THE TWENTY-THIRD PSALM

A Verse By Verse Examination

Psalm 23…Verse 1 - The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Both Old and New Testament Scripture have always spoken of God as our Shepherd.

Psalms 80:1 ¶<<To the chief Musician upon Shoshannimeduth, A Psalm of Asaph.>> Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.

God, being Old Testament Israel’s Shepherd, has brought salvation to the ends of the earth.

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Isaiah 40: 9-11

Verse 9 - ¶O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

God is speaking of good tidings that would one day cover the earth; tidings that would be proclaimed from Zion and from Jerusalem. Today these good tidings (Gospel of good news) obviously do not come from the literal city of Jerusalem or any other city. Scripture’s good tidings have been prophesied of in Old Testament times and proclaimed since the birth of Christ by God’s spiritual Jerusalem and/or spiritual Israel.

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people,” Luke 2:10.

Christ, being the Word of God (John 1:14), was indeed the good tidings that Old Testament Scripture foretold. It is crystal clear that God sent His deity (made flesh) into the earth to bring us His Good Tidings of eternal salvation.

Isaiah 61:1 - ¶The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

Those to whom Christ was sent to save are the meek and the brokenhearted; once spiritual captives to Satan and bound in our spiritual prison. Christ did not save us because we were special in any way; meek and brokenhearted. No, these are the results of a saved person - a broken and a contrite heart….and that not of ourselves, it is a gift of God, Ephesians 2:8.

It is the Shepherd of Israel that leads us into all truth.

Isaiah 52:7 - ¶How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

Isaiah 40:10 - Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

Our shepherd is coming was the proclamation of Old Testament Israel. However, to many an Israelite, their Shepherd was not what they anticipated. They looked to a worldly shepherd who would liberate them from the trials of daily life and the Roman oppression. Most had not the spiritual eyes to see their Shepherd and we today - apart from God’s grace - would have rejected the true Shepherd as well.

Isaiah 40:11 - He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Many can recall their old Sunday school programs, one of which had a portrait of Jesus carrying a lamb. It was an analogy of our Shepherd - our heavenly Father - carrying us in His bosom and leading us to safety. Surely the LORD is our Shepherd, therefore we shall not want. The word “want” here in Psalm 23:1 simply means that we have absolutely lack of nothing once we have Christ in our hearts.

Matthew 6:30 - Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

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Psalm 23…Verse 2 - He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Notice carefully how verse two begins. God doesn’t ask us to make a decision to accept Him. He doesn’t say He implores us to lie down in green pastures. No, certainly not. God makes or causes those whom He will save to lie down in His green pastures. Our salvation is sure and steadfast; it is not based upon our good works, our intellect, or our perception of what salvation is. We do not have the spiritual ability to choose God, simply because man is dead in his sins and trespasses.

Many ministers love to quote Ephesians 2:8 and teach that man is saved by God’s grace alone, but then they turn right around and teach that man has the ability to accept Christ on his or her own free will. The Word of God is perfectly clear on this matter as we see from Ephesians 2:8-9:

8 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 - Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Why then do so many confessing Christians give lip service only to Ephesians 2:8-9, and turn back to teach that we are saved by our own works of accepting Christ or making a decision for Christ? If one has a continual desire to serve God, it may well be a clear sign that Christ has given him or her the gift of eternal grace. Christ says to knock and it shall be open, seek and ye shall find. Volumes can be written on this debate, however as we seriously search through the Scriptures we discover a thread that runs from Genesis through the Book of Revelation, and that thread teaches that man, apart from God’s anointing process, has absolutely no ability to accept Christ in and of his own choosing. When Scripture states that “all Israel shall be saved,” (Romans 11:26) do we suppose that every person of Jewish descent are saved? What about those of ancient Israel who “perished” in the wilderness for their unbelief? No, Romans 11:26 make it clear as it speaks of the New Testament Israel. The Greek word for “all” (All Israel shall be saved) carries the meaning of whole, thoroughly, as many as, whosoever, etc. God will save ALL of the completed Israel, both Old Testament and New Testament believers…as many as the Lord God shall call. “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call,” (Acts 2:39). As many as will “accept” Him? No, as many as God shall call. Apart from the calling of the Holy Spirit, man is spiritually dead. It is God who will determine the completion of His Israel:

Luke 15:4 - What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

John 6:39 - And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

Again, we reiterate the biblical fact that man cannot choose to be saved apart from the calling of Christ.

