Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 23:5

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 23:5. Thou preparest a table before me — Here the second allegory begins. A magnificent banquet is provided by a most liberal and benevolent host; who has not only the bounty to feed me, but power to protect me; and, though surrounded by enemies, I sit down to this table with confidence, knowing that I shall feast in perfect security. This may refer to the favour God gave the poor captive Israelites in the sight of the Chaldeans who had grievously treated them for seventy years; and whose king, Cyrus, had not only permitted them now to return to their own land, but had also furnished them with every thing requisite for their passage, and for repairing the walls of Jerusalem, and rebuilding the temple of the Lord, where the sacrifices were offered as usual, and the people of God feasted on them.

Thou anointest my head with oil — Perfumed oil was poured on the heads of distinguished guests, when at the feasts of great personages. The woman in the Gospel, who poured the box of ointment of spikenard on the head of our Lord (see Matthew 26:6-7; Mark 14:8; Luke 7:46,) only acted according to the custom of her own country, which the host, who invited our Lord, had shamefully neglected.

My cup runneth over. — Thou hast not only given me abundance of food, but hast filled my cup with the best wine.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 23:0 Divine shepherd and host

God’s relationship with his people is like that of a shepherd to his sheep. He provides what is best for them, refreshes them continually, and guides them in the way that he knows is right. In so doing he proves himself faithful to his own nature as the covenant God of his chosen people (1-3).
Despite God’s provision and guidance, there will be dangers along the way. But as a shepherd uses his club (rod) to beat off wild animals, and his crook (staff) to rescue the troubled sheep, so will God care for his people (4). Wild animals may surround them, but they can feed in safety under the protection of the heavenly shepherd. In view of God’s provision of the best food for those in his care, the picture changes from the divine shepherd to the divine host. God gives special attention to his guests, just as a host in ancient times gave special honour to a guest by anointing his head with oil. The guests in God’s house, however, never have to leave. They are with him for ever (5-6).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou has anointed my head with oil; My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

See the chapter introduction for a comment on the change of metaphor. Here we have a gracious and generous host who provides a banquet for his guest. The table is a prepared one, presumably loaded with bountiful abundance of the most choice foods. It is a banquet of the "brimming cup" and the anointed head. Furthermore, the enemies witness all this.

Inasmuch as Christ himself claimed to be the "Good Shepherd" of this passage, we do not hesitate to find overtones of the Christian religion in it. We do not claim that this psalm is Messianic in the usual sense, but that it is impossible to portray the Good Shepherd without definite suggestions of Christ and his kingdom.

Gaebelein noted this and stated that:

"Here we can think of the Lord's table (I appoint unto you a kingdom, that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom - Luke 22:30), where the bread and the wine are symbols of his love. As we worship at that table, we remember him the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep. We show forth the Lord's death till he come. The Lord himself is with us in the assembly; and there are onlookers. Our enemies are also looking on! The table spread telling forth his conquering love is the Table of Victory."Arno C. Gaebelein, p. 116.

No, we cannot claim that any of this is foretold here; but the description of the Good Shepherd fits the Lord perfectly.

The marvelous assurance of this psalm is the Old Testament equivalent of Romans 8:31-39.

McCaw pointed out that the imagery of the great banquet here is an integral part of the whole Biblical panorama that includes: "Joseph's feeding Israel (Genesis 43:34), Jesus' feeding the five thousand (Matthew 14:19), the parable of the Great Supper (Luke 14:15-24), and that of the marriage feast of the Bridegroom (Matthew 22:1-14; Revelation 19:9)."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 466.

"Forever and ever" (Psalms 23:6). We feel somewhat annoyed at those writers who seem determined to challenge any ancient meaning of the sacred text. There are absolutely no scholars today who have any more learning or any more intelligence than the translators of the KJV, which rendition is here followed by the ASV. Some point out that, the literal Hebrew from which these words are translated actually has, "`For length of days,' referring to prolonged earthly life rather that to life after death."J. R. Dummelow's Commentary, p. 339. So what? As Dahood, writing in the Anchor Bible, stated it, "The Hebrew words here are actually a synonym for `eternal life.'"Mitchell Dahood in The Anchor Bible, p. 148. In accordance with this fact, The Anchor Bible renders Psalms 23:6 here as follows:

"Surely goodness and kindness will attend me, all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of Yahweh for days without end."

