Rashi on Psalms Chapter 23
Can copy this into an AI, or connect the whole library to your assistant. For deeper learning, you can directly use the original seforim, sites, and apps.
מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד. אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ : כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד״, מְנַגֵּן וְאַחַר כָּךְ שׁוֹרָה עָלָיו שְׁכִינָה. מִזְמוֹר, לְהָבִיא רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ לְדָוִד. וְכָל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ ״לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר״, שָׁרְתָה עָלָיו שְׁכִינָה וְאַחַר כָּךְ אָמַר שִׁירָה:
A song of David The Rabbis said: Wherever it says: “A song of David,” he would play [his musical instrument] and afterwards the Shechinah would rest on him. It is a song to bring the holy spirit upon David. And, wherever it says: “Of David, a song,” the Shechinah rested on him [first] and then he recited a song.
ה׳ רוֹעִי. בַּמִּדְבָּר הַזֶּה שֶׁאֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ בּוֹ בָּטוּחַ אֲנִי, שֶׁלֹּא אֶחְסַר כְּלוּם:
The Lord is my shepherd In this desert where I am going, [therefore] I am confident that I will lack nothing.
בִּנְאוֹת דֶּשֶׁא. בִּנְוֵה דְּשָׁאִין, לְפִי שֶׁהִתְחִיל לְדַמּוֹת מְזוֹנוֹתָיו לְמִרְעֵה בְּהֵמָה שֶׁאָמַר ה׳ רוֹעִי, נוֹפֵל עַל הַלָּשׁוֹן שֶׁל ה׳ רוֹעִי נְאוֹת דֶּשֶׁא. וּמִזְמוֹר זֶה אָמַר דָּוִד בְּיַעַר חֲרֵת (שמואל א כב:ה). לָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ יַעַר חֲרֵת? שֶׁהָיָה מְנֻגָּב כַּחֶרֶס וְהִרְטִיבוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִטּוּב שֶׁל הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא (מדרש תהלים כג:ו):
in green pasture In grassy pastures. Since he commences to compare his sustenance to the pasture of an animal by saying, “The Lord is my shepherd,” “green pastures” is appropriate for the expression, “the Lord is my shepherd.” David recited this psalm in the forest of Hereth (I Sam. 22:5). Why was it called Hereth? Because it was as dry as a potsherd (חרס) and the Holy One, blessed be He, moistened it with the good of the world to come (Mid. Ps. 23:6).
נַפְשִׁי יְשׁוֹבֵב. רוּחִי, שֶׁהוּפַג בַּצָּרוֹת וּבַמְּנוּסָה, יְשׁוֹבֵב לְקַדְמוּתוֹ:
He restores my soul My spirit, which has been weakened by troubles and haste, He will restore to its previous status.
בְּמַעְגְּלֵי צֶדֶק. בְּדַרְכֵי מִישׁוֹר, שֶׁלֹּא אֶפּוֹל בְּיַד אוֹיְבִי:
in paths of righteousness In straight paths, so that I should not fall into the hands of my enemies.
בְּגֵיא צַלְמָוֶת. בְּאֶרֶץ חֹשֶׁךְ, וְעַל מִדְבַּר זִיף אָמַר (שמואל א כג:יג,כח). כָּל צַלְמָוֶת לְשׁוֹן חֹשֶׁךְ פֵּרְשׁוֹ דוּנַשׁ בֶּן לַבְרַט:
in the valley of darkness Heb. צלמות, in a land of darkness. He alludes to the desert of Ziph (I Sam. 23:13 28). Every [mention of] צלמות is an expression of darkness. Dunash ben Labrat defined it [in this manner].
שִׁבְטְךָ וּמִשְׁעַנְתֶּךָ. יִסּוּרִים שֶׁבָּאוּ עָלַי וּמִשְׁעָן שֶׁאֲנִי בָּטוּחַ עַל חַסְדְּךָ, שְׁנֵיהֶם יְנַחֲמוּנִי – שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לִי לִסְלֹחַ עָוֹן; וּבָטוּחַ אֲנִי, שֶׁתַּעֲרֹךְ לְפָנַי שֻׁלְחָן – הִיא הַמַּלְכוּת:
Your rod and Your staff The pains that came upon me, and the support, that I rely upon Your loving kindnessboth of them will comfort me, for they will serve to expiate my iniquity, and I am confident that You will set a table before me. That is the throne.
דִּשַּׁנְתָּ בַשֶּׁמֶן רֹאשִׁי. כְּבָר נִמְשַׁחְתִּי עַל פִּיךָ לְמֶלֶךְ:
You anointed my head with oil I have already been anointed king by Your orders.
כּוֹסִי רְוָיָה. לְשׁוֹן שֹׂבַע:
my cup overflows Heb. רויה, an expression of fullness.