Romans 3:10-11 -

10 - As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

11- There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

Jeremiah 17:9 - The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

With man’s inability to “accept” or to “decide” to follow Jesus, there is but one way into God’s eternal house of salvation, and that is solely upon the mercy of God. Many people will not want to hear this; they believe that God is there for them to decide upon at any given time they wish. “I’ll decide to serve him some day, perhaps when I’m older and more settled in my ways.” These and other remarks are served up by those who have no idea of how God’s salvation is offered. Let us remind you, as in Psalm 23:2 - He (the believer’s Shepherd) makes or causes His Elect to lie down in green pastures. If unsaved man had his way, none of us would have ever approached God with a broken and a contrite heart. Impossible, because we are yet dead in our sins and trespasses and will remain spiritually dead until the Good Shepherd calls us to come forth; and Christ taught this by calling forth Lazarus from the grave. We have no ability to choose or to accept Christ in and of ourselves.

John 15:16 - Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Volumes of proof could be written on how God’s Word undeniably teaches that man does not have the ability to choose the good, apart from God’s Holy Spirit first calling one into salvation.

As we continue on in verse two of Psalm chapter twenty-three we see that God has caused the believer to lie down in green pastures.

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Isaiah 11:6-9

Verse 6 - The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

Verse 7 - And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

Verse 8 - And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

Verse 9 - They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

These four verses are only a few of many in Scripture that teach, in a symbolical manner, how the Gospel of Jesus Christ breaks barriers that were once impenetrable. Many today are teaching a future time on earth in which the nation of Israel will revert back to animal sacrifices and Christ Himself will rule the earth from the literal city of Jerusalem. They have termed this supposedly future time as The Millennial Kingdom, and have assigned one-thousand years of existence to it. The sole reason as to why this is being taught is the sad reality that these teachers do not have the spiritual ability to understand the true nature of God’s eternal Israel. It is during this millennial period that they teach, from the above verses and others, that Christ will be dwelling on earth with us and even wild animals will coexist peacefully with domestic animals. But is this what Christ’s Gospel is all about? Isaiah 11:6-7 (of which we just read) is not teaching zoo-like discipline among the animal kingdom, as it must have been in the Garden of Eden. Notice carefully that both verses speak of the animals lying down together and feeding together. “The leopard shall lie down with the kid,” verse six. “And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together,” verse seven. God is showing unity - not in worldly and man-made religions as today’s world is striving for. No, God is demonstrating spiritual unity through Christ between natural foes or natural enemies. Yes, God is utilizing animals in which to portray spiritual truth as He often does throughout Scripture. The leopard shall lie down with the goat and the cow and bear shall lie down together. And what does God tell the Psalmist David in Psalm 23:2? Yes, God will make us lie down in green pastures! What does it mean to lie down? Of course it means to be at rest. The diversity of animals resting and feeding in harmony pictures Christ’s rest to ALL people in a beautiful and allegorical manner. These prophesies have been realized by the coming of Christ the Messiah into the world. He has caused all who truly follow Him to lie down or to rest in Him.

Matthew 11:28 - Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:29 - Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Hebrews 4:1 - ¶Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

Hebrews 4:3 - For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Hebrews 4:10 - For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

For those saved in Christ, we have ceased from our own works. It was not man’s work to believe in Christ. That is solely God’s working in you and we dare not boast that it is our work or our choosing! God has caused us to lie down or to eternally rest in His green pastures. Before we look into the phrase “green pastures,” let us again recall Isaiah 11:6:

Isaiah 11:6 - The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

A Little Child shall Lead them

We have a view of wild animals dwelling safely with domesticated animals; something altogether contrary to nature. Let us repeat the fact that Scripture often references the peoples of the earth as symbolical animals. For example: beasts, lions, sheep, goats, lambs, wolves, etc. Christ Himself is the Lamb of God, John 1:29 & 36. Christ is also the Lion of the tribe of Juda, Revelation 5:5. Believers are said to be sheep: “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves,” Matthew 10:16. It is doubtful that there is coming a time upon this earth wherein animals of all sorts will dwell safely together. We can cite many passages where believers are portrayed as various animals. This is only one of many styles in which God utilizes in teaching truth. We do not need to look to a future time upon the earth in which animals will lie down and dwell safely together, in order to understand these verses. The entire thought behind this poetic type of language is spiritual peace through Jesus Christ - God’s own Son and the Second Person of the Deity: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Yes, when we lie down together in Christ, we have truly been given the spiritual peace that surpasses all understanding of mankind, Philippians 4:7. We have therefore been made to dwell safely. All peoples of the world, from great diversities of nations, can now dwell together in Christ as safely as a lion with a calf.

