In psalm 23 what is the relation of the use of a shepherd as symbol to life in israel during davids time
Answers
The Lord (God) acts as a shepherd to the speaker. He makes sure the speaker isn't lacking any necessities.
The Lord takes the speaker to peaceful and relaxing places, like green fields and calm waters.
He also tends to spiritual well-being, making sure that the speaker stays on the right path.
The speaker walks through the valley of the shadow of death, but he doesn't need to be afraid. The Lord will continue to protect him like a shepherd protects his sheep.
Even when his enemies are at hand, the speaker can enjoy a fine banquet thanks to the generosity of the Lord. He lives in abundance, even luxury, with rich oils and more wine than his cup can handle.
This happy state of affairs will continue for the rest of the speaker's life, and beyond. He doesn't ever plan to leave the protection of his
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
The speaker says that the Lord (God) is like a shepherd to him. This sets up an explicit metaphor in which humanity, or at least the community of believers, is a flock of sheep tended by God.
The role of a shepherd is to lead his sheep to green pastures, to protect them from predators, to make sure that none get lost or go astray. You could take shepherd as synonymous for "protector."
Be careful with the phrase, "I shall not want." The speaker's not saying "The Lord is my shepherd, but I don't want him."
Instead, he means that with God as his protector, he won't lack anything he needs. The word "want" means "lack."
The speaker's complete confidence in God is apparent early on. This is no crisis of faith or doubt.
It is common in the English translations of the Bible for God or Yahweh to be translated as "Lord."
Christians also call Jesus "Lord." Some Christians interpret the Lord mentioned here as Jesus, though according to Christian doctrine, God and Jesus (and the Holy Spirit) are one and the same, part of the Holy Trinity.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Here the metaphor of sheep and shepherd is still goin' strong. The speaker is declaring himself a sheep here, so don't be surprised if he acts like one.
The Lord takes the speaker to fertile green pastures where he can eat his fill and then lie down to rest. This is a good image because green pastures are alluring to both sheep and humans, though for different reasons.
We may think that a green pasture is just a beautiful, peaceful spot, but for a sheep it's a vital necessity in order to find enough food. This line, then, gives a specific example to back up the point that the shepherd won't let his sheep lack any essentials.
The Lord also takes the speaker-as-sheep to calm waters to drink and refresh himself. His thirst is quenched: another example of a necessity met.
The availability of food and drink also serves as a nice implied metaphor for the way that God satisfies the speaker's spiritual (as opposed to literal) hunger and thirst.
The stillness of the waters indicates that there are no storms or winds to disturb this peaceful scene. Also, a still pool of water is probably more pleasant to drink from than some rushing stream. We can vouch for that one.
The word "maketh" does not mean "forced" here – don't picture some shepherd shoving a poor sheep down into the grass! It means "creates the opportunity for."
Don't be put off by all the old-fashioned diction. That's just the King James Version for you.