V. 1. The Lord is my shepherd.
1. 1) This is a thanksgiving and promise of both temporal and spiritual goods, namely of the temporal government and the priesthood. But especially it is a thanksgiving of common people (privatorum), who recognize what fruit they have from the worldly rule and the preaching ministry.
2 But this image is exceedingly beautiful: The Lord is my shepherd. This is a word that is exceedingly full of faith; whoever believes this would be unconcerned about his food and the peace of this world. He says: I am his sheep.
I will not want for anything.
3 This follows right faith: What shall I lack? I will have food, for I have a shepherd. A little sheep must neither feed itself nor defend itself. But the wicked will lack everything.
V. 2. He feeds me in a green pasture.
4. he makes it so very sure, as if he is not afraid, thinking that he is a sheep, and lets himself be
1) Note of the original: "18-September". This time determination will hardly be correct, because the last one given in v. 28. reads the same, and moreover September 18, 1530 was a Sunday. Instead, September 19 may be assumed (cf. K 6 of this psalm). On Sept. 20, Luther wrote three long letters, namely to Link, Melanchthon and Justus Jonas, which can be found in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 166 ff. The explanation of the following psalm has the time: "22. September".
He will think that he has a delicious house and green pastures, where he will be pastured in safe peace without any worry or distress. These are all figurative words. "To graze" (cubare [lie]) means to feed, 2) as cattle tend.
And lead me to the fresh water.
(5) He will say, He will make it so that I may be led thither, and lie by the pasture, and feed myself, and not only this, but also give water in such safety that I may not be afraid. So he gives both food and drink in peace and quiet.
V. 3. He restores my soul.
6. what naphash (XXX) is, I said yesterday [Ps. 22, ยง 78], namely, refresh and revive; as we say, A good drink helps body and soul together. Likewise: To a full belly belongs a merry head. And as we say when we have eaten: It has become better. And this is the first part of this psalm, about the world's rule, that God is the shepherd. He will not leave us, even in temporal need and peace.
3) This passage confirms our Conjecture in A 1 that this Psalm will be interpreted on September 19.
7 This is the other benefit, namely, the spiritual one, which he has shown us with the priesthood. He has established the ministry of the word, which leads me on the right path, into another life. "He leads me through the word, his most dear and precious treasure, that he may ordain us rightly how we should live, walk and stand, so that all ranks may be finely ordered. For this word ["right road"], which he used here, means outward righteousness.
(8) But he added to it for his own sake, "For his name's sake. For in the ministry of preaching the glory of God especially suffers violence, because human reason ascribes to itself what we have through the beneficence of the word.
V. 4: Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.
(9) The word is immediately followed by the devil and all his angels, and they bring temptations. For when he says, "Though I walk," 2c., he confesses that what our Lord God speaks and does must be armored and pass through the fire. Even though I should live in many adversities, I still want to have the word and stay with it, as our people are now walking in the valley of Augsburg. The wicked, however, walk on light mountains, on the clouds, and fear no misfortune, and yet have misfortune. But ours fear misfortune, and have no misfortune.
Because dn are with me.
(10) Though you seem to have left me, I know for certain that you are with me. But how? Not visibly, not tangibly, but by word, as follows:
Your rod and staff comfort me.
(11) He confesses that he feels unhappiness, for he says: "I do not fear unhappiness. Likewise, "You comfort me"; thus he is afflicted, otherwise he would not say so. "The rod" means the word, for it guides. "The rod" is also the word, for it upholds. For this is what the word Nacham (XXX) means, as one leans up. The stick one has over him.
the staff under himself. This is what he has said about the spiritual ministry and the ministry of words; now he strikes it out with images and beautiful words.
V. 5. You prepare a table before me against my enemies.
This is a beautiful patron. They sit at table, and thus fight against their enemies. It should say: You prepare weapons and walls; so he says: "a table". But with this he wants to praise the wonderful power of the word. Our victory is nothing more than (simpliciter) eating and drinking, that is, holding on to the word and believing in it; for the same is set before us as the bread was set before us on the table of Moses. So now he indicates with this how our armor is to be approached, namely, with faith. "To be still and hope is your strength," Is. 30, 15. and Ps. 46, 1) 11: "Be still."
You anoint my head with oil.
(13) I thought he had put a helmet on me, and he was anointing my head with oil, as if I were going to a dance. How can the Holy Spirit speak so hopefully against the devil? He does not say, you smear, but you anoint me fat with oil, that is, you have endowed me with your word, you have comforted me with it, you have equipped and armed me. And so we are armed with ointment. It shall grieve the devil, when he heareth that one receiveth his wrath no other way, than as one should go to the dance.
And pour me full (Et calix meus su- perabuudaus).
14 Here it is in doubt whether the cup, according to the secret interpretation, is to be understood for the word or, however, according to the Scriptural way, for a part: My part, as it is written above Ps. 11, 6: "He will give them a weather for their reward" (pars calicis eorum), that will be theirs. So here: My cup, my portion, my being, my matter has no need, it is full, that is, I am provided for, I have a shepherd. This is how I understand it: As I am, so I am well. But these are all parables taken from the law. The first is
1) In the original: p8al. 4.
taken from the table of the shewbread and Easter [Ex. 25:30]; the other from the vial of the priests, kings, and instruments [Ex. 30:30]; the third from the vessels to offer their drink offerings [Ex. 25:29].
