Psalms 23:1 · kjv
Psalm 23:1
“O Senhor é o meu pastor; nada me faltará.”
Psalm 23:1 KJV declares, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." The Hebrew opens with YHWH ro'i — the covenant name of God (the tetragrammaton, H3068) paired with ro'eh (H7462), "shepherd, one who tends a flock." This was David's own profession before he was anointed king (1 Samuel 16:11), so the metaphor flows from lived experience. The phrase "I shall not want" renders lo echsar (from chaser, H2637), meaning "I shall not lack" — not an absence of desire but a sufficiency of provision. Ancient Near Eastern kings often called themselves shepherds of their people (cf. Ezekiel 34), but David subverts the idea: the true King-Shepherd is YHWH Himself. This verse anticipates the messianic Shepherd theme later fulfilled in John 10:11, where Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd (poimen ho kalos)." Cross-references include Ezekiel 34:11-16, Isaiah 40:11, John 10:11-14, 1 Peter 2:25, and Hebrews 13:20, which together trace the shepherd motif from patriarchal pasture to the resurrection of Christ.
Chapter Context
Psalm 23 is a mizmor le-David ("a psalm of David"), traditionally read alongside Psalm 22 (the psalm of the cross) and Psalm 24 (the psalm of the crown), forming a shepherd-savior-king triad. Verse 1 establishes the thesis for the whole psalm: because YHWH is the shepherd, every other provision — green pastures, still waters, right paths, protection in the dark valley, the table before enemies, anointing, and the house of the LORD — flows downstream. David likely composed it reflecting on his youth in the Judean hills near Bethlehem, transposing pastoral imagery into theology. Jewish tradition reads it at mealtimes and funerals alike, recognizing it as a confession of total dependence.
How to Apply This Verse
- Rephrase your anxieties as shepherd-questions. If YHWH is your shepherd, the issue is not whether you will be provided for, but whether you will follow where He leads. Bring worries to Him as a sheep brings them to its keeper.
- Receive rest as obedience, not laziness. Shepherds make sheep lie down; Sabbath and sleep are acts of trust that God is still tending the flock when you stop striving.
- Let contentment precede circumstance. "I shall not want" is declared before any green pasture is named — so practice gratitude for the Shepherd Himself before tallying His gifts.