Exegetical Paper

Exegetical Paper

Intro- In the bible you often here the name David or “King David” a lot. Jesse's youngest son, Ruth and Boaz grandson, chosen to be king of Israel, played the harp for King Saul, defeat the Philistine named Goliath, faithful to God and righteous and upright in heart, and promised that his house and his kingdom would remain before him forever. David promised Bathsheba that his son Solomon would become king after him and take control of Israel.

Problem- No matter what goes on or happen to you in life that you shouldn’t fear or worry about anything because you are always in Gods hands and the lord is your shepherd. You should be able to sit down and socialize and eat with your enemies without second guessing there intentions because they will be anointed with the Holy Spirit and will drink of the cup of salvation. There is no problem in the passage just in how you might perceive it. In verse 4 David says “I will fear no evil”. But he’s not God. He has got to fear something or someone. Maybe David is abusing the fact that God is always with him and is thinking in his head that no matter what he do or is not suppose to do that God’s going to be with him and watch over him as he does it. Another issue that can possibly be a problem is God’s sympathy and how much he is willing to do for us because not only it’s the right thing to do but because his name on the line.

Method- In this exegetical paper I will use first person point of view and give some of my very own examples of when I was placed in a position where I once feared and didn’t realize that the lord is always with me.

Context/Passage

Psalms 23

v1- The lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want,

v2- He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters,

v3 -he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

v4- 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.

v5- You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

v6- Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the lord forever.

Gordon Churchyard Understanding in my words

The Lord is my shepherd.

I will not need anything.

He makes me rest by green fields and water to drink

He gives me new life. He’s the guide to the right road.

He does this because of who he represents

I will not be afraid when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

This is because you walk with me and your rod/staff make me feel secure.

You prepare a table in front of me when my enemies are present.

You put oil on my head and wine in my cup.

Good, loving and kind things will follow me. They will follow me all the days

of my life. I will always live in the house of the lord.

Mathew Henry’s Understanding in my words

The lord is the pastor of the universe, the redeemer, and preserver of men.

I shall need nothing.

He takes me to a peaceful place to refresh myself and gives me what I need.

He shows me how to live his life and guides me through the steps of doing it. He puts his name and reputation on the line by doing so.

I have nothing to fear because in everything I do God is always with me step by step and protecting me from harm.

God prepares a banquet and anoints David in front of his enemies at the feast.

David will always be loved and eventually build a covenant with God.

Commentaries - Gordon Churchyard says in Verses 1–2: