Psalm 23 Commentary: A Simple Look At A Powerful Psalm

In this article, we will dive into a Psalm 23 commentary. It’s a simple commentary to help you look deeper into this beautiful psalm.

Psalm 23 is a refuge for those who are looking for comfort during times of distress, grief, or discouragement. It is the go-to Psalm when we want to remind ourselves that God is with us even through the valleys in our lives. Please don’t think this psalm is reserved for funeral, it’s very much a psalm for the living!

This beautiful Psalm reminds us that God is our Shepherd who guides us as His sheep to places where we will get hope and healing. Sheep need direction from the shepherd so that they do not stray into places that will cause them harm.

There are some lessons we can learn from Psalm 23, and when we meditate on what it means, we will find comfort and refreshing for our weary souls.

The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me],
I shall not want.
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still and quiet waters.
He refreshes and restores my soul (life);
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You have anointed and refreshed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of the Lord.
Psalm 23 AMP

A Simple Psalm 23 Commentary

This is a simple commentary and reflection of Psalm 23. It will help you breakdown certain themes and explain psalm 23 to you. In the near future I would like to do deeper study where I go into the Hebrew.

We have all things and abound; not because I have a good store of money in the bank, not because I have skill and wit with which to win my bread, but because the Lord is my shepherd.

Charles Spurgeon

1.   The Lord Guides Our Lives

The Lord is our Shepherd and directs our every step as we walk this journey of life and faith. He knows that we don’t always know the way and left to ourselves, we will get lost. God watches over us daily so that we will not stray into dangerous territory in life. We need to hear and follow the voice of the Shepherd so that we will find ourselves on the right path.

2.   God Provides Our Every Need

As we follow God to where He is leading us, we can trust that He will provide for us. He will never lead us to places where we will struggle and toil. He is a loving Father who provides for our every need. Many times we worry about how we will meet a specific need because we cannot see a way out, yet God has already taken care of it. We only need to make our requests known to Him, and He will provide.

3.   God Heals Us When We Experience Pain

Our heavenly Father restores our souls to wholeness when we experience grief, discouragement, or disappointment. He heals us from the things that break our hearts and gives us hope that things will get better. Our pain clouds our judgment and we cannot see beyond it until God removes it and gives us a reason to smile again.

4.   God Helps Us on Walk Paths of Righteousness

We all long to know the ways of God and walk in them so that we can live righteous lives. God helps us by leading us along paths of righteousness and directing our steps by His Word. Our righteousness comes from God through Jesus Christ. This means that we can act and speak right because God empowers us to do so.

5.   God is Always with Me in Times of Trouble

God has promised us in His Word severally that He is always with us wherever we go. We don’t have to face issues alone because He is there to help and deliver us. I may go through valleys of pain and death (of various things) but I don’t have to fear because God is there with me.

This is comforting because it means that God never abandons us to deal with dangers or troubles alone. We can always call on Him in the valleys of our lives, and He will be there. Evil does not have to make us afraid because we have the almighty God with us who is ready to fight on our behalf.

6.   God Blesses Me in the Presence of My Enemies

Not everyone has our best interests at heart and some even try to sabotage our efforts as we go about our daily business. In Psalm 23, we see that God sets a table for us in the presence of our enemies so that they can see His blessings upon our lives. Our enemies will see that God is on our side and will always protect and deliver us from trouble. There is also the hope that our enemies will turn to God when they see what He has done for us.

7.   My Life Overflows with the Blessings of God

The anointing of God over your life brings overflowing blessings and you end up living the abundant life that Jesus came to give you. Having an overflow in your life means that you have enough for yourself and to bless others. God gives us an overflow of blessings so that we can bless others too.

8.   You Can Expect Good Things to Follow You for Life

With God on your side, you can expect to experience the goodness of God all the days of your life. God is good and He likes to fill our lives with things that will bless us and give us a reason to smile every day. God is also merciful and we know that His mercies are new every day. He shows us His mercy instead of judgment because of the great love He has for us. With God in our lives, we will live lives that bring us joy in every season despite our circumstances.

9.   I Can Dwell in the Presence of the Lord Daily

It is very refreshing being in the presence of the Lord daily because you will find joy and peace there. When we worship and praise God, we dwell in His presence, and it is an experience we can have each day. God has given us authority to appear boldly before His throne of Grace and we can do so whenever we want to fellowship with Him. God loves us so much and that is why He desires to be in a relationship with us. In His presence, we can pour our hearts to Him, and tell Him how much we love Him.

Summary of Psalms 23 Commentary

In Psalm 23, we see that God is our good Shepherd who provides for us and leads us. He protects us from danger and gives us everything we need. He blesses us in the presence of our enemies and gives us an overflow of His goodness. We can expect to experience His goodness all the days of our lives. We can also dwell in His presence daily and enjoy His peace and joy. Psalm 23 shows us how much God cares about us even when we go through challenges. We don’t have to worry or feel alone because He is with us at all times.

Let this Psalm give you comfort when you are in a time of distress, pain, grief, discouragement, disappointment. It will also encourage you by showing you that you have nothing to fear because God is your ever-present help. Meditate on Psalm 23 and allow God to speak comfort into your heart.