Proverbs 1:33 - But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

Psalms 4:8 - I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

As far back as the days of the Egyptian exodus, God foretold and prophesied through Moses of the ultimate Promised Land, which was then fulfilled in the literal but temporary Promised Land of Canaan:

Deuteronomy 12:10 - But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety;

It is this final and spiritual covenant that Christ came to fulfill. He came to give us spiritual rest; that we may no longer be bound to the darkness of idolatry, but be made alive in the light of our heavenly Father. As God causes all varieties of mankind to lie down in green pastures, let us once more cite Isaiah 11:6:

Verse 6 - The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

The varieties, mixtures, and diversities of mankind may no longer be separated by religious differences. Christ has given us unity of doctrine. I have yet to hear a scriptural explanation of the above verse by those who teach a coming thousand-year reign of Christ upon the earth. They suppose that since the lion and calf will dwell safely together, so shall a little child dwell safely among beasts of the field and not be harmed. In fact, little children will even be able to lead these animals, they teach.

* For a more in-depth study on the misconceptions of a future earthly reign of Christ, please see “The Fifth Trumpet Judgment - Spiritual Israel & Today's Israel” and “Armageddon - Can it Be a Literal War?” These studies are available at spiritualbiblestudies.com.

The entire teaching behind Isaiah 11:6 and other similar passages is the spiritual peace in Christ among all of mankind - pure and simple. The fact that “a little child shall lead them” gives us much more information and assurance that we are on the right path and this is the correct interpretation. No, little children will not be leading lions and other beasts through the fields during some supposed “glorious age” in the earth’s future. The earth has now waxed old as a garment (Isaiah 51:6) and is ready to perish. But Isaiah 11:6 clearly speaks of a little child leading God’s flock. But isn’t Christ our leader and our Shepherd? Of course He is, but who is this little child?

When Christ spoke to His disciples He was also teaching truth that would remain in Scripture for our edification as well. Notice what He speaks of in the following verse of Mark:

Mark 10:15 - Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

Matthew 18:2-4 -

2 - And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

3 - And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

4 - Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Christ, as the great Shepherd of the Sheep (Hebrews 13:20) has many other names in Scripture. Christ appears to be the little child of Isaiah 11:6. We have no other leader and no other God than Christ: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. (“Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me,” John 5:39.)

Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

This child is our God! It seems most clear that this little child of Isaiah 11:6 is a representation of our God Christ, as He leads us through His eternal pastures. By continuing on in Isaiah 11:6-9, it may become confusing, as it mentions other children coming in contact with asps and cockatrice dens and not being harmed. Cockatrices and asps are deadly snakes or vipers! Scripture uses these analogies in depicting false teachers and false doctrines.

Isaiah 11:8-9 -

Verse 8 - And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

Verse 9 - They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

All who inherit God’s kingdom are to be as little children. When we consider the two verses above, we know that this is speaking of God’s people - those born of Christ - as they will no longer be susceptible to false teachings and damnable heresies. Compare the above Old Testament verses to this New Testament verse in Mark:

Mark 16:18 - They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

The similarities and teaching is the same. Believers may not be hurt of these things. Note: The word hurt here has spiritual death in view; the hurt of the second death. We are to spiritually drink the blood of Christ; that is to partake of His Word of Life. Any other spiritual drink can be deadly to all except those who have been eternally saved. We can take up serpents but NO!...It doesn’t mean for us to literally handle deadly vipers. Believers can take up deadly non-Christian doctrines (spiritual vipers) and not be “hurt” (eternally damned) by them. We are in essence as little children, and at times on the hole of the asp or near the cockatrice' den; but we shall not be hurt or destroyed by them. Christ…as a Little Child…shall lead us.

Luke 2:40 - And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

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He maketh me to lie down in green pastures (Psalm 23:2a)

The color green in Scripture usually represents life; those who are ripening on the vines of God’s vineyard.

Psalms 52:8 - But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 -

7 - Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

8 - For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Jeremiah 11:16 - The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.

Hosea 14:8 - ¶Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.

Revelation 9:4 - And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

God’s people are written of throughout Scripture and categorized in many differing and various ways. We are animals in God’s forest; we are trees in God’s vineyard; we are plants in God’s garden, etc. Christ is our Tree of Life. God has assigned wonderful analogies and to much of His teachings. The Lord is my Shepherd, therefore I have lack of nothing because He has brought me into the eternal rest of His green pastures.

Pastures -

John 10:9 - I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Ezekiel 34:31 - And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 34:14- I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

Jeremiah 23:1 - ¶Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.

