Psalm 23

Psalm 23

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Psalm 23

In the 23rd Psalm (Greek numbering: Psalm 22) in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, the writer describes God as protector and provider. The text, beloved by Jews and Christians alike, has often been set to music.

In Jewish tradition
In Christian tradition

Metrical versions
Use in funerals

Musical settings

Liturgical and classical
Song

References in popular media and culture

Song
Film and television
Fiction
Miscellaneous

Media
References
External links

In Jewish tradition

A long tradition ascribes authorship of the psalm to King David, said in the Hebrew Scriptures to have been a shepherd himself as a youth.

Psalm 23 is traditionally sung by Jews in Hebrew at the third Shabbat meal on Saturday afternoon. It is also sung during the Yizkor service. Sephardic and some Hassidic Jews also sing during Friday afternoon services and as part of the Sabbath night and day meals. It is read at a cemetery funeral service instead of the traditional prayer during Jewish holidays.

The standard Hebrew text used in Judaism is the Masoretic text developed between the seventh and tenth centuries CE. The most widely used English translation among Jews is the New JPS Tanakh (1985). An earlier JPS translation, published in 1917, also remains in common use.

In Christian tradition

For Christians the image of God as a shepherd evokes connections not only with David but with Jesus, described as "the Good Shepherd" in the Gospel of John.

Orthodox Christians typically include the Psalm in the prayers of preparation for receiving the Eucharist.

The Reformation inspired widespread efforts in western Europe to make biblical texts available in vernacular languages. One of the most popular early English versions was the Geneva Bible (1557). The most widely recognized version of the psalm in English today is undoubtedly the one drawn from the King James Bible (1611).

The psalm is a popular passage for memorization.

Metrical versions

An early metrical version of the psalm in English was made in 1565 by Thomas Sternhold. Other metrical versions to emerge from the Reformation include those from The Bay Psalm Book (1640)^[1] and a version influenced by Sternholm published in the Scottish Psalter (1650).^[2] The latter version is still encountered, with modernized spelling, in many Protestant hymns. Other notable metrical versions include those by George Herbert and Isaac Watts.^[3]

A traditional pairing puts a metrical version of the psalm with the hymn tune Crimond, which is generally attributed to Jessie Seymour Irvine.^[4] This version, with its opening words "The Lord's My Shepherd", is probably the best-known amongst English-speaking congregations. Other melodies, such as Brother James' Air or Amazing Grace, are also used. Other tunes sometimes used include Belmont, Evan, Martyrdom, Orlington, and Wiltshire.^[5]

Use in funerals

All traditions in Christianity feature the psalm prominently in funeral services. The Book of Common Prayer (1662) ensured its place in the memorial rituals of English-speaking cultures.

In the twentieth century, Psalm 23 became particularly associated with funeral liturgies in the English-speaking world. Films with funeral scenes often depict a graveside recitation of the psalm, though the official liturgies of English-speaking churches were slow to adopt this practice.