- Name 24 of 70The LORD Is My Shepherd
- HebrewYHWH Ro'i
- In plain wordsThe LORD is my shepherd
- Where to find itPsalm 23:1, a psalm of David
Jehovah Rohi is the name behind the most famous line in the Psalms: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
(Psalm 23:1) It means "the Lord my shepherd," and it comes from a man who had actually spent nights in the fields guarding sheep. David took the job he knew best and used it to describe the God he loved.
From the sheepfold to Psalm 23
David was the youngest of Jesse's eight sons in the small town of Bethlehem. When the prophet Samuel came to anoint one of those sons as the next king, Jesse lined up seven of them. David was not even invited. Samuel had to ask if there were any more, and Jesse answered There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep
(1 Samuel 16:11).
Keeping sheep was not a cozy job. It meant long days in dry hills, finding grass and water, and sleeping outside. It could also be dangerous. Later, when David offered to fight the giant Goliath, he explained to King Saul how he knew he could do it:
And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
1 Samuel 17:34-35
So when David wrote Psalm 23, he had already been the shepherd. He knew what it cost to protect helpless animals. Somewhere along the way he flipped the picture around. If he would risk his life for a lamb, what would God do for him? In this psalm David is the sheep.
The psalm does not tell us when he wrote it. It could have been in his younger years, during the time King Saul chased him through the wilderness, or much later as an older king. What we do know is that its six short verses speak of quiet streams and dark valleys, and even of enemies watching while he eats. It sounds like a man who had seen both good days and terrible ones.
Reading the Hebrew one line at a time
In Hebrew the opening is only two words: God's name, YHWH, and ro'i, "my shepherd." There is no "is" in the Hebrew. The two words simply stand side by side. Ro'i comes from the verb ra'ah, which means to tend a flock, to feed it and lead it to pasture. The King James Bible usually translates that verb as "feed" or "shepherd."
The name is spelled several ways in English: Rohi, Roi, Ro'i and Raah. Be careful not to mix it up with El Roi, the God who sees, from the story of Hagar. The two look alike in English letters, but in Hebrew they come from different verbs.
Each line of the psalm adds a picture:
- Still waters (verse 2). The Hebrew word behind "still" is menuchah, which means rest or a resting place. These are waters where a thirsty sheep can drink safely.
- The valley (verse 4). Here the wording shifts. In verses 1 to 3 David talks about God: he leads, he restores. Once he steps into the dark valley, he starts talking to God:
for thou art with me
. - Rod and staff (verse 4). A shepherd usually carried a short club for fighting off wild animals and a long stick for leaning on and guiding the flock. Both were comfort to a sheep.
- Follow (verse 6). The Hebrew verb is radaph, which usually means to chase or pursue, the way an army runs after an enemy. David says God's goodness and mercy are running after him.
The King James words of the Shepherd psalm
The whole psalm is short enough to read in under a minute. Here are three verses to read slowly.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Psalm 23:2-3
To restore something is to bring it back to health. A shepherd does not just keep sheep alive. He brings them back when they are weak or lost, and he leads them on the right paths. David says God does that for His own name's sake, meaning He does it because of who He is.
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.
Psalm 23:4
The promise here is not that there will be no valley. The promise is company. David walks through it, and he is not alone.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Psalm 23:6
Long before David, old Jacob blessed his grandsons in the name of the God which fed me all my life long unto this day
. The prophet Isaiah picked up the picture too: He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm
(Isaiah 40:11). And in the New Testament Jesus said plainly, I am the good shepherd
(John 10:11).
When the Shepherd is yours
Pay attention to one small word: "my." Lots of people believe God watches over the world in a general way. David spoke about God the way you talk about someone you know personally. Jehovah Rohi is an invitation to that kind of relationship.
This psalm is often read at funerals, and it brings real comfort there. But most of it is about life, not death. Green grass, fresh water, a full cup and a soul being restored are pictures for a regular Wednesday. Only one verse mentions the valley.
The psalm also tells you something about trust. Sheep do not read maps. They do not plan where the next water is. They stay close to the one who knows the way. You do not have to figure out your whole future today. Your job is to stay near the Shepherd and follow His voice, one step and one day at a time.
If you are in a hard place right now, try what David did in verse 4. Stop talking about God for a minute and talk to Him. Tell Him where you are. And if your past mistakes feel like they are chasing you, remember what the last verse says is really behind you: goodness and mercy, running hard.
- Memorize Psalm 23. It only has six verses, and it will come back to you on hard days.
- Ask yourself where you are in the psalm this week: green pasture, right path, dark valley or at the table.
- Think of someone who seems lost or worn out, and be a small picture of the Shepherd's care for them.
Jehovah Rohi is name 24 of the 70 in the book. The next name was promised during the darkest days of Judah's kings: Jehovah Tsidkenu, the LORD our righteousness. For an earlier shepherd name, spoken by Jacob, see the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel.
