He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
What does Psalms 23:3 mean?
The Lord restores what is worn down and leads his people back into the right way. He does this for his own name's sake, because his care is faithful and true to his character.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside its immediate passage and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Psalms 23:3
He leadeth me beside the still waters - Margin, "waters of quietness." Not stagnant waters, but waters not tempestuous and stormy; waters so calm, gentle, and still, as to suggest the idea of repose, and such as prompt to repose. As applied to the people of God, this denotes the calmness - the peace - the repose of the soul, when salvation flows as in a gently running stream; when there is no apprehension of want; when the heart is at; peace with God. He restoreth my soul - literally, "He causes my life to return." De Wette, "He quickens me," or causes me to live.
Key words
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He restoreth my soul,.
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He restoreth my soul,.
Context in Psalms 23
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Psalms 23 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as Book I. Psalms is the Bible’s great book of sung prayer, teaching the full range of faithful speech from anguish and repentance to jubilation and doxology. Read this chapter with the wider themes of prayer, praise, and lament in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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