A familiar Bible saying, checked in context
The Lord is my shepherd
Word for word
These opening KJV words introduce Psalm 23's sustained shepherd image.
By @The..Mustard..Seed · Updated
Read the relevant KJV passage
Psalms 23:1A Psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Compare the evidence
The next verse moves from the shepherd title to provision and rest, explaining the image rather than leaving it abstract.
Psalms 23:2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
In John, Jesus calls himself the good shepherd and speaks of laying down his life for the sheep.
John 10:11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
What the context adds
Psalm 23:1 is exact KJV wording and the start of a poem, not an isolated motto. The following lines move through rest, guidance, danger, a prepared table, and a hopeful conclusion. The printed “LORD” represents the divine name in the Hebrew tradition; the typography is a clue about whom the psalm addresses, not a different English word to ignore. John 10:11 uses shepherd language for Jesus in another setting. Comparing the two passages can deepen the image, while keeping the psalm’s own movement intact. Follow what the shepherd does after the familiar opening, through rest, danger, hospitality, and hope.
A question to carry forward
Which action of the shepherd in the rest of Psalm 23 is most important to the poem’s movement?
Keep reading
Read Psalm 23 aloud and follow each place the speaker moves through.
Share this finding
Use the vertical card to point viewers back to the full passage and context on this page.
Download TikTok-size card →See an error or have a source to add? Send a correction. Read our editorial standards and source and study method.