PSALM OF THE SHEPHERD Or PSALM OF THE PARACLETE A PRAISE OF TRUST: This is considered the sweetest in the book of psalms, Its prevailing feature is the trust in God; as the psalmist cast himself, like a child, on the chest of God, in the time of peace and tranquility. In this psalm the trumpet of war disappears, and replaced by the harp of peace, which, no more produces a sad melody, but a joyful symphony of love, praising God as a Good Shepherd, a Wise Leader, and a Personal Friend of the human soul, The Orthodox Jews love this psalm, and the Reformed Jews use it in their worship in their synagogues. The early fathers of the church, as well, found in this psalm their gladness and exultation, seeing in it the care of the Good Shepherd for His flock. And St. Augustine did well by choosing it as a praise, sung by the martyrs. According to many scholars, this psalm is one of the first written by the prophet David, its first part portraying the early stage of his life as a shepherd of sheep; and they see David as the most convenient person to author such a kind of psalm. According to bishop Weiser, the author of this psalm, through the divine ministry, has experienced the blessings of fellowship with God. Remembering his early life, he sees how it passed under the watching and alert care of God, in the midst of all kinds of tribulations. … Such divine care, namely, the leadership of the Shepherd, embraces every member of the people of God, and the whole people as a congregation….. And https://coptic-treasures.com/ this divine ministry could become a praise of thanksgiving to God, the Shepherd who has led the people who enjoyed the covenant, and who brought them forth through the way of salvation, particularly through the conquest of the exodus, that has ended up with the people enjoying peace in the land of the Lord, namely the promised land (Isaiah 40: 11; 63: 14; Ezekiel 34; Psalm 95: 7; 100: 3) A ROYAL LITURGICAL PSALM: According to A. L. Merril, this psalm describes the rite of the coronation of the king, implying a procession that started from the temple, and continued up to the spring; and probably constitutes, as well, going around the holy city (Psalm 48: 13 etc.). It was probably used in the enthronement of the king (the descendant of David); Firstly that this enthronement is a symbol of the care of the Lord Christ, Himself (the Son of David), the Shepherd King, the Lover of His people. And secondly, to let the people know, while enthroning the king, that the true Shepherd is not the king, nor the civil or religious leaderships, but it is God Himself, who cares for all, and for both the soul and the body. And according to E. Vogt, this psalm is bound to the sacrifice of thanksgiving presented by a visitor to the holy places, for the sake of enjoying a specific blessing; to be as though have passed through a the valley of darkness (4), to enter into the house of God. Together with every gift we enjoy, we see the compassionate hand of God, and His exalted care for us, as He leads us through the valley of this world, to make us dwell together with Him eternally in His heavenly sanctuary (6) ITS RELATIONSHIP TO PSALM 22: In psalm 22 we see a magnificent portrait of the suffering Shepherd; While here in psalm 23, we see a joyful portrait of the rejoicing and satisfied flock. In psalm 22 we see the Shepherd hanged on the tree to carry the labors of His people, and to bring them forth through His cross to His glories; While here, in psalm 23, we see the Shepherd leading His flock to bring them forth, in the worthiness of His blood, to green pastures; https://coptic-treasures.com/ His paradise satisfactory for their Spirit; to bring them forth into streams of water running in the midst of the pastures; streams of His Holy Spirit, who waters their inner depths. We would not have enjoyed this psalm (23) “the Jewel of the psalms” unless we receive the salvation work of the Lord Christ, and enter into the last psalm (22), being “the Holy of Holies”. We would not have experienced the sweetness of Christ’s care, unless we recognize Hid blood, shed for our sake. The soul cannot sing: “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (6), unless she hears the Savior cries out “O My God, O My God, why have You forsaken Me”? (Psalm 22: 1); … He was forsaken even from the Father, with whom He is One in essence, equal to Him, and not separated from Him; so that we would never be forsaken by Him forever. A SACRAMENTAL PSALM: Behind the simplicity of this psalm, depth and power are hidden. Finding in it symbols of the holy and sacramental works of the Lord Christ, the early Christians made it an