Psalm 23

Verse 1-6 ESV

A Psalm of David.

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

 4 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.

 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Prepare Before Memorizing and Digging Deeper 

• Read through Psalm 23 every day for 1 week
• Gather Background information:  Who wrote the Psalm, to who was it written, What kind of style is the book of Psalms.  When was it written?  
• Get the Context by asking the 5 W’s and H (Who, What, Where, Why, When and How)
• Who is speaking?
• Who are the recipients?
• Who is this about?
• What is the subject? 
• What is the setting?
• Can you identify repetitive phrases?
• Do you see any parallelism?  (Repeating structure or rhythm in successive lines Example: “He makes me lie down… He leads me… He restores…” (Psalm 23)
• Do you see any similes (use of LIKE or AS)
• Do you see any Metaphors being used (this is a direct comparison without using “like or as” 
• Do you identify any personification?  (giving human qualities to non human things
• Do you identify any hyperboles? Exaggeration for emphasis 
• Example: “My tears have been my food day and night.” Psalm 42:3 
• Identify Keywords (Click here to know how to mark Keywords for Psalm)
• Look up the word in a dictionary

Dig Deeper into keywords by looking up the word in its original form (Hebrew/Greek) by using the Blue Letter Bible Lexicon to get a better understanding of how the word is used. (Click here for instructional video)

Verse Map - Click here for an instructional video 

Choose a verse

Look up the verse in multiple translations - KJV, NIV, NASB, Amplified, Legacy are among a few options

Psalm 23 Memorization Plan

Week One - Memorize Psalm 23:1-2

Monday: Learn verse 1

Tuesday:  Review verse 1 

Wednesday: PRAY VERSE 1-2 (listen to podcast)

Thursday: Review verse 1

Friday: review verse 1 Add New Verse 23:2 then Review 1-2

Saturday: Move and Memorize (listen to podcast) Review All verses together 1-2

Sunday:  Review Verse 2 then Review All verses together 1-2

Week Two - Memorize Psalm 23:3-4

Monday:  Review Verse 1-2 then add New Verse 23:3  Review 1-3

Tuesday:  Review verse 3 then review all verses together 1-3

Wednesday: Pray verses 1-4 then review all verses together 1-3 (listen to podcast)

 Thursday:  Review verse 3 Review all verses together 1-3

Friday: review verse 3 Add New Verse 23:4  Review All verses together 1-4

Saturday: Move and Memorize  (listen to podcast) Review verses 1-4

Sunday:  Review All verses together 1-4

Week Three - Memorize Psalm 23:5-6

​Monday: Review verses 1-4, Add New Verse 23:5

Tuesday:  Review verse 5, review all verses together

Wednesday: PRAY (listen to podcast)​

Thursday: Review verse 5, review all verses

Friday: review verse 5 Add New Verse 23:6  then Review 1-6

Saturday: Move and Memorize  (listen to podcast) Review All verses together 1-6

Sunday:  Review Verse 6 then Review All verses together 1-6

How to mark the text of Psalm 23

I wanted to share a simple example of how to mark the text and create a list while studying Psalm 23. I haven’t completed every detail because part of the joy is discovering the truth for yourself.

When I mark the text, I use a few visual cues to help me slow down and soak in every word:

I mark “The Lord” with a purple triangle and fill it in with a yellow pencil.

I highlight David’s name in orange.

You can also underline, circle, or use symbols—whatever helps you engage more deeply.

Here’s an example using the ESV text:

23:1 A Psalm of David. The L‍ORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

23:3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Create a list of what you learn about the Lord and David.  I provided you an example below. 

The Lord

v.1 – Is a Shepherd

v.2 – Makes David lie down in green pastures

v.2 – Leads beside still waters

v.3 – Restores the soul

David

v.1 – Author of the Psalm

v.1 – Is not in want

v.2 – Needs to be made to lie down

v.3 – Has his soul restored​

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