Furthermore, as Kidner noted, "The Christian understanding of these words (as in the KJV) does no violence to them."Derek Kidner, p. 113. Did not an apostle say, that, "Neither death nor life… will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38)?

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Thou preparest a table - The image is now changed, though expressing the general idea which is indicated in the first verse of the psalm, “I shall not want.” The evidence or proof of this in the previous verses is, that God was a shepherd, and would provide for him as a shepherd does for his flock; the evidence here is that God had provided a table, or a feast, for him in the very presence of his enemies, and had filled his cup with joy. The word “table” here is synonymous with “feast;” and the meaning is, “thou providest for my wants.” There “may” be an allusion here to some particular period of the life of the psalmist, when he was in want, and when he perhaps felt an apprehension that he would perish, and when God had unexpectedly provided for his wants; but it is impossible now to determine to what occasion he thus refers. There were numerous occasions in the life of David which would be well represented by this language, “as if” God had provided a meal for him in the very “presence” of his foes, and in spite of them.

Before me - For me. It is spread in my presence, and for me.

In the presence of mine enemies - That is, in spite of them, or so that they could not prevent it. They were compelled to look on and see how God provided for him. It was manifest that this was from God; it was a proof of the divine favor; it furnished an assurance that he who had done this would never leave him to want. The friends of God are made to triumph in the very presence of their foes. Their enemies are compelled to see how He interposes in their behalf, how He provides for them, and how He defends them. Their final triumph in the day of judgment will be in the very presence of all their assembled enemies, for in their very presence He will pronounce the sentence which will make their eternal happiness sure, Matthew 25:31-36.

Thou anointest my head with oil - Margin, as in Hebrew, “makest fat.” That is, thou dost pour oil on my head so abundantly that it seems to be made fat with it. The expression indicates abundance. The allusion is to the custom of anointing the head on festival occasions, as an indication of prosperity and rejoicing (see Matthew 6:17, note; Luke 7:46, note), and the whole is indicative of the divine favor, of prosperity, and of joy.

My cup runneth over - It is not merely “full;” it runs over. This, too, indicates abundance; and from the abundance of the favors thus bestowed, the psalmist infers that God would always provide for him, and that He would never leave him to want.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