integral part of the liturgy of baptism. In the evening of the feast of resurrection (the Christian Passover), the newly baptized catechumens used to sing it after getting the two sacraments of Baptism and ‘Meron’, wearing white garments, and holding flames, and joyfully hastening toward the altar of the Lord to partake of the heavenly banquet. Our Christian church still sings this psalm on a daily basis during the vesper of the third hour, as a memorial of the dwelling of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples at that very hour; the same Spirit who still works in the church, particularly in the holy divine sacraments. ITS GENERAL FRAME: https://coptic-treasures.com/ This psalm presents the Savior Lord on three aspects: As a Good Shepherd; as a Leader who brings us forth to the ways of righteousness; and as a Friend who receives us in His holy house all the days of our life. 1- As a Shepherd: (1 to 3 ‘A’). Representing our Lord, ‘the Shepherd Messiah’; ‘the Shepherd Jehovah’, the psalmist starts this psalm in its first lines by shedding light upon the most popular portrait in the Holy Book -- the portrait of the Shepherd (Genesis 49: 24; Ezekiel 34: 11-16). In the term ‘Shepherd’, David uses the most revealing analogies of the attachment of the Shepherd to his flock; nourishing, leading, guiding, healing, and protecting them. In all these analogies we see gentleness and sweetness that pierce the hearts that get in touch with the divine compassion of the grace of God. … Nothing is sweeter than presenting God as a Shepherd! 2- As a Leader on the way of righteousness: (3 B – 4). As the flock may go on crooked ways, that would blemish the name of the Good Shepherd; The promises and the holy will of the Shepherd would be realized through His care and protection, revealed by the psalmist; through which God proclaims Himself. 3- As a Friend and Host: (5 – 6). He set a family banquet, in which He present His own body a sacrifice, to satisfy me, and to grant me joy and gladness of heart. MY SHEPHERD: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” (1) The Eastern countries used to call their rulers and kings “Shepherds”. https://coptic-treasures.com/ When the Holy Book calls God: “our Lord”, “our King”, “our Creator”, etc., We usually feel His might, power, and glory, in fear and trembling. … But when it calls Him “the Shepherd”, we rather taste His sweetness, gentleness, comfort, and His care for us; the same feeling we have when we call Him “Our Father”. I shall no doubt, not want; For He Himself will be my food, drink, clothing, protection, peace, and all my help for a life full of joy. His presence, Grantor of graces in my heart, would grant me satisfaction and satiety. Receiving the Lord as his Shepherd, to become a member of His flock, the Catechumen (who seeks baptism), partakes of His body and shed blood. … What more would he ask for? … The believer needs nothing more than he finds in Christ; or, in other words, He needs the Lord Christ Himself. Those were how St. Ambrose felt, while seeing the church on the eve of the feast of the resurrection, like heaven, with the rows of Catechumen who gained the Spirit of adoption, hastening to join the rows of believers, praising and singing, on their way to the divine banquet, to enjoy what the angels would covet to see! + One lamb, You have borne upon Your shoulders – our human nature. (St. Gregory, bishop of Nyssa) In a sure language David says: “The Lord is my Shepherd”. He, who became a lamb to dwell among us, as one of us. Yet, in His limitless love, He is committed to care for us, if we unite with Him to become lambs and not wolves; as He is the Shepherd of lambs and not of wolves. With His precious blood, He paid the price of our acceptance of His care; … By Him we become His beloved flock, on which He is the watching Shepherd. https://coptic-treasures.com/ Telling us about the exalted care of God, a perpetual, whole, and articulate care, that embraces everything, even the hair on our heads; And that for our sake, God cares even for the irrational creation, the scholar Origen says: + He cares for us on a daily basis, generally and personally, in ways hidden and manifest; even though we may not be aware of it. + With a firm and abiding doctrine, we confess that God cares for the mortal things; and that everything in heaven and on earth are under His care. + The divine care prevails upon the rational creation first; but it embraces, as well, the irrational creation, for the benefit of man. + Nothing haphazard happen in the life of men, but with an exalted and reckoned goal, that even includes the hair on their heads (Matthew 10: 3). It is not something that only concerns the saints, as some may think, but includes the entire mankind. The divine care include even the two sparrows that are sold for a copper coin (Matthew 10: 29); whether we understand that parable in a spiritual or symbolic way. (The scholar Origen) Now! What will the Shepherd present to us? 1- “He makes me to lie down in green pastures” (1) He leads the Catechumen to these pastures, where they get prepared to gain baptism. And getting the Spirit of adoption, their souls are daily fed from the pasture of the Word of God that would never dry up; This pasture is the gospel of our salvation, which brings us back to the true paradise. There, the Lamb feeds https://coptic-treasures.com/ (which is an animal that eats a lot, then regurgitates what it ate to re-chew the cud). + The green pastures are the paradise from which we have fallen; then led back to it by the Lord Christ, through the “still water”, namely, Baptism. (St. Cyril the Great) The green pastures are not outer blessings, but rather an enjoyment of the dwelling, together with the Lord Christ in us, to grant us the ‘nature of satisfaction’ in our depths, to be in need of nothing. The richest of the rich could be the poorest, if he is denied the dwelling of the Shepherd inside him, and if feels an inner void that the whole world cannot fill. While the poorest believer could be the richest, having the Lord Christ, Himself, his own possession, from whose hands he receives the feeling of satisfaction and satiety; beside his joy to share with the Lord His poverty, hoping to share with Him His glory. For our sake the Lord Christ became poor, so that by Him we would be rich. Yet, in His poverty He was never in need, but performed miracles and wonders for the sake of the comfort of His beloved, and not for His own comfort or glory. By such a spirit, every Christian should walk, bound to his Christ, being a member in His body. Our Christ grants us His life as a pasture that will never dry up. Our earthly parents may die at any moment, whereas our Good Shepherd will never die. 2- “He leads me beside the still waters” (2) https://coptic-treasures.com/ After getting plenty to eat, the flock are led by the Shepherd to a stream of water, or to a fountain flowing with renewable fresh water, to drink and quench their thirst and revive their souls. Yet the flock cannot go to these fountains of water by themselves, but need the leadership of the Shepherd to provide His flock with their needs. What is “the still water?” The temple was called “a house of rest” for the ark of the covenant (1 Chronicles 28: 2), or its “resting place” (Psalm 132: 8, 14). “The still water” (2) would, therefore, refer to God the Shepherd who receives the psalmist in His own house to water him and grant him comfort. Baptism is without doubt the “still water” or (the water of comfort) that lifts up the burden of sin; as according to St. Augustine: [He leads us to the water of Baptism, where he sets us, and cares for us; … the waters that grant health and strength to him who has lost them]. And according to St. Gregory, bishop of Nyssa: [In this water we find our comfort]; where we are buried together with Christ in the likeness of His death…. Yet, we do not enter into death, but into the “shadow of death” (3). There is also water which we put in the (font) of our souls, water taken from the “fleece” mentioned in the book of Judges (6: 37); and the water mentioned in psalm 23: 2; namely, the waters of the message of heaven. I wish this water, O Lord Jesus, would come to my soul and my body, so that through it, the valleys of my mind, and the pastures of my heart, would become green. … I wish drops of Your waters would come on me to grant me grace and eternity. Cleanse the steps of my mind, so as not to sin against You. … Cleanse the depths of my soul, to be able to wipe off the curse, and not to suffer the strike of the serpent (Genesis 3: 15) in the heel of my soul; For you commanded those https://coptic-treasures.com/ who follow You to trample with their feet on serpents and scorpions (Luke 10: 19). … You, who have redeemed the world, redeem the soul of one sinner! (St. Ambrose) 3- “He leads me in the paths of righteousness” (3) While going from one pasture to another, He leads me, crossing over barren wild wilderness: He keeps me from falling into crevices that would probably break my legs; and keeps me from falling among thorns and thistles; doing all that for the sake of His name, for us being His body. What are “the paths of righteousness”, but the righteousness of Christ; … He leads me to Himself, being “The