Psalm 23

The subtitle wasn’t part of the original psalm. And the possible byline “of David,” isn’t necessarily a byline. The vague phrase could mean the song was written by David, about David, or was inspired by David. Almost half of the psalms are attributed to David in this way, 73 of 150. Ancient Jewish history tells of David playing a lyre and writing songs. For one, he wrote a song of mourning at the battlefield death of King Saul and his sons: “How have the mighty fallen!” (2 Samuel 1:19-27 New American Standard Bible). An ancient Jewish scroll from about the time of Jesus, discovered among the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, reports that David wrote 3,600 songs.

The shepherd’s rod was a small club used to fight off hungry predators. The staff was a long pole with a hooked tip that allowed the shepherd to snag a sheep and pull it back to safety. It also worked as a bigger club and a walking stick.

“Fit for a king” isn’t in the Hebrew text, but it’s implied. Coronation rituals in ancient Israel included pouring oil over the king’s head as a sign of God’s approval (1 Samuel 16:12-13). King’s were known as the Lord’s “anointed one” (1 Samuel 24:10; 2 Chronicles 6:42).

Literally, “length of days.” Some scholars say this refers to a person’s natural life. Others say it refers to life after death, which is why it is recited at deathbeds.