The Lord Is My Shepherd (Richard S. Briggs) - Review

 THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD: Psalm 23 for the Life of the Church. (Touchstone Texts). By Richard S. Briggs. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2021. Xvii + 203 pages.

                Few biblical passages are as well-known or as beloved as the Twenty-third Psalm. Perhaps only the Lord's Prayer ranks with this Psalm in the hearts of Christians. So, as a pastor, I've referred to it in sermons and turned to it time and again in funeral services. In fact, when it comes to funerals, I've tended to use the King James Version of the psalm. Sometimes that has been the request of the family, but more often it is because that form is so well-known. Even if you're not a church person, you likely know this particular version of the Twenty-third Psalm. You may even have it memorized.

                While numerous devotional books, such as Philip Keller's A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, have explored or made use of the Psalm, could this brief sacred song warrant a scholarly book devoted only to its verses? Apparently, the answer is yes, because Richard Briggs does just that in his book The Lord Is My Shepherd. Briggs’s commentary on Psalm 23 serves as the opening volume of a new series from Baker Academic edited by Stephen B. Chapman is titled Touchstone Texts. This series asks authors to dive deep into a specific text, offering theological exposition. Chapman writes that “the goal of the series is to model expositional interpretation and thereby equip Christian pastors and teachers to employ biblical texts knowledgeably and effectively within an ecclesial setting” (p. x). In this case, the text under consideration is Psalm 23. It will be interesting to see what other texts emerge in this series.

                The author of the book, Richard Briggs, is a lecturer in Old Testament and director of biblical studies at Cranmer Hall, St. John’s College, Durham University, in the United Kingdom.  He is an ordained Church of England minister and is prior of the Community of St. Cuthbert at St. Nic’s Church in Durham. With a Ph.D. from the University of Nottingham, he is both a scholar and pastor. In this volume, he brings these two vocations together in his exploration of this important text of Scripture.

                Although Psalm 23 is one of the most familiar passages of scripture, that doesn’t mean it is easy to interpret. As Briggs shares with the reader, the psalm presents its own interpretive challenges that emerge out of the complexity of this brief song. The challenge presented by the psalm begins with the question of authorship. Although authorship is traditionally attributed to David, the actual author(s) is unknown. Additionally, the purpose of the psalm is not known along with the question of its date. That means it lends itself to multiple forms of interpretation, some of which can stray far from the actual text. What Briggs desires to do here is "allow the picture that Psalm 23 actually paints to shine forth more clearly and constructively" (p. 2). While he seeks to come to the text with a fresh set of eyes, not over-interpreting or reconstructing the text, he often finds that traditional readings and translations might have it right. Though this is a scholarly venture, Briggs brings not only a critical eye but a pastoral one as well.

                Briggs offers a lengthy and detailed introduction that sets out the parameters of the study, offering insight into how the text has been read and utilized. The introduction is followed by three central chapters, in which Briggs examines the "world behind the text." That is the background information. Here Briggs talks about language, noting how the text appears in Hebrew, in Greek (LXX), and Latin (Vulgate). There is the question of authorship (it's unknown though the Davidic attributions have meaning depending on how it is translated and interpreted). There is a word about titles of the Psalms, as well as questions of who is speaking in the Psalm. He spends time exploring the significance of shepherding in the Psalm. What does this mean that the Lord is the Shepherd? What does shepherding involve? Since this is an image regularly used in preaching, Briggs offers helpful insight that is worth the preacher's attention. Finally, he discusses how the Psalm fits into the larger Psalter. All of this is helpful to understanding the passage.

                From there we move to exegesis, that is, "The World in Psalm 23." In chapter 3, Briggs takes us verse by verse, line by line, exegeting the psalm, showing us how these words are translated, giving us new insights. One of the most fascinating parts of this section is Brigg’s discussion of verse four, which the KJV translates as "though I walk through the shadow of death." He goes into the various renderings of the Hebrew. In the end, he comes out suggesting that the traditional view that involves the presence of death might be on target. This section will be of great interest and assistance to preachers who choose to bring the passage to their congregations. At the end of the chapter, he offers his own fresh translation. Interestingly, he chooses the traditional rendering of verse 4: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me . . . " (pp. 128-129).

                Chapter 4 focuses on the way this passage is used within ministry. The chapter is titled “The World in Front of Psalm 23." As you might expect one of the central concerns is the role this Psalm plays in funerals and worship contexts. He also addresses the question of how the psalm is read in both Jewish and Christian contexts. Thus, he explores how the passage might be interpreted to refer to Jesus and not as a reference to Jesus (Jewish perspective). He also explores how the psalm might offer comfort to those in need of it. Ultimately, he sees this as a call to pilgrimage, such that the psalm "envisages all of life as worship and invites us to orient our whole lives toward hope in the Lord as we travel onward." (p. 170).

                Since this book is directed at preachers, the conclusion takes up that area of concern. The word of encouragement here is for preachers to let the text speak for itself. In other words, it is best to try to get out of the way of the text so that we might see what God is up to.

                While it might seem odd that an author might spend nearly two hundred pages reflecting on this one psalm, I do believe that Brigg’s contribution to the Touchstone Texts—The Lord Is My Shepherd—is worth engaging. It gives new insight into a familiar passage that many of us who serve as ministers make use of. In fact, in the later years of my ministry before my retirement after thirteen years with the congregation, having worked through the primary lectionary passages (Old Testament, Gospels, Letters), I decided to preach from the Psalms. We tend to relegate them to worship contexts, but they are often rich in meaning and insight. They have much to say to us, and not just as worship songs but as teaching moments. Briggs helps us draw out the meaning and purpose of this important text, which in many ways can help us read and interpret other psalms. That for “the life of the church.”