PSALM 23

The theme of this psalm casts God in the role of protector and provider. The text, beloved by Jews and Christians alike, has often been set to music.

Contents

English Translations

In Jewish tradition

In Christian tradition

Musical Settings

References in Popular Media

Notes

External links

English Translations

In Jewish tradition

A long tradition ascribes authorship of the psalm to King David, said in the Hebrew Scriptures to have been a shepherd himself as a youth.
Psalm 23 is traditionally sung by Jews in Hebrew at the third Shabbat meal on Saturday afternoon. It is also sung during the Yizkor service. Sephardic and some Hassidic Jews also sing during Friday afternoon services and as part of the Sabbath night and day meals. It is read at a cemetery funeral service instead of the traditional prayer during Jewish holidays.
The standard Hebrew text used in Judaism is the Masoretic text developed between the seventh and tenth centuries CE. The most widely used English translation among Jews is the New JPS Tanakh (1985). An earlier JPS translation, published in 1917, also remains in common use.

In Christian tradition

For Christians the image of God as a shepherd evokes connections not only with David but with Jesus, described as "the Good Shepherd" in the Gospel of John.
Orthodox Christians typically include the Psalm in the prayers of preparation for receiving the Eucharist. All traditions in Christianity feature the psalm prominently in funeral services. The Book of Common Prayer (1662) ensured its place in the memorial rituals of English-speaking cultures; it is in this context that American president George W. Bush quoted the Psalm in his address on the evening of September 11, 2001. The psalm is also a popular passage for memorization.
The standard Latin translation of Psalm 23 is drawn from the Vulgate, where it carried the number 22. This text is often referred to by its first line: Dominus regit me or Dominus pascit me.
A well-known metrical setting of the Latin text was made by Clément Marot.
The Reformation inspired widespread efforts in western Europe to make biblical texts available in vernacular languages. One of the most popular early English versions was the Geneva Bible (1557). The most widely recognized version of the psalm in English today is undoubtedly the one drawn from the King James Bible (1611), which, along with the Book of Common Prayer (1661), represents the most influential book in English ever produced.
An early metrical version of the psalm in English was made in 1565 by Thomas Sternhold. Other metrical versions to emerge from the Reformation include those from The Bay Psalm Book (1640)^[1] and a version influenced by Sternholm published in the Scottish Psalter (1650) [1]. The latter version is still encountered, with modernized spelling, in many Protestant hymns.
Other notable metrical versions include those by George Herbert and Isaac Watts.^[1]
A traditional pairing puts a metrical version of the psalm with the tune 'Crimond' (MIDI file). Other melodies, such as Brother James' Air or Amazing Grace, are also used. Original melodies for psalm texts, metrical and free, continue to be composed.

Musical Settings

The Psalm 23 text has been set to music countless times. Notable settings include these:

★ Franz Schubert sets German version adapted by Moses Mendelssohn (1820/1832)

★ Charles Villiers Stanford

★ Howells in his Requiem

★ Leonard Bernstein set the Hebrew text in ''Chichester Psalms'', where a boy soloist depicts the young David.

★ Duke Ellington, first recorded for ''Black, Brown and Beige'' (1958) by singer Mahalia Jackson.

★ Ralph Vaughan Williams

★ Colin Mawby (recorded in 1998 by Charlotte Church)

★ John Rutter in his Requiem

★ Paul Creston (1945)

★ Hsiao Tyzen (蕭泰然) an art song setting (2004) in Taiwanese

★ Vincent Salamoni, a U.S. Navy chaplain, set the text in military style for the U.S. Marine Corps. Marine Corps Engineer Association

References in Popular Media

Psalm 23 is alluded to often in popular songs and other media. Examples include these:

★ A French aristocrat recites the Psalm just before his beheading in the first scene of The Scarlet Pimpernel, a BBC movie (1982) based on the nineteenth-century novel.

★ In the film ''We Were Soldiers'', Lt. Col. Hal Moore (played by Mel Gibson) recites this Psalm as he is giving a speech to his men on their graduation from basic training before leaving for Vietnam.

★ The hit 1973 song "Lay Down" by The Strawbs is clearly derived from Psalm 23 although it does not use the original wording.

★ A parody of this psalm is used in the song ''Sheep'' by Pink Floyd from the album ''Animals''.

★ This psalm makes up part of the lyrics to The Grateful Dead's "Ripple" from their album ''American Beauty''.