V. 6. Goodness and mercy will follow me all my life.
This is a thanksgiving for the past and a request for the future goods: Dear God, let us therefore stay with the word and worldly regiment. "Mercy", benevolence, that remain with me. I pray that this mercy may remain with me all my life. [Ps. 68, 29. "The same will
Let us be strengthened, for it is your work. Do not stop at the past good deeds, but increase them with future ones; do not desist as long as I am here on earth.
And I will remain in the Hanse of the Lord forever.
16 That I may abide forever. This is a request for both the temporal and the spiritual: as you have given me the word, so keep it for me. For "to dwell in the house of the Lord" means to be there where God's word is heard. But where the same is not heard, there is not the house of the Lord.
About the same Psalm.
V. 1. The Lord is my shepherd.
In this psalm, faith speaks proudly and confidently, full of joy and comfort, thanking God and saying, "The Lord is my shepherd," and I am his sheep. But the contradiction is seen in those who have mammon, the belly, and other gods for shepherds; for before them a believer is looked upon as if he were among wolves, forsaken by God, and lacking everything, and as if it were quite wrong for him to say, "I shall lack nothing."
V. 2. He feeds me in a green pasture.
2 He remains with the image of a shepherd and sheep. For where a sheep in a green field may lie secure and contented, and feed where and how it will, it thinks it has a kingdom. So a believer is also secure because of the promise for the body, both in the household and in the worldly government, having food and peace with a joyful heart.
He leads me to the fresh water (juxta aquas requiei).
3 This is again a rich figurative speech, taken from the sheep that go safely to the water, and drink according to their desire. For "water of rest," refreshment, or safety, he calls the water that quenches thirst in peace. This he has said of the bodily things; now follows the spiritual pasture.
V. 3. He restores my soul; he leads me in the right way for his name's sake.
He feeds the soul with his grass and water, that is, with God's words. First, with "refreshing," that is, with deliverance from the conscience of sin, and comfort and gladness from the forgiveness of sins. Secondly, with the righteousness of faith and grace through the same word, making me hear the same and sustaining me, not because of my works or merits, but for his name's sake, that his grace might make him glorious, and that he might glorify his name in me. Hitherto he has spoken of the pasture; now follows the protection against the enemies.
V. 4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
(5) Then we see that a Christian or believer, from the outward appearance, lacks all things and must be in the midst of misfortune, that is, in the valley of darkness, where there is no light, no comfort, no hope, but the door of hell is open, and yet he has confidence that he lacks nothing inwardly, boasts of it, and fears no misfortune. Not as if he himself could do this by his ability and counsel, but he says, "Thou art with me" with the word of life, namely, "Thou sustainest me".
right in the middle of death and the valley of all misfortune; as now follows:
Your rod and staff comfort me.
With this he confesses his weakness. For what need is there of a rod or staff for one who is strong and sturdy? For Christ's word is our strength, by which we are not only sustained but also comforted. Others have no need of such a staff, but stand firm on their legs and are strong in their arms.
I understand "staff" and "stick" for one and the same, namely for the word. Unless one wanted to distinguish it in such a way that the stick keeps the tired hands and arms upright, but the staff the wavering legs and knees. That he thus shows how both are strengthened by the word, both the walk and the work: the walk in the knees, the work in the arms; that is, that faith and works are awakened and gain their progress through the word.
V. 5. You prepare a table before me against my enemies.
(8) This is a wondrous safeguard, that a table should be prepared against the enemy. Why not rather walls and armor for it? Thus he speaks to make the protection great, as if to say, "Not only am I myself comforted inwardly with the word, and lifted up in the midst of adversity, but I also overcome all enemies outwardly by the word alone. And do this so surely that, while they rage and rage, I do nothing else but sit and eat safely at the banquet and inwardly eat abundantly of the word, as if I were sitting at a deliciously prepared table.
9. see here you have: that the word of god
victory be against
'the devil, the world, the flesh, sin, conscience, death,
For from the word these enemies all flee, and cannot bear it. This then is a wondrous and defiant power and glory of the faithful, that they overcome their enemies with eating, drinking, living well, sitting still, being merry, and being still in the word; and not with storming, raging, resisting, striking down, and avenging themselves by their own devices, works, and plots.
You anoint my head with oil (impinguas balsamo caput meum), and pour me full.
10 This image is taken from the anointing of kings and priests. Me," he says, "you do not anoint alone, but you anoint me abundantly, making me a king who is more than the most victorious and joyful against his enemies. For, to be anointed a king with balm is a work of the highest honor and joy, even victory. So "my cup", my part of the cross, is not a cross, nor does it make me weak or powerless, but makes me drunk, and showers me with comfort and joy, as a stream of water waters and waters the dry and thirsty meadows. Summa: Your word is a paradise of comfort in all tribulation.
V. 6. Goodness and mercy will follow me all my life.
Now he concludes the psalm with a prayer, asking for the continuance of these goods of the word. "They will follow me," he says; that is, grant that they may remain with us without ceasing.
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
(12) That I may hear the word of God (for there is the house of the Lord, where the word is) at all times, and that it may not even be taken away from me, nor be stolen from me by the false masters, who ceaselessly prepare reenactments. Therefore, prayer, watchfulness and attention are necessary, so that the word may remain with us.