Psalm 23:1
New International Version
A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

New Living Translation
The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need.

English Standard Version
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Berean Standard Bible
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

King James Bible
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

New King James Version
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

New American Standard Bible
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I will not be in need.

NASB 1995
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

NASB 1977
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Legacy Standard Bible
A Psalm of David. Yahweh is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Amplified Bible
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want.

Christian Standard Bible
A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I have what I need.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
A Davidic psalm. The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.

American Standard Version
A Psalm of David. Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Contemporary English Version
You, LORD, are my shepherd. I will never be in need.

English Revised Version
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
[A psalm by David.] The LORD is my shepherd. I am never in need.

Good News Translation
The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need.

International Standard Version
The LORD is the one who is shepherding me; I lack nothing.

Majority Standard Bible
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

NET Bible
A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

New Heart English Bible
[A Psalm by David.] The LORD is my shepherd; I lack nothing.

Webster's Bible Translation
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

World English Bible
A Psalm by David. Yahweh is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
A PSALM OF DAVID. YHWH [is] my shepherd, I do not lack,

Young's Literal Translation
A Psalm of David. Jehovah is my shepherd, I do not lack,

Smith's Literal Translation
Chanting of David. Jehovah my shepherd, and I shall not want.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
A psalm for David. The Lord ruleth me: and I shall want nothing.

Catholic Public Domain Version
A Psalm of David. The Lord directs me, and nothing will be lacking to me.

New American Bible
A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.

New Revised Standard Version
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
THE LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
LORD JEHOVAH will shepherd me and I shall lack nothing.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
A Psalm of David. The Lord tends me as a shepherd, and I shall want nothing.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The LORD is My Shepherd
1A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.…

Cross References
John 10:11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

John 10:14
I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me,

Ezekiel 34:11-12
For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I Myself will search for My flock and seek them out. / As a shepherd looks for his scattered sheep when he is among the flock, so I will look for My flock. I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.

Ezekiel 34:15-16
I will tend My flock and make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. / I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the broken, and strengthen the weak; but the sleek and strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them with justice.’

Isaiah 40:11
He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes.

Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

Hebrews 13:20
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,

1 Peter 5:4
And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Genesis 48:15
Then he blessed Joseph and said: “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,

Genesis 49:24
Yet he steadied his bow, and his strong arms were tempered by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, in the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

Isaiah 49:10
They will not hunger or thirst, nor will scorching heat or sun beat down on them. For He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.

Jeremiah 31:10
Hear, O nations, the word of the LORD, and proclaim it in distant coastlands: “The One who scattered Israel will gather them and keep them as a shepherd keeps his flock.

Micah 7:14
Shepherd with Your staff Your people, the flock of Your inheritance. They live alone in a woodland, surrounded by pastures. Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.


Treasury of Scripture

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

I shall

Psalm 34:9,10
O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him…

Psalm 84:11
For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

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Psalm 23
1. David's confidence in God's grace














The LORD
The term "LORD" in this context is derived from the Hebrew word "Yahweh," which is the personal name of God revealed to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). This name signifies God's eternal existence and His covenantal faithfulness to His people. In the context of Psalm 23, it emphasizes the personal relationship between God and the believer, highlighting His role as a covenant-keeping God who is intimately involved in the lives of His followers.

is my shepherd
The imagery of a shepherd is rich with meaning in the biblical context. In ancient Israel, a shepherd was responsible for the care, guidance, and protection of the sheep. The Hebrew word "ro'eh" conveys the idea of one who tends, feeds, and leads. This metaphor portrays God as a caring and protective guide, who knows His sheep intimately and provides for their every need. The shepherd's role is not just functional but relational, indicating a deep, personal connection between God and the believer.

I shall not want
The phrase "I shall not want" speaks to the sufficiency and provision of God. The Hebrew word "chaser" means to lack or be in need. In this context, it conveys the assurance that with the LORD as our shepherd, we will not lack anything essential. This is not a promise of material wealth but a guarantee of God's provision for our spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. It reflects a deep trust in God's ability to provide and care for His people, echoing the sentiment found in Philippians 4:19, where Paul assures that God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory.

(1) Shepherd.--This image, as applied to God, appears in Hebrew literature first (Genesis 48:15; Genesis 49:24) of his relation to the individual (comp. Psalm 119:176); as the shepherd of His people the image is much more frequent (Psalm 78:52; Psalm 80:1; Isaiah 40:11; Isaiah 63:11; Ezekiel 34; Micah 7:14). . . . Verse 1. - The Lord is my Shepherd. This metaphor, so frequent in the later Scriptures (Isaiah 40:11; Isaiah 49:9, 10; Jeremiah 31:10; Ezekiel 34:6-19; John 10:11-19, 26-28; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25; 1 Peter 5:4; Revelation 7:17), is perhaps implied in Genesis 48:15, but first appears, plainly and openly, in the Davidical psalms (see, besides the present passage, Psalm 74:1; Psalm 77:20; Psalm 78:53; 79:14; 80:1 - psalms which, if not David's, belong to the time, and were written under the influence, of David). It is a metaphor specially consecrated to us by our Lord's employment and endorsement of it (John 10:11-16). I shall not want. The Prayer-book Version brings out the full sense, "Therefore can I lack nothing" (comp. Deuteronomy 2:7; Deuteronomy 8:9; and Matthew 6:31-33).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
A Psalm
מִזְמ֥וֹר (miz·mō·wr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4210: Instrumental music, a poem set to notes

of David.
לְדָוִ֑ד (lə·ḏā·wiḏ)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

The LORD
יְהוָ֥ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

is my shepherd;
רֹ֝עִ֗י (rō·‘î)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 7462: To tend a, flock, pasture it, in, to graze, to rule, to associate with

I shall not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

want.
אֶחְסָֽר׃ (’eḥ·sār)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2637: To lack, need, be lacking, decrease


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OT Poetry: Psalm 23:1 A Psalm by David (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 22:31
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