Psalms 100:3 - Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Psalm 95:7-8 -

7 - ¶For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,

8 - Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

Psalms 79:13 - So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

Lest we forget, a PASTURE is a place of feeding. All those who have been born from above and grafted into God’s Tree of Life have inherited God’s green pastures from now and forever more. Christ quickens His elect, the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Matthew 15:24. Christ opens our spiritual eyes, thus giving us a new heart. It is then that we can truly boast that Christ alone has made us to lie down in green pastures. Another way of stating it is that Christ has caused us to receive eternal rest and safety (lie down) within His eternal kingdom (green pastures).

He leadeth me beside the still waters. (Psalm 23:2b)

Just as Christ leads His people into green pastures, He also leads us beside the still waters. God, many times in Scripture, makes a point by utilizing different ways in which to teach the same truth. Here we have basically the same thing being taught as in green pastures. Christ will calm our spiritual storm. But I don’t have a storm brewing in me, you may ask? All of unsaved man has a great spiritual storm within themselves, whether they know it or not or whether they admit to it, makes no difference - God tells us we are in the midst of a storm.

Isaiah 57:20 - But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

But wait, why are we associating wicked people to those who have this unsettling rest within? It makes no difference how good one may be in world affairs, or in family matters; in business dealings or in charity functions. On and on we can cite the worldly good of humanity, but all of this is unrighteousness to Christ. Yes, all of this is unrighteousness to Christ if you do not have Christ in your heart. And what is unrighteousness? It is separation from Christ and therefore wickedness. The entire Christ-less world is a sea of troubled water. That is their spiritual condition, and make no mistake about it - they are in dyer straits. Why do we suppose that Christ stilled the waters in the Gospel accounts?

Mark 4:37-39 -

37 - And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

38 - And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

39 - And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Christ came to save that which was lost. He brought salvation to a remnant and this remnant is a huge portion, yet when compared with all who have ever lived upon the earth, it is still only a remnant. Nonetheless, Christ came to bring spiritual peace and calm to this remnant of His elect. He stilled the waters to show that He indeed was God. It also displayed the spiritual calming of one’s soul.

Revelation 15:2 - And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

Even now, those who trust in Christ are standing upon this sea of glass. This is quite the contrary to the world’s spiritual condition of being like the troubled sea, Isaiah 57:20. The condition of wicked man in the following verses of Jude is the same today as it always has been:

Jude 1:11-13-

11 - Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

12 - These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

13 - Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

There are many activities that today’s world indulges in without giving a single thought as to its moral impact upon others! Raging waves of the sea forming out their own shame. We are surrounded by the spiritual waves of the unsaved and yet Christ has calmed this storm for us. (For more information on the world’s spiritual storm, see “The Ark and the Flood” at spiritualbiblestudies.com.) The verses we just quoted in Jude say much about today’s world. They are without fear of God; fruitless trees and wandering stars. They are twiced dead! Recall when Christ made the statement: “let the dead bury their dead,” Matthew 8:22 and Luke 9:60. He spoke of the second death of which we already cited a passage which assures the believer that the hurt of the second death will not touch any green thing.

Christ stilled the storm for all who would trust in Him and has led us beside His still waters. When we look to the Hebrew in examining this word “still,” we discover that its main definition means to rest. One example is found in Isaiah 11:10:

¶And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest <still> shall be glorious.

God’s rest is glorious, so much so that mortals have no comprehension of what it will truly be like.

1 Corinthians 2:9 - But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

The word waters many times throughout Scripture pictures or symbolizes Christ’s good news or good tidings of salvation. The fountains of waters, living waters, streams, rivers, ponds, pools, dew, etc. display God’s salvation plan for the ages. These are the still (restful) waters in which Christ leads His sheep beside. Note that as we conclude verse two of Psalm chapter twenty-three we find the idea of resting used twice in this particular verse. “He maketh me to lie down <rest> in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still <restful> waters.”

Psalms 37:7 - ¶Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

Psalms 16:9 - Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

Psalm 23…Verse 3 - He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

God’s entire plan of salvation might be summed up in one short phrase: to restore souls. The Hebrew word that is used as restoreth (Strong’s Hebrew #7725) has a wide variety of applications, of which restoreth is only one of many. The other renderings of this word are:

again, return, turn, returned, bring, back, turned, brought, come, restore, answer, came, go, render, restored, turneth, put, returneth, went, answered, deliver, home, recompensed, recovered, carried, rendered, say, bringeth, cometh, give, recompense, relieve, repent, reverse, bethink, bringing, carried, case, drew, gone, hinder, requite, restorer, reward, turnest, turning, withdrawn, answereth, averse, call, camest, cease, certainly, consider, considereth, continually, convert, converted, converting, converts, deny, drawn, fetch, fro, gave, get, let, more, needs, past, pay, perverted, pull, recall, recover, refresheth, reported, requited, requiting, rescue, restoreth, retire, rewardeth, sent, set, slidden, taken, withdraw, withdrawest and withdrew.