Way”; He draws me by the chords of His divine love; and grants me the fellowship of His nature: the holiness, purity, love, humility, etc. Our Christ is the secure ” paths of righteousness”, who carries us by His Holy Spirit to the bosom of the Father, without being harmed on the way, or being in need of anything; but to grow in grace and wisdom. + The growth in wisdom is got by those who seek their salvation; their desire would be realized through understanding the Truth in the divine Word, and their walk in the true Righteousness. This leads us to perceive how Christ is “The Way”. On this path, we take with us no food nor garment; we carry no staff, nor wear sandals on our feet (Matthew 10: 10); For the path satisfies all the needs of our journey. Whoever walks on it would need nothing;… would be clothed in an attire befitting of the wedding; …. would encounter nothing to disturb him; As according to Solomon the Sage, he will find no https://coptic-treasures.com/ trace of a serpent on a rock” (Proverbs 30: 19); And I add that, finding no trace of a vicious wild animal; hence he is in no need to carry a staff to defend himself. … On account of being solid, this way is called the “Rock”. (The scholar Origen) + It is the good path that leads the good man to the Good Father! it leads “a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things” (Matthew 12: 35); It leads the good faithful servant. As this path is narrow, not many of those who love their bodies endure to walk in it. (The scholar Origen) Our Holy Christ is “The Way”, set upon the sanctification of our souls. In the Holy Book, sanctification appear to be the foundation for salvation. He who dreams that he is capable of entering into heaven without the purity of heart, the righteousness of life, and the sanctification of the body, would die in this fantasy, to wake up finding himself in eternal shame and disgrace. 4- “Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me” (4) We enter together with Christ in His death with no fear, for He is with us … And we joyfully perpetually experience the death with Christ, if we practice the Sacrament of repentance and confession in its true conception; namely, by delivering our soul within the hands of the Holy Spirit, who rebukes us and brings us back to the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. https://coptic-treasures.com/ What is the meaning of “the shadow of death”? a- As death is the worst evil in the sight of men, “the shadow of death” refers to the time of great sorrow, darkness, and temptations; Or it could mean suffering from troubles. Yet the troubles, however intense they are, would never stop our walk toward eternity, terrify us, or destroy our hope by fear, as long as we enjoy the company of the Savior. Here, the psalmist’ talks is amazingly articulate. He is going steady, and would not cease his perpetual steady progress along the royal path, however strong the tribulations are. Walking in a ‘valley’, and not on the tops of mountains …. he, and the believer feel a kind of peace and security. It is called “the valley of the shadow of death”, and not ‘the valley of death’, as the authority of death is no more. Finally, what preoccupies the heart of the believer is the company of God, or the divine presence, as a deposit of the encounter with God, face to face, after passing through the temporal life. b- The psalmist’s talk refers to some kind of coalition between the believer and death itself; he does not fear death, but enters with it into a sort of coalition or a covenant, that through it, he crosses over to the eternal life; he counts it a way to enjoy the life to come. c- “The shadow of death” refers to our fellowship in the death of Christ; receiving it with joy, to gain the power and glory of the resurrection. By saying, “Though I walk”, he means the behavior of the believer or the procession of his life as a short period. The Lord https://coptic-treasures.com/ Christ, the Good Shepherd, Himself, walked in “the shadow of death” in the days of His incarnation, and even entered into the grave, itself, so that we would accept to walk together with Him along the same path. + As the Lord walked in “the valley of the shadow of death”, where the souls of the dead were; Yet, He resurrected in the body again, and then ascended by it to heaven; It is obvious that the souls of His disciples, for whose sake the Lord has suffered, will set forth, as well, to the same hidden place assigned for them by the Lord; there to remain up to the day of resurrection, when they receive their bodies once again, and rise whole – body and soul – like the Lord, to come to the