5.Thou wilt prepare. These words, which are put in the future tense, here denote a continued act. David, therefore, now repeats, without a figure, what he has hitherto declared, concerning the beneficence of God, under the similitude of a shepherd. He tells us that by his liberality he is supplied with all that is necessary for the maintenance of this life. When he says, Thou preparest a table before me, he means that God furnished him with sustenance without trouble or difficulty on his part, just as if a father should stretch forth his hand to give food to his child. He enhances this benefit from the additional consideration, that although many malicious persons envy his happiness, and desire his ruin, yea, endeavor to defraud him of the blessing of God; yet God does not desist from showing himself liberal towards him, and from doing him good. What he subjoins concerning oil, has a reference to a custom which then prevailed. We know that in old time, ointments were used at the more magnificent feasts, and no man thought he had honourably received his guests if he had not perfumed them therewith. Now, this exuberant store of oil, and also this overflowing cup, ought to be explained as denoting the abundance which goes beyond the mere supply of the common necessaries of life; for it is spoken in commendation of the royal wealth with which, as the sacred historian records, David had been amply furnished. All men, it is true, are not treated with the same liberality with which David was treated; but there is not an individual who is not under obligation to God by the benefits which God has conferred upon him, so that we are constrained to acknowledge that he is a kind and liberal Father to all his people. In the meantime, let each of us stir up himself to gratitude to God for his benefits, and the more abundantly these have been bestowed upon us, our gratitude ought to be the greater. If he is ungrateful who, having only a coarse loaf, does not acknowledge in that the fatherly providence of God, how much less can the stupidity of those be tolerated, who glut themselves with the great abundance of the good things of God which they possess, without having any sense or taste of his goodness towards them? David, therefore, by his own example, admonishes the rich of their duty, that they may be the more ardent in the expression of their gratitude to God, the more delicately he feeds them. Farther, let us remember, that those who have greater abundance than others are bound to observe moderation not less than if they had only as much of the good things of this life as would serve for their limited and temperate enjoyment. We are too much inclined by nature to excess; and, therefore, when God is, in respect of worldly things, bountiful to his people, it is not to stir up and nourish in them this disease. All men ought to attend to the rule of Paul, which is laid down in Philippians 4:12, that they “may know both how to be abased, and how to abound.” That want may not sink us into despondency, we need to be sustained by patient endurance; and, on the other hand, that too great abundance may not elate us above measure, we need to be restrained by the bridle of temperance. Accordingly, the Lord, when he enriches his own people, restrains, at the same time, the licentious desires of the flesh by the spirit of confidence, so that, of their own accord, they prescribe to themselves rules of temperance. Not that it is unlawful for rich men to enjoy more freely the abundance which they possess than if God had given them a smaller portion; but all men ought to beware, (and much more kings,) lest they should be dissolved in voluptuous pleasures. David, no doubt, as was perfectly lawful, allowed himself larger scope than if he had been only one of the common people, or than if he had still dwelt in his father’s cottage, but he so regulated himself in the midst of his delicacies, as not at all to take pleasure in stuffing and fattening the body. He knew well how to distinguish between the table which God had prepared for him and a trough for swine. It is also worthy of particular notice, that although David lived upon his own lands, the tribute money and other revenues of the kingdom, he gave thanks to God just as if God had daily given him his food with his own hand. From this we conclude that he was not blinded with his riches, but always looked upon God as his householder, who brought forth meat and drink from his own store, and distributed it to him at the proper season.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 23:1-6

Psalms 23:1-6 , the prayer of David, or a psalm of David, rather. And it is a psalm in which he sees God in three aspects. He sees God first as a shepherd; secondly as a guide; and thirdly as a host. There is a very interesting commentary called, "A Shepherd Looks at the Twenty-third Psalm." And you might want to read this book. It is a fascinating book, as it goes into many of the aspects of a shepherd, and the character and the nature of sheep. And you'll find it an excellent commentary on the twenty-third psalm, "A Shepherd Looks at the Twenty-third Psalm." But in reality, a guide could look at it too, and a host could look at it, because he sees God in all three capacities, not just as a shepherd, but also as a guide and as a host. God is a shepherd.

Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want ( Psalms 23:1 ).

I shall not want, actually, for provision.

For he makes me to lay down in green pastures ( Psalms 23:2 ):

I shall not want for refreshment, for

he leads me beside the still waters ( Psalms 23:2 ).

I shall not want for strength, for

He restoreth my soul ( Psalms 23:3 ):

So God is a shepherd. Watching over me, leading me into green pastures, leading me to the still waters, restoring my soul.

But now God is a guide.

he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness [or in the right path] for his name's sake. And yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me ( Psalms 23:3-4 );

Now, God is leading me through my path of life. He leadeth me. "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, He will direct your path" ( Proverbs 3:6 ). God will lead you through your path of life. But each one of you the path of life will one day, barring the rapture of the church, lead into the valley of the shadow of death. When it does, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me. Death doesn't hold any terror or fear for the child of God.

A survey was recently done among morticians; 2000 of them responded to it. And it was a survey that dealt with the preparation of bodies of those people who they knew to be truly born again and those who were not. And you can ask a mortician, and it's almost impossible for a mortician to put a smile on a person's face when they are dead. Did you know that? Next to impossible, unless the person was a born again Christian. And they had observed this phenomena, and so they made sort of a survey among morticians, and it all came back, yes, they had all observed the same phenomena. You bet there will be a smile on my face! All right, you know.

