Psalm 23/Notes/Lexical.V. 1.892566

• On the phrase by David (לְדָוִד) as a designation of authorship, see Ledavid.
• In the ancient Near East, "kings were portrayed as shepherds (cf. 1 Kgs. 22:17; Jer. 23:1–4; Ezek. 34:1–10), and to portray God as shepherd is to portray God as a royal figure (cf. Ezek. 34:10–16)." Some of the shepherd's professional duties included leading, feeding, sheltering, and protecting the flock.

God is often referred to as the shepherd of his people (e.g., Pss 80:1; 95:7; 100:3; Isa 40:11). However, in Ps 23:1, YHWH is presented as David's personal shepherd. David, who had experience as a shepherd (1 Sam. 16:11; 17:34), declares: "YHWH is my shepherd"; i.e., YHWH is the one who rules, leads, and provides (food, water, protection, etc.) for me.

• The verb חסר ("to lack") is "most frequently used to express the sufficiency of God’s grace to meet the needs of his people." YHWH is my shepherd; therefore, I lack nothing. This verb also occurs in Neh 9:21 in reference to God's provision to Israel in the wilderness (וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֛ה כִּלְכַּלְתָּ֥ם בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר לֹ֣א חָסֵ֑רוּ - "Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing"). The psalmist (Ps 23:1) along with those who trust (e.g. the widow in 1 Kgs 17:14), fear (Ps 34:10), seek (Ps 34:11), and worship (Isa 51:14) YHWH have no lack. "Conversely, the lack of bread or other blessings points to God’s disfavor because of lack of faith (Isa 32:6; Ezek 4:17)."