presence of God. (St. Erinaos) + We perpetually carry in our bodies the death of the Lord Jesus, to reap the immediate profit: “that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4: 11). (The scholar Origen) 5- “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (4) The rod is for leadership and defense; Whereas the staff is for support. According to St. Clement of Alexandria, it is “the rod of strength sent by the Lord out of Zion” (Psalm 110: 2); the rod of the strength of teaching, sanctifying, instructing, and saving. + How can wisdom save the soul of a young man from death? … She counsels his father, saying: “If you beat him with a rod, he will https://coptic-treasures.com/ not die” (Proverb 23: 13). According to the great David, that rod comforts and does not wound. (St. Gregory, bishop of Nyssa) St. Ambrose sees the Good Shepherd who leads us by His rod, and supports us by His staff; the seal of His cross which we received in the Sacrament of ‘Meron’, granting us the anointment of the ‘Paraclete’ (the Comforter), terrifying to the demons. In the Near East, the Shepherd usually has the following: a- A simple attire he usually puts on while working (different from that for social situations) … This simple attire refers to the Lord Christ, “emptying Himself from His glory” (Philippians 2: 7), to carry our human nature, and to take upon Himself the form of a servant, in order to bring us – the servants – forth to the fellowship of His glory. b- A rod, he uses to protect the flock against the serpents and the wild beasts; which refers to the cross of the Lord of glory, by which He destroyed the authority of the devil, killed the sin, and corrupted the dominion of death. c- A staff on which he supports himself; and by which he may take hold of a runaway sheep; referring to the Savior instructing His believers by the firm, yet compassionate staff of fatherhood. d- A vessel of oil, to soothe the wounds of his sheep; referring to the holy Anointment. e- A flute on which he plays, to proclaim his gladness in his shepherding work; referring to the joy of the Lord Jesus Christ, praised by the soul and the body, as though on a harp of love. https://coptic-treasures.com/ f- A knife he may use if necessary; referring to the work of the Holy Spirit who separates good from evil. “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” Reigning upon His people with His cross, as though with the rod of His kingdom, the psalmist trusts completely in the leadership of the divine Shepherd, even if He leads him across the dangerous mountain paths. 6- “You prepare a table for me before the presence of my enemies” (5) The psalmist probably means that God, who cares for us, seeing our enemy standing against us, He, by Himself, prepares a table for us to eat without haste, confusion, or disturbance; to enjoy without fear from the enemy lying in wait for us…. Being His beloved own, He grants us peace and satiety in the midst of the spiritual battle, … In His love He, by Himself, presents the table to us, after washing our feet together with His disciples’. The Shepherd who granted His people a victorious exodus, prepared for them a table (of Manna) while on their journey in the wilderness. The enemies who attempted to disturb the journey toward the divine dwelling place, were brought to shame when they saw the exalted grace presented by God to His people. In the book of psalms, thanksgiving is usually followed or accompanied by a sacrificial meal, or a holy table (Psalm 22: 26; 63: 6); or sacrifices (Psalm 55: 13 etc.; 116: 17 etc.)…. As the enemies of David were probably going around in the temple, while he was offering his thanksgiving sacrifice to God, he uttered this verse: “You prepared a table for me before the presence of my enemies” https://coptic-treasures.com/ Our Lord Jesus Christ grants us the table of His body and shed blood, that puts to shame the adversary enemies. The presence of the devil would never disturb us, nor deny us the enjoyment of His holy banquet. + When man says to God: “You prepare a table for me”, he refers to the spiritual sacramental table prepared by God for us “before the presence of the unclean spirits”. Yes indeed, for (the table of the demons) is mixing with them; Whereas “the table of the Lord” is a fellowship with Him. (St. Cyril of Jerusalem) + The devil trembles for fear before those who reverently partake of the sacramental table, presenting the body of the Lord, who supports us before our own lusts, and the presence of the devil. (St. Cyril of Alexandria) 7- “You anoint my head with oil” (5) Anointing with oil refers to a personal relationship between the