"For death has been swallowed up in victory. O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? For the sting of death was sin, but sin has been removed. Thanks be unto God, who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord" ( 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 ). So, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me. Oh, the presence of God. Taking me by the hand, leading me through the valley.

Now God is seen as a host.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over ( Psalms 23:5 ).

God is just really a great host. He is a gracious host. He takes care of you fabulously. Preparing a table before you, anointing your head with oil, causing your cup to overflow. The glorious overflowing life of the child of God. "If any man thirsts," Jesus cried, "let him come to Me and drink. And he who drinks of the water that I give, out of his innermost being, there will gush torrents of living water" ( John 7:37-38 ). The cup will overflow.

Surely goodness and mercy should follow me all the days of my life ( Psalms 23:6 ):

Wherever I go, throughout my pilgrim journey on this earth. Goodness and mercy. The goodness of God, the mercy of God, attending my path. And at the end of the path, all the days of my life having been completed,

I shall then dwell in the house of the LORD for ever ( Psalms 23:6 ).

That house that Jesus spake of, when He said, "In my Father's house there are many mansions. And I'm going to prepare a place for you." Now I look at this world and I love to go to Hawaii, and I love to go to Yosemite, and I love to go into any areas where you have beautiful woods and ferns and rivers, and streams and flowers and fauna. I love it! I love the beauty. And I look at the beauties of Grand Canyon. I look at the beauties of the oceans. I look at the beauties of the lakes and the rivers and the streams and the woods, the deserts. And I realize that He created the whole thing in six days. Now, it was about 1900 years ago that He said He was going to prepare a place for me. If He could do all of this in six days, what must that place be like that He has been working on for 1900 years? You bet there will be a smile on my face. As I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 23

David reflected on God’s many blessings to him and concluded that God would continue to be faithful to him and grant him fellowship in the future. This is a psalm of trust and confidence in God’s goodness in the present and in the future.

"Depth and strength underlie the simplicity of this psalm. Its peace is not escape; its contentment is not complacency: there is readiness to face deep darkness and imminent attack, and the climax reveals a love which homes towards no material goal but to the Lord Himself." [Note: Kidner, p. 109.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

2. God as provider 23:5

In this verse, David described God as a host rather than as a shepherd. As a gracious host, God provides hospitality for His people. He supplies us with what we need and desire lavishly, and He does so, not by removing us from the presence of our spiritual enemies, but in their presence. In the ancient East, a thoughtful host would welcome an honored guest into the protection of his home by pouring some oil on his head (cf. Psalms 45:7; Psalms 92:10; Psalms 133:2; Amos 6:6; Luke 7:46). This refreshed and soothed a weary traveler. Anointing with oil in Scripture pictured God’s bestowal of His Holy Spirit on the believer (Exodus 40:9-16; Leviticus 8:10-12; 1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Samuel 16:13; 1 Kings 1:39; et al.). [Note: John F. Walvoord, The Holy Spirit, pp. 21-22.] David’s cup symbolized his lot in life that overflowed with abundant blessings.

Gann's Commentary on the Bible

Psalms 23:5

Thou preparest a table ...

A. In the Palestine pastures there were many poisonous plants, and usually in the spring the shepherd would walk over the pasture pulling them up and burning them.

B. The shepherd, so to speak, prepares a table in the presence of enemies.

C. There were bears and mountain lions within the hills around Bethlehem in David’s day. The enemy was watching near by.

D. David was not on one side of the Jordan River and Absalom on the other – his enemy in his camp may have been able to see the camp fires of David.

E. How gracious and wonderfully the Lord also cares for

Thou anointest my head ...

A. “Anointest my head with oil.” When the sheep came into the fold at night the shepherd would look them over one by one, checking for burrs and injuries, and would anoint their head if injured.

1) That is, he gave medicinal blessings, and this gave great comfort to the sheep.

