Psalm 23
The Lord Is My Shepherd
A PSALM OF DAVID.
*A profession of joyful trust in the Lord as the good Shepherd-King. The psalm may have accompanied a festival of praise at “the house of the Lord” following a deliverance. The psalm can be divided into two balanced stanzas, each having four couplets. The center is focused on the Shepherd-King’s reassuring presence with his people. The psalm is framed by the first and last couplets, each of which refers to “the Lord.”
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
For you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 24
The King of Glory
A PSALM OF DAVID.
*A processional liturgy celebrating the Lord’s entrance into Zion–composed either for the occasion when David brought the ark to Jerusalem or for a festival commemorating the event. It was probably placed next to Psalm 23 because it prescribes who may enter into the sanctuary. The church has long used this psalm in celebration of Christ’s ascension into the heavenly Jerusalem–and into the sanctuary on high.
The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the Lord
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.
-Psalm 24:1-6
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle!
-Psalm 24:8
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory!
-Psalm 24:10
Psalm 25
Teach Me Your Paths
OF DAVID.
*The psalmist prays for God’s covenant mercies when suffering affliction for sins and when enemies seize the occasion to attack, perhaps by trying to discredit the king through false accusations. Appealing to God’s covenant benevolence (his mercy, love, goodness, uprightness, faithfulness and grace) and to his own reliance on the Lord, he prays for deliverance from his enemies, for guidance in God’s will, for the forgiveness of his sins, and for relief from his affliction.
These are related: God’s forgiveness will express itself in removing his affliction, and then his enemies will no longer have occasion to slander him. And with God guiding him in “his way,” “in the demands of his covenant,” he will no longer wander into “rebellious ways.” This psalm is linked to Psalm 24 by its reference to “lifting up the soul” in reliance on God.
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust.
-Psalm 25:1
Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
Remember your mercy, O Lord,
and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth
or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love
remember me,
for the sake of your goodness,
O Lord!
-Psalm 25:4-7
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast
love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant
and his testimonies.
-Psalm 25:10
The friendship of the Lord is for those
who fear him,
and he makes known to them
his covenant.
-Psalm 25:15
Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
Let me not be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.
May integrity and uprightness
preserve me,
for I wait for you.
-Psalm 25:20-21
Psalm 26
I Will Bless the Lord
OF DAVID.
*A prayer for God’s discerning mercies–to spare his faithful and godly servant from the death that overtakes the wicked and ungodly. The prayer for vindication suggests that the king is threatened by the “deceitful” and “bloodthirsty” men to whom he refers. The psalm is linked with Psalm 27-28 by the theme of the Lord’s house: Here David’s “love” for the temple (or tabernacle) testifies to the authenticity of his piety; in Psalm 27 the Lord’s temple is David’s sanctuary from his enemies; in Psalm 28 David directs his cry for help to the Lord’s throne room (“your Most Holy Place”) in the temple.
O Lord, I love the habitation of your house
and the place where your glory dwells.
-Psalm 26:8
But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
redeem me, and be gracious to me.
My foot stand on level ground;
in the great assembly
I will bless the Lord.
-Psalm 26:11-12
Psalm 27
The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation
OF DAVID.
*David’s triumphantly confident prayer to God to deliver him from all those who conspire to bring him down. The prayer presupposes the Lord’s covenant with David. Faith’s soliloquy, which publicly testifies to the king’s confident reliance on the Lord, introduces the prayer. The conclusion echoes the confidence and adds faith’s dialogue with itself–faith exhorting faith to wait patiently for that which is sure, though not yet seen.
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
-Psalm 27:1
One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.
-Psalm 27:4-5
Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path.
-Psalm 27:11
I believe that I shall look upon the
goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
-Psalm 27:13-14
Psalm 28
The Lord Is My Strength and My Shield
OF DAVID.
*A prayer for deliverance from deadly peril at the hands of malicious and God-defying enemies. As with Psalm 25, prayer ends with intercession for all the people of the Lord. Reference in the last verse to the Lord as the shepherd of his people connects this psalm with Psalm 23 and probably marks off Psalm 23-28 as a collection linked by many common themes.
Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,
when I cry to you for help,
when I lift up my hands
toward your most holy sanctuary.
-Psalm 28:2
Blessed be the Lord!
For he has heard the voice
of my pleas for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts,
and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.
The Lord is the strength of his people;
he is saving refuge of his anointed.
Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
Be their shepherd and carry them forever.
-Psalm 28:6-9
Psalm 29
Ascribe to the Lord Glory
A PSALM OF DAVID.
*A hymn in praise of the King of creation, whose majesty and power are trumpeted by the thunderbolts of the rainstorm–as the storm rose above the Mediterranean (“the mighty waters”), swept across the Lebanon range and rolled over the wilds of Kadesh. The glory of the Lord is not only visible in the creation, it is also audible in creation’s most awesome voice.
This hymn to Yahweh (“the Lord”) served also as a testimony and protest against the worship of the Canaanite god Baal, who was thought to be the divine power present in the thunderstorm. Its climactic word (that “in his temple all cry, ‘Glory!;”) suggests that in its present location it was intended to serve as a conclusion to the small collection, Psalm 23-28.
In it’s structure, a two-verse introduction and a two-verse conclusion enclose a seven-verse stanza. In both the introduction and the conclusion the name Yahweh (“the Lord”) is sounded four times; in the body of the psalm it is heard ten times. “The voice of the Lord” is repeated seven times–the seven thunders of God. (The numbers four, seven, and ten often signified completeness in Old Testament symbolism.)
Ascribe to the Lord,
O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
-Psalm 29:1-2
May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace!
-Psalm 29:11
Psalm 30
Joy Comes with the Morning
A PSALM OF DAVID. A SONG AT THE DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE.
*A song of praise publicly celebrating the Lord’s deliverance from the threat of death, probably brought on by illness (“you healed me”). The psalm is framed by commitments to praise.
Sing praises to the Lord,
O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
-Psalm 30:4-5