\"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He make s m lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my sou l; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Even though I wa lk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness an d lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever\" (Psalms 23:1-6 NASB ).

The Lord Is My Shepherd

1. INTRODu CTION: Is PSALM 23 A CHIASM ? Approaches to this psalm are legion: theologians, teachers, preachers, seminarians, linguists, free-lance writers, death-bed counselors, spiritual shepherds, and even a literal shepherd have all \"looked\" at Psalm 23. I Of course \"looked\" is euphemistic for interpreted; and so many have looked that a new angle does not seem possible or desirable. But although it seems every exegetical trend has been employed to unlock the secrets and sense of this psalm, somehow it has almost entirely escaped the chiasmic crazeuntil now (sadly or happily depending on the reader's perspective). While I sympathize with those who are skeptical about literary license looking for chiasm at every turn in the biblical text, I have become convinced of the contextual and structural reality and intentionality of this literary device in Psalm 23. The outline or literary structure of this psalm is a major issue over which interpreters continue to disagree. Leupold laments the psalm's history of fragmentation by commentators/ but Craigie reminds his readers that its structure is \"difficult to define with clarity or certainty.\"3 Is there only one metaphor being employed by the psalmist (i.e., the shepherd) or are there two, three, or more; e.g., shepherd, guide, and host? Almost every approach imaginable has been tried in terms of an analytical and linear outline of one or more sections with one or more metaphorical images; but not that of a conscious and careful, conceptual chiasm. The unresolved confusion and conflict among commentators over this matter suggests that a new, non-linear, and more extensive explanation is necessary as a possible solution to the debate over this psalm's intended literary form.

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No Fear! : Psalm 23 as a Careful, Conceptual Chiasm

Few pieces of Old Testament literature rival Psalm 23 for familiarity and use. For many centuries both Jews and Christians have found in this psalm an expression of faith and trust in God. Scholarly interest in the shepherd psalm has also been keen and has produced a wealth of studies.’ Since Gunkel, most interpreters have classified Psalm 23 as a psalm of trust and have explored its rich imagery, particularly the shepherd imagery, in great detail. Their studies indicate that, despite its apparent simplicity, Psalm 23 presents scholars with

Psalm 23: Echoes of the exodus:

The "Bloodbath of Anat" and Psalm XXIII

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Psalm 23:2 Reconsidered

Interpreters have rightly put the immensely comforting power of Psalm 23 to its depiction of the personal care and attention that Yahweh, the Shepherd provides His people. It is also widely accepted that the movement and pilgrimage theme in the psalm adds to the effect of encouraging the weary, fearful or dispirited believer. One aspect of the Psalm, whose contribution remains to be investigated however, is the role of the various locations within which the personal care and attention is provided, as well as the changing spatial positions between the Shepherd and the psalmist. Using the Bible Study method of rhetography, this paper delineates how these spatial dimensions in Psalm 23 contribute to its celebrated effect. It concludes by encouraging song writers and worship leaders to include the rhetographic aspects of the psalm in their song writing.

Annang Asumang

Papers

The presence of the shepherd : a rhetographic exegesis of Psalm 23