“My cup runneth over.”

Particularly for the wounded or especially tired sheep, he would bring water from the well to a trough. And this was a shepherd who was especially interested in his sheep and wanted them to get all they wanted, and so he overflowed their water cup.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Thou preparest a table before me,.... In a providential way granting a sufficiency, and even an affluence of temporal good things; the providence of God lays and spreads a table for his people in the wilderness, and sets them down at it, and bids them welcome to it; see

Psalms 78:19; and in a way of grace, the Lord making large provisions in his house for them, called the goodness and fatness of his house, and a feast of fat things; and under the Gospel dispensation, the table of the Lord, on which are set his flesh and blood for faith to feed upon; see Proverbs 9:2; and also in heaven, the joys of which are compared to a feast, and the enjoyment of them to sitting at a table, and which are prepared by the Lord for his people, from the foundation of the world; and of which they have some foresight and foretaste in this world; see

Luke 22:30; and all this

in the presence of my enemies; they seeing and envying the outward prosperity of the saints, whenever they enjoy it, and their liberty of worshipping God, hearing his word, and attending on his ordinances, none making them afraid; as they will see, and envy, and be distressed at a more glorious state of the church yet to come, Revelation 11:12; and even, as it should seem from the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the glory and happiness of the saints in the other world will be seen, or by some way or other known, by wicked men; which will be an affliction to them, and an aggravation of their misery; though here it seems chiefly to regard the present life. Some have thought there is an allusion to princes, who, having conquered others, eat and feast at a well spread table in the presence of the conquered, and they being under it; see Judges 1:7;

thou anointest my head with oil; giving him an abundance of good things, not only for necessity, but for pleasure and delight; especially pouring out largely upon him the oil of gladness, the Spirit of God and his graces, the anointing which teaches all things, and filling him with spiritual joy and comfort; for this refers not to the anointing of David with material oil for the kingdom, by Samuel, while Saul was living, or by the men of Judah, and afterwards by all the tribes of Israel, when Saul was dead. The allusion is to the custom of the eastern countries, at feasts, to anoint the heads of the guests with oil; see Ecclesiastes 9:7. It was usual to anoint the head, as well as other parts of the body, on certain occasions; hence that of Propertius y: and in the times before Homer z it was usual both to wash and anoint before meals, and not the head only, but the feet also; which, though Pliny a represents as luxurious, was in use in Christ's time, Luke 7:38; and spoken of as an ancient custom by Aristophanes b his Scholiast for daughters to anoint the feet of their parents after they had washed them; which may serve to illustrate the passage in the Gospel; see Ecclesiastes 9:8;

my cup runneth over; denoting an affluence of temporal good things, and especially of spiritual ones, which was David's case. Such who are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ, to whom the grace of the Lord has been exceeding abundant, and the Lord himself is the portion of their cup, their cup may be said to run over indeed.

y "Terque lavet nostras spica cilissa comas", l. 4. eleg. 6. v. 74. z Iliad. 10. v. 577, 578. Odyss. l. 3. v. 466. & l. 8. v. 454. & l. 10. v. 450. a Nat. Hist. l. 13. c. 3. b Vespes, p. 473, 516, 517.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

A psalm of David.

      1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.   2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.   3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.   4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.   5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.   6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

      From three very comfortable premises David, in this psalm, draws three very comfortable conclusions, and teaches us to do so too. We are saved by hope, and that hope will not make us ashamed, because it is well grounded. It is the duty of Christians to encourage themselves in the Lord their God; and we are here directed to take that encouragement both from the relation wherein he stands to us and from the experience we have had of his goodness according to that relation.