★ In the film "Varsity Blues", the character Billy Bob recites a version of this prayer before the seasons opening game: "Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no faggots from Bingville."

★ In the film ''Saving Private Ryan'', Private Daniel Jackson (played by

★ This psalm is used as the lyrics of Megadeth's "Shadow of Deth" from their album ''The System Has Failed''.

★ A short part of the lyrics for Alice in Chains' song "Sickman" (from their album ''Dirt'') references the psalm (''Yea, and though I walked through the valley of rape and despair...'')

★ This psalm (in Hebrew) makes up part of the lyrics to Orphaned Land's "Aldiar Al Mukadisa" from their album ''Sahara''.

★ This psalm (in Hebrew) makes up part of the lyrics to Shlomo Carlebach's "Gam Ki Elech".

★ The psalm also makes up the first line in a song by the rap artist Coolio entitled "Gangsta's Paradise".

★ Further this psalm makes up part of the lyrics in the hit song "Jesus Walks" by the rap artist Kanye West.

★ This psalm is recited at the beginning of the song "You're Nobody (Till Somebody Kills You)" by the Notorious B.I.G. on the ''Life After Death'' album.

★ Bobby McFerrin wrote an a cappella adaptation of this psalm, using the female gender for pronouns referring to God.

★ In the 1999 film ''Deep Blue Sea'', LL Cool J's character recites a version of the Psalm before the characters attempt to kill a genetically enhanced shark.

★ In the film ''Van Helsing'', Frankenstein recites Psalm 23 after being captured by Dracula during the Carnival in Budapest.

★ In an episode of the television show ''Oz'', prisoner Reverend Jeremiah Cloutier recites Psalm 23 while he was trapped due to fellow prisoners Timmy Kirk and Jaz Hoyt.

★ An episode of the television series ''Lost'' that aired on January 11, 2006 is titled "The 23rd Psalm". The characters Mr. Eko and Charlie recite the psalm together (as "I walk through the shadow of the valley of death.") after discovering an airplane that Eko's brother crashed in.

★ The psalm, in Hebrew, is featured in the 2nd movement of Leonard Bernstein's ''Chichester Psalms''. Bernstein specifically asks for a boy alto or male countertenor to sing the beautiful solo of this movement, depicting the young David.

★ The same psalm is used on the song "Gaia" by the Spanish folk metal band Mägo de Oz.

★ In the film ''The Elephant Man'', the title character recites the psalm, revealing for the first time that he is an educated and sensitive person.

★ U2's song "Love Rescue Me" from the album ''Rattle and Hum'' includes the lyrics "Yea, though I walk in the valley of the shadow, Yea, I will fear no evil. I have cursed thy rod and staff, They no longer comfort me, Love rescue me."

★ The psalm is recited by police sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward) in the film ''The Wicker Man'', as he is burned alive (sacrificed) in a brutal pagan ceremony on Summerisle, a fictitious, remote Scottish island.

★ In the 2005 movie ''Jarhead'', Staff Sgt. Sykes (Jamie Foxx) parodies the psalm by saying, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for I am the baddest mother fucker in the valley." An earlier version of the profane parody is recited in the movie ''Full Metal Jacket''. The parody is available on T-shirts and bumper stickers popular among some military and gun enthusiasts.

★ The protagonists in the Stephen King novel '''Salem's Lot'' recite the psalm to build their courage before fighting vampires.

★ The psalm is recited in the graphic novel ''V for Vendetta'' by Anthony Lilliman, the corrupt Bishop of Westminster, as the revolutionary V breaks into Westminster Abbey with the intent of killing him.

★ The English sitcom ''The Vicar of Dibley'' uses the psalm as its theme music set by Howard Goodall and performed by 'George and the Choir' (The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford). The conductor is Stephen Darlington. It was released as a charity single with proceeds to Comic Relief.

★ In an episode of ''Prison Break'', Michael Scofield prays the 23rd Psalm around the time his brother is about to be executed.

★ In the movie '', Nightcrawler recites the Psalm 23 at near the end of the movie, after Jean Grey sacrifices herself to save the X-Men.

★ Recited by Joe in Hitchcock's 1944 ''Lifeboat'' (novella written by John Steinbeck).

★ The psalm was used in George W. Bush's address to the United States on September 11, 2001 after the attacks of that day.

★ A verse of the psalm was used many times in the album ''Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)'' by the band, Marilyn Manson.

★ In German music group E Nomine's song "Psalm 23" from the album ''Das Testament'', the Lutherbibel version of the psalm is recited.