shepherd and his flock; as well as to a state of joy and satiety. In the old days, those in grief, used to cover themselves with dust and ashes; and in joy, they used to wash up and anoint themselves with oil (Job 2: 12; 42: 16; 2 Samuel 12: 20). And anointing the guests with oil was a common sign of honor and hospitality (Psalm 92: 10; Amos 6: 6; Mathew 6: 17; Luke 7: 38, 46). It is as though the psalmist says to his Divine Shepherd: [You are treating me as a guest who has the privilege of attending the banquet You prepared for me]. Aaron was anointed as High Priest during the journey in the wilderness, when God, the Shepherd was leading His people toward the promised land. By that anointment, God proclaimed His divine care, by receiving man, through priesthood, as His own portion; and presenting Himself a portion to man. https://coptic-treasures.com/ Now, in the Sacrament of ‘Meron’, every believer is anointed as a general priest, to become the possession of God, and to receive God as his own possession and portion. Through this anointment, he receives from the hands of God, the Spirit of joy and gladness, by the work of the Holy Spirit in him, by the proclamation of the gospel of Christ as good news, working every day in his life; and as a continuous renewal and perpetual sanctification of the inner man, and of all the body members to the account of the kingdom of God. + By oil, you were anointed on the forehead; for the seal which you received was from God, engraved by the holiness of God. (St. Cyril of Jerusalem) 8- “My cup runs over” (5) Cups were used to care for the sheep. Such a cup was a hollow concave piece of rock about 30 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 18 inches high, of which many were discovered at the sites of old wells in the wilderness of Judah. The shepherd used to fill the cup with water from the well until it runs over, then let his sheep drink from it, while continuously pouring water, By doing this he is sure that the water is always cold, and plenty enough for his flock of sheep. That is probably what the Hebrew text of the verse: “My cup runs over” means. That cup of perpetually renewed water, probably refers to the mercies of our Shepherd, new every morning, loading us with benefits (Lamentation 3: 23; Psalm 68: 19) He who receives God’s mercies and new benefits every morning, would flow with thanksgiving and praise, even if his possessions are no more than a morsel of dry bread; Otherwise, he who does not receive these blessings, even though he may acquire the whole world within his hands, his cup would be cracked and holds no water. https://coptic-treasures.com/ According to the Septuagint version, this verse came as: “How glorious is Your cup of wine!”. The wine that brings joy to the heart of man, is a symbol of the presence of the Spirit of God, Grantor of grace, who revives the soul of the believer, and moves it toward heaven. The Spirit flowed upon the disciples; namely upon the church on the day of the Pentecost, her cup ran over; and the Jews thought that “they (the apostles) were full of new wine”; namely drunk (Acts 2: 13). + The Lord’s cup would make us forget about the temporal things, and lead our souls to the spiritual wisdom … It would set the soul free of grief, and grant her comfort, presen to her the joy of the divine goodness, instead of the dark depression of the heart, caused by the burden of sin. (St. Cyprian) 9- Finally, we enjoy these divine blessings, and the holy Sacraments in the house of the Lord, to sing together with the psalmist, “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (6). Does the lamb live in the house of the shepherd? … Yes, … When the prophet Nathan rebuked David on his sin, he presented to him a parable of “a poor man who had nothing except a little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished, and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup, and laid in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him”. (2 Samuel 12: 1-3). … Our divine Shepherd has acquired us, received us like an only begotten daughter, and set for us a dwelling place in His house, in order to follow Him wherever He goes. Here, the psalmist proclaims that he dwells in the house of his Shepherd -- the church -- the icon and the deposit of His eternal heavenly kingdom. There, the https://coptic-treasures.com/ believer finds his gladness to worship, minister, and dwell with His beloved Lord in the church, as though in His heavens forever. The goal of the Lord’s care for us is to make us abide together with Him in His divine Sanctuary.
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