      I. From God's being his shepherd he infers that he shall not want anything that is good for him, Psalms 23:1; Psalms 23:1. See here, 1. The great care that God takes of believers. He is their shepherd, and they may call him so. Time was when David was himself a shepherd; he was taken from following the ewes great with young (Psalms 78:70; Psalms 78:71), and so he knew by experience the cares and tender affections of a good shepherd towards his flock. He remembered what need they had of a shepherd, and what a kindness it was to them to have one that was skilful and faithful; he once ventured his life to rescue a lamb. By this therefore he illustrates God's care of his people; and to this our Saviour seems to refer when he says, I am the shepherd of the sheep; the good shepherd,John 10:11. He that is the shepherd of Israel, of the whole church in general (Psalms 80:1), is the shepherd of every particular believer; the meanest is not below his cognizance, Isaiah 40:11. He takes them into his fold, and then takes care of them, protects them, and provides for them, with more care and constancy than a shepherd can, that makes it his business to keep the flock. If God be as a shepherd to us, we must be as sheep, inoffensive, meek, and quiet, silent before the shearers, nay, and before the butcher too, useful and sociable; we must know the shepherd's voice, and follow him. 2. The great confidence which believers have in God: "If the Lord is my shepherd, my feeder, I may conclude I shall not want any thing that is really necessary and good for me." If David penned this psalm before his coming to the crown, though destined to it, he had as much reason to fear wanting as any man. Once he sent his men a begging for him to Nabal, and another time went himself a begging to Ahimelech; and yet, when he considers that God is his shepherd, he can boldly say, I shall not want. Let not those fear starving that are at God's finding and have him for their feeder. More is implied than is expressed, not only, I shall not want, but, "I shall be supplied with whatever I need; and, if I have not every thing I desire, I may conclude it is either not fit for me or not good for me or I shall have it in due time."

      II. From his performing the office of a good shepherd to him he infers that he needs not fear any evil in the greatest dangers and difficulties he could be in, Psalms 23:2-4; Psalms 23:2-4. He experiences the benefit of God's presence with him and care of him now, and therefore expects the benefit of them when he most needs it. See here,

      1. The comforts of a living saint. God is his shepherd and his God--a God all-sufficient to all intents and purposes. David found him so, and so have we. See the happiness of the saints as the sheep of God's pasture. (1.) They are well placed, well laid: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. We have the supports and comforts of this life from God's good hand, our daily bread from him as our Father. The greatest abundance is but a dry pasture to a wicked man, who relishes that only in it which pleases the senses; but to a godly man, who tastes the goodness of God in all his enjoyments, and by faith relishes that, though he has but little of the world, it is a green pasture, Psalms 37:16; Proverbs 15:16; Proverbs 15:17. God's ordinances are the green pastures in which food is provided for all believers; the word of life is the nourishment of the new man. It is milk for babes, pasture for sheep, never barren, never eaten bare, never parched, but always a green pasture for faith to feed in. God makes his saints to lie down; he gives them quiet and contentment in their own minds, what ever their lot is; their souls dwell at ease in him, and that makes every pasture green. Are we blessed with the green pastures of the ordinances? Let us not think it enough to pass through them, but let us lie down in them, abide in them; this is my rest for ever. It is by a constancy of the means of grace that the soul is fed. (2.) They are well guided, well led. The shepherd of Israel guides Joseph like a flock; and every believer is under the same guidance: He leadeth me beside the still waters. Those that feed on God's goodness must follow his direction; he leads them by his providence, by his word, by his Spirit, disposes of their affairs for the best, according to his counsel, disposes their affections and actions according to his command, directs their eye, their way, and their heart, into his love. The still waters by which he leads them yield them, not only a pleasant prospect, but many a cooling draught, many a reviving cordial, when they are thirsty and weary. God provides for his people not only food and rest, but refreshment also and pleasure. The consolations of God, the joys of the Holy Ghost, are these still waters, by which the saints are led, streams which flow from the fountain of living waters and make glad the city of our God. God leads his people, not to the standing waters which corrupt and gather filth, not to the troubled sea, nor to the rapid rolling floods, but to the silent purling waters; for the still but running waters agree best with those spirits that flow out towards God and yet do it silently. The divine guidance they are under is stripped of its metaphor (Psalms 23:3; Psalms 23:3): He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness, in the way of my duty; in that he instructs me by his word and directs me by conscience and providence. Theses are the paths in which all the saints desire to be led and kept, and never to turn aside out of them. And those only are led by the still waters of comfort that walk in the paths of righteousness. The way of duty is the truly pleasant way. It is the work of righteousness that is peace. In these paths we cannot walk unless God both lead us into them and lead us in them. (3.) They are well helped when any thing ails them: He restoreth my soul. [1.] "He restores me when I wander." No creature will lose itself sooner than a sheep, so apt is it to go astray, and then so unapt to find the way back. The best saints are sensible of their proneness to go astray like lost sheep (Psalms 119:176); they miss their way, and turn aside into by-paths; but when God shows them their error, gives them repentance, and brings them back to their duty again, he restores the soul; and, if he did not do so, they would wander endlessly and be undone. When, after one sin, David's heart smote him, and, after another, Nathan was sent to tell him, Thou art the man, God restored his soul. Though God may suffer his people to fall into sin, he will not suffer them to lie still in it. [2.] "He recovers me when I am sick, and revives me when I am faint, and so restores the soul which was ready to depart." He is the Lord our God that heals us, Exodus 15:26. Many a time we should have fainted unless we had believed; and it was the good shepherd that kept us from fainting.

