Psalm 23:2
New International Version
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,

New Living Translation
He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.

English Standard Version
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

Berean Standard Bible
He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

King James Bible
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

New King James Version
He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

New American Standard Bible
He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

NASB 1995
He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

NASB 1977
He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

Legacy Standard Bible
He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

Amplified Bible
He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and quiet waters.

Christian Standard Bible
He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

American Standard Version
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside still waters.

Contemporary English Version
You let me rest in fields of green grass. You lead me to streams of peaceful water,

English Revised Version
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside peaceful waters.

Good News Translation
He lets me rest in fields of green grass and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water.

International Standard Version
He causes me to lie down in pastures of green grass; he guides me beside quiet waters.

Majority Standard Bible
He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

NET Bible
He takes me to lush pastures, he leads me to refreshing water.

New Heart English Bible
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

Webster's Bible Translation
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

World English Bible
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
He causes me to lie down in pastures of tender grass, "" He leads me by quiet waters.

Young's Literal Translation
In pastures of tender grass He causeth me to lie down, By quiet waters He doth lead me.

Smith's Literal Translation
He will cause me to lie down in pastures of tender grass: he will lead me to the water of rest.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He hath set me in a place of pasture. He hath brought me up, on the water of refreshment:

Catholic Public Domain Version
He has settled me here, in a place of pasture. He has led me out to the water of refreshment.

New American Bible
In green pastures he makes me lie down; to still waters he leads me;

New Revised Standard Version
He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He makes me to rest in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
He will make me lie upon lush pastures and he will lead me by restful waters.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
In a place of green grass, there he has made me dwell: he has nourished me by the water of rest.

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. 3He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.…

Cross References
Ezekiel 34:14
I will feed them in good pasture, and the lofty mountains of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in a good grazing land; they will feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.

John 10:9
I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.

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.

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.’”

Jeremiah 31:25
for I will refresh the weary soul and replenish all who are weak.”

Matthew 11:28-29
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. / Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

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.

John 4:14
But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 55:1-2
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost! / Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.

John 6:35
Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.

Hebrews 4:3
Now we who have believed enter that rest. As for the others, it is just as God has said: “So I swore on oath in My anger, ‘They shall never enter My rest.’” And yet His works have been finished since the foundation of the world.

Isaiah 58:11
The LORD will always guide you; He will satisfy you in a sun-scorched land and strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Revelation 21:6
And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.


Treasury of Scripture

He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters.

maketh

Isaiah 30:23
Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.

Ezekiel 34:13,14
And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country…

green pastures [heb.

Psalm 46:4
There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

Isaiah 49:9,10
That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places…

Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

still waters [heb.

Job 34:29
When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:

Isaiah 8:6
Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son;

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














He makes me lie down
The phrase "He makes me lie down" suggests a divine initiative and guidance. The Hebrew root for "makes me lie down" is "רָבַץ" (rāḇaṣ), which conveys the idea of resting or reclining. In the context of ancient shepherding, a shepherd would ensure that sheep were safe and comfortable enough to rest. This implies God's active role in providing peace and security for His people, ensuring that they can find rest in His presence. Historically, this reflects the pastoral lifestyle of ancient Israel, where shepherds were responsible for the well-being of their flocks, symbolizing God's care and provision.

in green pastures
The term "green pastures" is derived from the Hebrew "נְאוֹת דֶּשֶׁא" (nə'ōṯ deše'), which literally means "pastures of tender grass." This imagery evokes a sense of abundance and nourishment. In the arid climate of the Near East, finding lush, green pastures was a sign of blessing and provision. Spiritually, this represents the sustenance and spiritual nourishment that God provides. The green pastures symbolize the Word of God and His promises, which feed and sustain the believer's soul.

He leads me beside
The phrase "He leads me beside" indicates guidance and direction. The Hebrew word "נָהַל" (nāhal) means to lead or guide gently. This reflects the careful and considerate nature of God's leadership. In the historical context of shepherding, a shepherd would lead his sheep to places where they could safely drink and rest. This highlights God's role as a gentle guide, leading His people with wisdom and care.

still waters
"Still waters" comes from the Hebrew "מֵי מְנֻחוֹת" (mê menūḥōṯ), which translates to "waters of rest." This phrase suggests tranquility and peace. In the ancient world, water was a precious resource, and finding calm, clean water was essential for survival. Spiritually, still waters represent the peace and refreshment that God provides. They symbolize the Holy Spirit, who brings peace and renewal to the believer's heart. The imagery of still waters emphasizes God's ability to calm the storms of life and provide a place of rest and restoration.

(2) The verbs in these verses are not to be understood as futures, but as presents, describing the customary condition of the poet. "The psalmist describes himself as one of Jehovah's flock, safe under His care, absolved from all anxieties by the sense of this protection, and gaining from this confidence of safety the leisure to enjoy, without satiety, all the simple pleasures which make up life--the freshness of the meadow, the coolness of the stream. It is the most complete picture of happiness that ever was or can be drawn. It represents that state of mind for which all alike sigh, and the want of which makes life a failure to most; it represents that heaven which is everywhere if we could but enter it, and yet almost nowhere because so few of us can" (Ecce Homo, 5, 6).

Verse 2. - He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; literally, in grassy homesteads - " the richer, oasis-like spots, where a homestead would be fixed in a barren tract of land" (Kay). He leadeth me beside the still waters; rather, waters of refreshment; ἐπὶ υ{δατος ἀναπαύσεως (LXX.).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He makes me lie down
יַרְבִּיצֵ֑נִי (yar·bî·ṣê·nî)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 7257: To crouch, be implication, to recline, repose, brood, lurk, imbed

in green
דֶּ֭שֶׁא (de·še)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1877: A sprout, grass

pastures;
בִּנְא֣וֹת (bin·’ō·wṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 4999: Habitation, house, pasture, pleasant place

He leads
יְנַהֲלֵֽנִי׃ (yə·na·hă·lê·nî)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 5095: To lead or guide to a watering place, bring to a place of rest, refresh

me beside
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

quiet
מְנֻח֣וֹת (mə·nu·ḥō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4496: Repose, peacefully, consolation, an abode

waters.
מֵ֖י (mê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen


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OT Poetry: Psalm 23:2 He makes me lie down in green (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 23:1
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