★ In the song "For You" (We were Soldiers Soundtrack) by Johnny Cash and Dave Matthews, Johnny Cash sings around 2:00 "Yea, though I walk through the valley, of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. You are with me."

★ In the 1997 version of ''Titanic'', as Rose and Jack are climbing towards to the front of the boat, as it is sinking, there is a man who is climbing the stairs in front of them. While he is climbing he is saying, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death... " after which Jack says "you wanna walk a little faster through that valley pal?" (because he is holding up the people trying to get to the back of the ship).

★ In one version of the song "No W" by industrial metal band Ministry (the version used for the video, without the guitar solo), George W Bush simply says "Psalm 23" just before the music kicks in.

★ It is part of the Ezekiel 25:17 pastiche in ''Pulp Fiction''.

★ Part of the Psalm was mournfully recited by a desperate soldier in the film ''Gallipoli'' (1981), just before his regiment charged out of the trench towards the machine guns.

★ The Psalm is spoofed in the 1992 comedy ''Sister Act'' as part of a meal blessing : "And uh... ye Lord, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of no food, I shall fear no hunger."

★ In "Let There Be Light" by Nas ft. The Williams, the chorus contains the lyrics "As I walk through the shadow of death, I know that I ain't got much time left. And they don't really wanna see the good in me. Ain't satisfied until they see the fool in me?"

★ In John Cheever's famous short story, "The Death of Justina", the psalm is recited in full.

★ The 1953 version of ''The War of the Worlds'' shows the Priest reciting the Psalm as he is walking towards the Martians.

★ On the American Punk/Alternative rock band Good Charlotte's album, ''Good Morning Revival'', their song "The River ft. M. Shadows and Synyster Gates" begins with the line, "As I walk through the valley of the shadow of L.A."

★ In ''Supernatural'', enscribed on The Colt is "non timebo mala" which translates to "I will fear no evil", a reference to Psalm 23.

★ Progressive metal band "Dream Theater released a song entitled In the Presence of Enemies on their 2007 album Systematic Chaos. The song, is often interperted as a man's inner struggles with evil on his deathbed. The man is redemmed in the end of the song, which prominitely features some passages from the Psalm throughout

★ In the 2003 movie Bruce Almighty, when Jim Carrey's character Bruce calls the number on his pager, the recorded voice message says they are located at 77256 23rd Street. 77256 spells out "psalm" on a phone, and with 23rd Street attached indicates Psalm 23. Incidentally, the building at this address is where Bruce meets God, played by Morgan Freeman.

★ In the song "Sunny Hours" by Long Beach Dub All Stars, a line from the 23rd Psalm is used. It reads in the song '...wandered through the valley of the shadow of the dead..." This song is used as the theme song for the friends spinoff, "Joey".

★ The Psalm is used as an inspiration behind the song Goodbye to my mama, in the film "A prairie home companion".

★ In the Woody Allen Film ''Love and Death'', Allen's Character, Boris, Mentions the verse: "I shall walk through the valley of the shadow of death... In fact, now that I think of it, I shall run through the valley of the shadow of death, cos' you get out of the valley quicker that way".

★ In the summer of 2007, Virgin Megastores displayed large posters/wall displays in their store's gaming sections sporting the parody of psalm 23; "Yea, I shall walk throught the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for I have three lives left"

★ Ad verbatim, The Offspring's song "Hammerhead" references a portion of Psalm 23 ("Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me"). The song was debuted in August of 2007 at the Summer Sonic Festival in Japan, and is slated to appear on the band's eighth studio album.

★ In the series Carnivale, a part of this psalm is recited by Norman and Justin in the church."thou annointest my head with oil..."

★ In chapter 73 of The Stand, Larry utters a bit of the Psalm: ''"I will fear no evil, I will f--"'', just before the nuclear bomb detonates in Las Vegas.

Notes

1. Smith Creek Music: 'Psalms Compared: Psalm 23', retrieved 2007-08-05.
2. Smith Creek Music: 'Psalms Compared: Psalm 23', retrieved 2007-08-05.

External links

★ Tehillim - Psalm 23 (Judaica Press) translation with Rashi's commentary.

★ Text of Psalm 23 in Hebrew

★ Psalm 23 recited in Hebrew

★ Text of Psalm 23 in English (King James Version)

★ text of Psalm 22 in the Latin Vulgate

★ Psalm 23 as Manifestation Prayer