      2. See here the courage of a dying saint (Psalms 23:4; Psalms 23:4): "Having had such experience of God's goodness to me all my days, in six troubles and in seven, I will never distrust him, no, not in the last extremity; the rather because all he has done for me hitherto was not for any merit or desert of mine, but purely for his name's sake, in pursuance of his word, in performance of his promise, and for the glory of his own attributes and relations to his people. That name therefore shall still be my strong tower, and shall assure me that he who has led me, and fed me, all my life long, will not leave me at last." Here is,

      (1.) Imminent danger supposed: "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, that is, though I am in peril of death, though in the midst of dangers, deep as a valley, dark as a shadow, and dreadful as death itself," or rather, "though I am under the arrests of death, have received the sentence of death within myself, and have all the reason in the world to look upon myself as a dying man, yet I am easy." Those that are sick, those that are old, have reason to look upon themselves as in the valley of the shadow of death. Here is one word indeed which sounds terrible; it is death, which we must all count upon; there is no discharge in that war. But, even in the supposition of the distress, there are four words which lessen the terror:--It is death indeed that is before us; but, [1.] It is but the shadow of death; there is no substantial evil in it; the shadow of a serpent will not sting nor the shadow of a sword kill. [2.] It is the valley of the shadow, deep indeed, and dark, and dirty; but the valleys are fruitful, and so is death itself fruitful of comforts to God's people. [3.] It is but a walk in this valley, a gentle pleasant walk. The wicked are chased out of the world, and their souls are required; but the saints take a walk to another world as cheerfully as they take their leave of this. [4.] It is a walk through it; they shall not be lost in this valley, but get safely to the mountain of spices on the other side of it.

      (2.) This danger made light of, and triumphed over, upon good grounds. Death is a king of terrors, but not to the sheep of Christ; they tremble at it no more than sheep do that are appointed for the slaughter. "Even in the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil. None of these things move me." Note, A child of God may meet the messengers of death, and receive its summons with a holy security and serenity of mind. The sucking child may play upon the hole of this asp; and the weaned child, that, through grace, is weaned from this world, may put his hand upon this cockatrice's den, bidding a holy defiance to death, as Paul, O death! where is thy sting? And there is ground enough for this confidence, [1.] Because there is no evil in it to a child of God; death cannot separate us from the love of God, and therefore it can do us no real harm; it kills the body, but cannot touch the soul. Why should it be dreadful when there is nothing in it hurtful? [2.] Because the saints have God's gracious presence with them in their dying moments; he is then at their right hand, and therefore why should they be moved? The good shepherd will not only conduct, but convoy, his sheep through the valley, where they are in danger of being set upon by the beasts of prey, the ravening wolves; he will not only convoy them, but comfort then when they most need comfort. His presence shall comfort them: Thou art with me. His word and Spirit shall comfort them--his rod and staff, alluding to the shepherd's crook, or the rod under which the sheep passed when they were counted (Leviticus 27:32), or the staff with which the shepherds drove away the dogs that would scatter or worry the sheep. It is a comfort to the saints, when they come to die, that God takes cognizance of them (he knows those that are his), that he will rebuke the enemy, that he will guide them with his rod and sustain them with his staff. The gospel is called the rod of Christ's strength (Psalms 110:2), and there is enough in that to comfort the saints when they come to die, and underneath them are the everlasting arms.

