea of "the valley of the shadow of death" was most probably derived from the deep ravines, darkened by over-hanging briars, etc., through which the shepherd had sometimes to lead or drive his sheep to new and better pastures.

I will fear no evil ----------So what does evil here mean -----

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, displeasure, distress ------

i say -----So because David's Faith is so grounded and rooted in God -----evil has no hold over him so he fears it not ------he can resist evil as his Shepherd gives him strength in his weakness to resist the evil ----

This applies to us today ------

verse 5 ---
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with [a]oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.

So even in the presents of our enemies God prepares a table for us who Love him -----with all that is needed ------so it goes back to verse 1 ------the Lord is my Shepherd --I shall not want -------and no enemy can hinder that -----and His cup overflows with joy I say -----

This anointing with oil on the head at a feast is interesting -----
verse --------You anoint my head with [a]oil;

From Strong's Concordance
on head token of happiness , of hospitality, Psalm 23:5

So last verse ----

6 Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.

This to me says -----God's Favor and the blessings and comfort that come with it will follow us all the days of our lives even to our dwelling in God's house under His presents forever ------
 
Thanks @unsafe. Good points you raise in your post.

As for dwelling in the house of the Lord forever, this is certainly how I remember the final verse of the psalm from the KJV. I have always taken it to refer to eternal life.

Newer translations give us dwelling in the house of the Lord all the days of our lives, or something similar.

This could mean our lives on this earth, no?

However, if we believe in eternal life, we might consider that our earthly life is part of eternal life. So the different translation might not matter much.
 
This could mean our lives on this earth,

Definitely ----as Christians who Agape God pass through this life God's goodness and mercy will follow their every step -----all the challenges and every variety of situations they face God is there as their Shepherd giving them confidence that He would never leave them to any wants all the way to the end of their life in this world and extending into God's heavenly home ----

God is the Good Shepherd who fully looks after His Children who are Adapted back into the sheep fold -----in this life and the next -----
 
This could mean our lives on this earth,

Definitely ----as Christians who Agape God pass through this life God's goodness and mercy will follow their every step -----all the challenges and every variety of situations they face God is there as their Shepherd giving them confidence that He would never leave them to any wants all the way to the end of their life in this world and extending into God's heavenly home ----

God is the Good Shepherd who fully looks after His Children who are Adapted back into the sheep fold -----in this life and the next -----
 
Sorry had trouble posting this ---kept pressing post reply button -----so it posted twice ---disregard one ----
 
There are many references to sheep and shepherds in the New Testament.

Were the various writers influenced by Psalm 23, do you suppose? What about Jesus himself?
 
There are many references to sheep and shepherds in the New Testament.

Were the various writers influenced by Psalm 23, do you suppose? What about Jesus himself?
That's an interesting question, because sheep and shepherds are such a big part of the culture it is hard to say. Perhaps the psalm is an influence but the psalm and other references could also just come out of it being a cultural touchstone. My thoughts, at least.
 
I have Harold Kushner's book about Psalm 23 on my bookshelf. I pulled it out and had a look the other day but it seemed like very dry reading.

I might give it another go. He analyzes the psalm line by line.
 
There are many references to sheep and shepherds in the New Testament.

Were the various writers influenced by Psalm 23, do you suppose? What about Jesus himself?
I'm trying to picture Jesus working at a soup kitchen. Wasn't he more about preaching about what we should do, miracles and spreading the word rather than leading by example by partaking in the nitty gritty of the hands on stuff? Or maybe I'm just forgetting.
 
I'm trying to picture Jesus working at a soup kitchen. Wasn't he more about preaching about what we should do, miracles and spreading the word rather than leading by example by partaking in the nitty gritty of the hands on stuff? Or maybe I'm just forgetting.
Well, there was the loaves & fishes thing but the apostles did a lot of the legwork there. He just blessed the food and got credit for the miracle. But, yeah, Jesus was more a thinker and speaker than a hands-on type.

But I am not sure that's what P3 had in mind. I think she's thinking more of Jesus use of imagery being influenced by the psalm. Not to mention the image of Jesus as the "Lamb".
 
Forgetting is said to follow forgiveness for having that enlightened moment of impact! Like bang ... there it was gone ...
 
Well, there was the loaves & fishes thing but the apostles did a lot of the legwork there. He just blessed the food and got credit for the miracle. But, yeah, Jesus was more a thinker and speaker than a hands-on type.

But I am not sure that's what P3 had in mind. I think she's thinking more of Jesus use of imagery being influenced by the psalm. Not to mention the image of Jesus as the "Lamb".

What if one didn't have the levity to give credit to bread (sop) and the thing fished out of the primal mess ... cognate?

Relax; cognate is just another word with meaning lost in demented eh motes ... condensed in drippy emotions ... dippy?
 
Well, there was the loaves & fishes thing but the apostles did a lot of the legwork there. He just blessed the food and got credit for the miracle. But, yeah, Jesus was more a thinker and speaker than a hands-on type.

But I am not sure that's what P3 had in mind. I think she's thinking more of Jesus use of imagery being influenced by the psalm. Not to mention the image of Jesus as the "Lamb".
What about the image of killing the sheep to eat them or are we thinking the shepherd just wants the wool or maybe nothing at all and it's just a pleasure to comfort them and keep them safe from harm?
 
What about the image of killing the sheep to eat them or are we thinking the shepherd just wants the wool or maybe nothing at all and it's just a pleasure to comfort them and keep them safe from harm?
Sheep were almost certainly being eaten, given the dietary restrictions. Mutton and lamb are part of the diet in most of the Middle East given that they are relatively easy to raise and Jews and Muslims both ban eating pork.

The uncomfortable truth is that the shepherds don't keep the sheep for the benefit of the sheep. They are a staple meat source and for wool. So the question then becomes, why is The Lord keeping us?
 
Sheep were almost certainly being eaten, given the dietary restrictions. Mutton and lamb are part of the diet in most of the Middle East given that they are relatively easy to raise and Jews and Muslims both ban eating pork.

The uncomfortable truth is that the shepherds don't keep the sheep for the benefit of the sheep. They are a staple meat source and for wool. So the question then becomes, why is The Lord keeping us?
Starting to sound like a twilight zone episode to me...lol
 
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