Introduction to Psalm 22 - The Lord is my shepherd

Psalm 22: Trust in God

Psalm 22 is one of those psalms everyone should know, and particularly timely as we are running up to November, the month traditionally devoted to prayer for the dead - and Psalm 22 is one of the psalms used in the Office of the Dead (at Matins).

Pope Benedict XVI introduces his catechesis on it by saying:

“Turning to the Lord in prayer implies a radical act of trust, in the awareness that one is entrusting oneself to God who is good, “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ex 34:6-7; Ps 86[85]:15; cf. Joel 2:13; Jon 4:2; Ps 103 [102]:8; 145[144]:8; Neh 9:17). For this reason I would like to reflect with you today on a Psalm that is totally imbued with trust, in which the Psalmist expresses his serene certainty that he is guided and protected, safe from every danger, because the Lord is his Shepherd. It is Psalm 23 [22, according to the Greco-Latin numbering], a text familiar to all and loved by all.”

Psalm 22 has six verses as set out in most Bibles (indicated in brackets), but in the older liturgical ordering which I will use here it is split into ten verses including the title.

Text of the psalm

Here is the full text of it arranged for liturgical use with a translation from the Douay-Rheims:

Psalm 22

Dóminus regit me, et nihil mihi déerit: * in loco páscuæ ibi me collocávit.	The Lord rules me: and I shall want nothing. He has set me in a place of pasture.
Super aquam refectiónis educávit me: * ánimam meam convértit.	He has brought me up, on the water of refreshment: He has converted my soul.
Dedúxit me super sémitas iustítiæ: * propter nomen suum.	He has led me on the paths of justice, for his own name's sake.
Nam, et si ambulávero in médio umbræ mortis, non timébo mala: * quóniam tu mecum es.	For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for you are with me.
Virga tua, et báculus tuus: * ipsa me consoláta sunt.	Your rod and your staff, they have comforted me.
Parásti in conspéctu meo mensam, * advérsus eos, qui tríbulant me.	You have prepared a table before me against them that afflict me.
Impinguásti in óleo caput meum: * et calix meus inébrians quam præclárus est!	You have anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriates me, how goodly is it!
Et misericórdia tua subsequétur me * ómnibus diébus vitæ meæ.	And your mercy will follow me all the days of my life.
Et ut inhábitem in domo Dómini, * in longitúdinem diérum.	And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.	Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.	As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Key themes

This psalm presents two main images: first the sheep in a pasture, being led by the good shepherd; and secondly a vision of the heavenly banquet awaiting us. Pope Benedict comments:

With their richness and depth the images of this Psalm have accompanied the whole of the history and religious experience of the People of Israel and accompany Christians. The figure of the shepherd, in particular, calls to mind the original time of the Exodus, the long journey through the desert, as a flock under the guidance of the divine Shepherd (cf. Is 63:11-14; Ps 77: 20-21; 78:52-54). And in the Promised Land, the king had the task of tending the Lord’s flock, like David, the shepherd chosen by God and a figure of the Messiah (cf. 2 Sam 5:1-2; 7:8 Ps 78[77]:70-72).


Then after the Babylonian Exile, as it were in a new Exodus (cf. Is 40:3-5, 9-11; 43:16-21), Israel was brought back to its homeland like a lost sheep found and led by God to luxuriant pastures and resting places (cf. Ezek 34:11-16, 23-31). However, it is in the Lord Jesus that all the evocative power of our Psalm reaches completeness, finds the fullness of its meaning: Jesus is the “Good Shepherd” who goes in search of lost sheep, who knows his sheep and lays down his life for them (cf. Mt 18:12-14; Lk 15:4-7; Jn 10:2-4, 11-18). He is the way, the right path that leads us to life (cf. Jn 14:6), the light that illuminates the dark valley and overcomes all our fears (cf. Jn 1:9; 8:12; 9:5; 12:46).

He is the generous host who welcomes us and rescues us from our enemies, preparing for us the table of his body and his blood (cf. Mt 26:26-29; Mk 14:22-25); Lk 22:19-20) and the definitive table of the messianic banquet in Heaven (cf. Lk 14:15ff; Rev 3:20; 19:9). He is the Royal Shepherd, king in docility and in forgiveness, enthroned on the glorious wood of the cross (cf. Jn 3:13-15; 12:32; 17:4-5).

Dear brothers and sisters, Psalm 23 invites us to renew our trust in God, abandoning ourselves totally in his hands. Let us therefore ask with faith that the Lord also grant us on the difficult ways of our time that we always walk on his paths as a docile and obedient flock, and that he welcome us to his house, to his table, and lead us to “still waters” so that, in accepting the gift of his Spirit, we may quench our thirst at his sources, springs of the living water “welling up to eternal life” (Jn 4:14; cf. 7:37-39).

The next part of this mini-series starts looking at the psalm verse by verse.  And for those focused on learning the Latin I've also put together:

•  some notes on the vocabulary to get you started;
• further vocab and grammar notes; and
• a complete vocabulary list for the psalm.

Liturgical and scriptural uses of the psalm

NT references	Jn 10:10-11, I Pet 2:25 (1); Rev 7:16-17  (2)
RB cursus	Sunday Matins
Monastic/(Roman) feasts etc	Office of Dead, II, 1; Corpus Christi
Roman pre 1911	Sunday Matins (post Trent Thursday Prime)
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Thursday Prime .
Mass propers (EF)	Saturday Lent 3, GR (4)