In looking through this list of meanings for restoreth, one can see how many of the words can be used in speaking of God restoring man’s soul. Let us look at a few.

Psalm 80:19 - Turn us again, <restoreth; #7725>O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

Psalm 116:7 - Return <#7725> unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.

Isaiah 35:10 - And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, <#7725> and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Psalm 80:3 - Turn <#7725> us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

Hosea 6:11 - Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned <#7725> the captivity of my people.

Psalms 68:22 - ¶The Lord said, I will bring again <#7725> from Bashan, I will bring <#7725> my people again from the depths of the sea:

Amos 9:14 - And I will bring again <#7725> the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

Psalm 14:7 - Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back <#7725> the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

Ezekiel 38:8 - After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back <#7725> from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.

Ezekiel 14:6 - Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, <#7725> and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

Isaiah 58:11-12 -

11 - And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

12 - And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer<#7725> of paths to dwell in.

Psalm 23…Verse 3b - he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

We really do not need to expound on the last section of this verse. All who are in Christ Jesus are led into righteousness. Again, it is not our works but the work of God. And what is this work of righteousness? Pure and simple; it is the basic trust of the Gospel of Christ: “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent,” John 6:29. Of course millions of people claim to belong to Christ; however God knows His sheep from the goats. The question is: Are you of Christ’s fold?

2 Corinthians 13:5 - Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Psalm 23…Verse 4 - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Walk into any funeral parlor within the United States or other “Christian West” nations and pick up a funeral brochure for a particular funeral of that day. What are the chances of finding Psalm 23:4 quoted on the brochure? The chances are extremely excellent. A person has passed away so naturally the family feels comfort in Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil…” Sadly, this is a misrepresentation of Scripture, since the departed one isn’t entering the valley of the shadow of death; they have just left this valley of the shadow of death. The departed one has left the “land of the living.” Scripture has much to say with regard to the land of the living. Christ Himself was crucified out of the land of the living:

Isaiah 53:8 - He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

The land of the living is clearly a reference to life on earth and many other verses make this quite clear. When one departs this earth, it doesn’t mean that they are now traveling through the valley of the shadow of death. No indeed, the shadow of death is what one faces in this land of the living, and we face it from conception until death. We are surrounded by death and every side; both physical and spiritual. Death always lurks in the shadows and all of humanity is but a breath away from death. This earth’s land of the living is unquestionably what God labels the valley of the shadow of death. That is why Christ came to earth; to pay a ransom that a remnant would be eternally saved from this valley of the shadow of death. The shadows are everywhere, but for those who truly know Christ, there is to be no fear of evil as we sojourn through this valley. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil! Why? Because believers have the promise: “thou <God> art with me.”

A valley is a lowland area between ranges of mountains, hills, or other uplands, often having a river or stream running along the bottom. Christ’s river of life now runs through this earthly valley of the shadow of death, and that of course must be addressed while one is still in the land of the living…the valley of the shadow of death.

Psalm 23…Verse 4b - thy rod <#7626> and thy staff they comfort me.

Strong’s Hebrew defines rod as used here in Psalm 23:4 as follows: #7626 shebet {shay'-bet}

from an unused root probably meaning to branch off ; n m

See: TWOT - 2314a

AV - tribe 140, rod 34, sceptre 10, staff 2, misc 4; 190

1) rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe
1a) rod, staff
1b) shaft (of spear, dart)
1c) club (of shepherd's implement)
1d) truncheon, sceptre (mark of authority)
1e) clan, tribe

Micah 7:14 - ¶Feed thy people with thy rod <#7626> the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

Psalm 45:6 - ¶Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre <#7626> of thy kingdom is a right scepter <#7626>.

Proverbs 29:15 - ¶The rod <#7626> and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

Psalm 23…Verse 4b - thy rod and thy staff <#4938> they comfort me.

The staff has a similar meaning as does the rod. They both carry the ideal of control and authority. This can be seen from both literal and figurative perspectives in Scripture.

2 Kings 18:21 - 21 Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff <#4938> of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.

It is God’s rod and staff that give the believer eternal rest; as Psalm 23:4 states: “they comfort me.” This rod and staff consists of all God’s laws and word to man, and of course Christ has fulfilled these laws and is our Shepherd, for He is the Word of God, John 1:14.