      III. From the good gifts of God's bounty to him now he infers the constancy and perpetuity of his mercy, Psalms 23:5; Psalms 23:6. Here we may observe,

      1. How highly he magnifies God's gracious vouchsafements to him (Psalms 23:5; Psalms 23:5): "Thou preparest a table before me; thou hast provided for me all things pertaining both to life and godliness, all things requisite both for body and soul, for time and eternity:" such a bountiful benefactor is God to all his people; and it becomes them abundantly to utter his great goodness, as David here, who acknowledges, (1.) That he had food convenient, a table spread, a cup filled, meat for his hunger, drink for his thirst. (2.) That he had it carefully and readily provided for him. His table was not spread with any thing that came next to hand, but prepared, and prepared before him. (3.) That he was not stinted, was not straitened, but had abundance: "My cup runs over, enough for myself and my friends too." (4.) That he had not only for necessity, but for ornament and delight: Thou anointest my head with oil. Samuel anointed him king, which was a certain pledge of further favor; but this is rather an instance of the plenty with which God had blessed him, or an allusion to the extraordinary entertainment of special friends, whose heads they anointed with oil, Luke 7:46. Nay, some think he still looks upon himself as a sheep, but such a one as the poor man's ewe-lamb (2 Samuel 12:3), that did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom; not only thus nobly, but thus tenderly, are the children of God looked after. Plentiful provision is made for their bodies, for their souls, for the life that now is and for that which is to come. If Providence do not bestow upon us thus plentifully for our natural life, it is our own fault if it be not made up to us in spiritual blessings.

      2. How confidently he counts upon the continuance of God's favours, Psalms 23:6; Psalms 23:6. He had said (Psalms 23:1; Psalms 23:1), I shall not want; but now he speaks more positively, more comprehensively: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. His hope rises, and his faith is strengthened, by being exercised. Observe, (1.) What he promises himself--goodness and mercy, all the streams of mercy flowing from the fountain, pardoning mercy, protecting mercy, sustaining mercy, supplying mercy. (2.) The manner of the conveyance of it: It shall follow me, as the water out of the rock followed the camp of Israel through the wilderness; it shall follow into all places and all conditions, shall be always ready. (3.) The continuance of it: It shall follow me all my life long, even to the last; for whom God loves he loves to the end. (4.) The constancy of it: All the days of my life, as duly as the day comes; it shall be new every morning (Lamentations 3:22; Lamentations 3:23) like the manna that was given to the Israelites daily. (5.) The certainty of it: Surely it shall. It is as sure as the promise of the God of truth can make it; and we know whom we have believed. (6.) Here is a prospect of the perfection of bliss in the future state. So some take the latter clause: "Goodness and mercy having followed me all the days of my life on this earth, when that is ended I shall remove to a better world, to dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, in our Father's house above, where there are many mansions. With what I have I am pleased much; with what I hope for I am pleased more." All this, and heaven too! Then we serve a good Master.

      3. How resolutely he determines to cleave to God and to his duty. We read the last clause as David's covenant with God: "I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever (as long as I live), and I will praise him while I have any being." We must dwell in his house as servants, that desired to have their ears bored to the door-post, to serve him for ever. If God's goodness to us be like the morning light, which shines more and more to the perfect day, let not ours to him be like the morning cloud and the early dew that passeth away. Those that would be satisfied with the fatness of God's house must keep close to the duties of it.