Psalms 23:3 (YLT)

Passage

My soul He refresheth, He leadeth me in paths of righteousness, For His name's sake,

Nearby Context

Psalms 23:1 A Psalm of David. Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> my shepherd, I do not lack,

Psalms 23:2 In pastures of tender grass He causeth me to lie down, By quiet waters He doth lead me.

Psalms 23:3 My soul He refresheth, He leadeth me in paths of righteousness, For His name's sake,

Psalms 23:4 Also--when I walk in a valley of death-shade, I fear no evil, for Thou <FI>art<Fi> with me, Thy rod and Thy staff--they comfort me.

Psalms 23:5 Thou arrangest before me a table, Over-against my adversaries, Thou hast anointed with oil my head, My cup is full!

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "soul", "refresheth", "leadeth", "paths", "righteousness", "name's", and "sake". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "soul" and "refresheth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "In pastures of tender grass He causeth..." into verse 4's "Also--when I walk in a valley of...", so "soul" and "refresheth" belong inside that flow. In The LORD as Shepherd, the local focus is trust, covenant mercy, guidance, and worship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "soul" and "refresheth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.