The Lord Is My Shepherd – Psalm 23 for the Life of the Church

The Touchstone Texts series addresses key Bible passages, making high-quality biblical scholarship accessible for the church. The series editor is Stephen B. Chapman. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. " There are few biblical texts more familiar to Christians than Psalm 23. This volume helps readers understand the power and vision of this psalm by offering a close word-by-word and phrase-by-phrase reading. "Briggs offers a fresh study of this beloved and familiar psalm, but even more, he uses it as a key to open the gate into the vast garden of biblical interpretation, which has been much tended from ancient times to the present. He is the best kind of guide; his deep and wide knowledge, engaging style, and genuine faith are both eye-opening and edifying for readers who share his interest, even if they do not share his expertise. "-Ellen Davis. , Duke Divinity School"A whole book on one little psalm. But this is no ordinary psalm, and Briggs is no ordinary interpreter. He writes thoughtfully, he is always interesting, he reads widely, and he manages to share the fruit of his reading without letting it get in the way. He is a fine match for this short, profound, provocative psalm. Anyone who reads this book will learn a lot about Psalm 23 and will be driven to think a lot about interpretation. "-John Goldingay. , Fuller Theological Seminary"Many of us have loved Psalm 23 for more years than we can remember. This small volume not only surveys the land of biblical scholarship, mining for treasure, but allows the psalm to sing us a song for today. Gently calling us back to a rich vision of biblical preaching, which is sometimes clouded in today's church, the author's exploration of the world behind, within, and in front of the text enriches our understanding and quenches our thirst for the one whose goodness and mercy pursue us all our days. Overfamiliarity can threaten our reception of such texts. I wholeheartedly commend this book to any individual or small group seeking to deepen their appreciation for this psalm. It provides fresh resources for our pilgrimage, whatever the stage of our journey. "-Sophie Jelley. , Bishop of Doncaster