The Lord Is My Shepherd
Psalm 23 must be one of the most popular psalms in the Bible. Short and highly picturesque, its words have given deep spiritual comfort to millions of believers. Like Moses, David was a man after God’s heart. It is no surprise it has numeric features showing God’s influence.
מזמור לדוד יהוה רעי לא אחסר בנאות דשא ירביצני על מי מנחות ינהלני נפשי ישובב ינחני במעגלי צדק למען שמו גם כי אלך בגיא צלמות לא אירא רע כי אתה עמדי שבטך ומשענתך המה ינחמני תערך לפני שלחן נגד צררי דשנת בשמן ראשי כוסי רויה אך טוב וחסד ירדפוני כל ימי חיי ושבתי בבית יהוה לארך ימים 1
1 2 3 4
293 44 26 280
59 26 26 46
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
40- 7- 40- 6- 200 30- 4- 6- 4 10- 5- 6- 5 200- 70- 10
Psalm of David Yhwh one being my shepherd
5 6 7 8
31 269 459 305
13 44 45 26
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
30- 1 1- 8- 60- 200 2- 50- 1- 6- 400 4- 300- 1
nothing I shall lack in pastures of greeness
9 10 11 12
372 100 50 504
84 28 23 63
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46
10- 200- 2- 10- 90- 50- 10 70- 30 40- 10 40- 50- 8- 6- 400
he makes me lie down beside waters of quiet ones
13 14 15
155 440 320
65 62 41
47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61
10- 50- 5- 30- 50- 10 50- 80- 300- 10 10- 300- 6- 2- 2
he leads me my soul he restores
16 17 18 19
128 155 194 190
56 56 41 55
62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79
10- 50- 8- 50- 10 2- 40- 70- 3- 30- 10 90- 4- 100 30- 40- 70- 50
he guides me in paths of righteousness for sake of
20 21 22 23 24 25
346 43 30 51 16 566
40 16 21 24 16 71
80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98
300- 40- 6 3- 40 20- 10 1- 30- 20 2- 3- 10- 1 90- 30- 40- 6- 400
his name even though I walk in valley of darkness
26 27 28 29 30
31 212 270 30 406
13 32 36 21 28
99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111
30- 1 1- 10- 200- 1 200- 70 20- 10 1- 400- 5
not I will fear evil for you
31 32 33
124 331 886
43 43 103
112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126
70- 40- 4- 10 300- 2- 9- 20 6- 40- 300- 70- 50- 400- 20
with me your rod and your staff
34 35 36 37
50 168 690 170
23 69 69 53
127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143
5- 40- 5 10- 50- 8- 40- 50- 10 400- 70- 200- 20 30- 80- 50- 10
they comfort me you prepare before me
38 39 40 41
388 57 500 754
55 21 68 61
144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158
300- 30- 8- 50 50- 3- 4 90- 200- 200- 10 4- 300- 50- 400
table in presence of ones being enemies you anoint
of me
42 43 44 45
392 511 96 221
50 52 42 41
159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174
2- 300- 40- 50 200- 1- 300- 10 20- 6- 60- 10 200- 6- 10- 5
with oil my head my cup overflow
46 47 48 49
21 17 78 360
12 17 33 81
175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190
1- 20 9- 6- 2 6- 8- 60- 4 10- 200- 4- 80- 6- 50- 10
surely goodness and love they will follow me
50 51 52 53
50 60 28 718
23 33 28 61
191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203
20- 30 10- 40- 10 8- 10- 10 6- 300- 2- 400- 10
all of days of my lives and I will dwell
54 55 56 57
414 26 251 100
36 26 44 46
204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219
2- 2- 10- 400 10- 5- 6- 5 30- 1- 200- 20 10- 40- 10- 40
in house of Yhwh for length of days.2
The first two Hebrew words have to be dropped from the Psalm. מזמור לדוד, or Psalm of David
identify the author. If a believer wished to use Psalm 23 to praise God, he would drop the first two words. This changes nothing in the meaning of the psalm itself. (The renumbered words and letters are given below.)
1 2 3 4 5 26 280 31 269 459 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 10- 5- 6- 5 200- 70- 10 30- 1 1- 8- 60- 200 2- 50- 1- 6- 400 Yhwh my shepherd nothing I shall lack in pastures 6 7 8 9 305 372 100 50 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 4- 300- 1 10- 200- 2- 10- 90- 50- 10 70- 30 40- 10 green he makes me lie down beside waters 10 11 12 504 155 440 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 40- 50- 8- 6- 400 10- 50- 5- 30- 50- 10 50- 80- 300- 10 quiet he leads me my soul 13 14 15 320 128 155 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 10- 300- 6- 2- 2 10- 50- 8- 50- 10 2- 40- 70- 3- 30- 10 he restores he guides me in paths 16 17 18 19 20 194 190 346 43 30 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 90- 4- 100 30- 40- 70- 50 300- 40- 6 3- 40 20- 10 righteousness for sake of his name even though 21 22 23 24 51 16 566 31 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 1- 30- 20 2- 3- 10- 1 90- 30- 40- 6- 400 30- 1 I walk in valley of deep darkness not 25 26 27 28 29 212 270 30 406 124 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 1- 10- 200- 1 200- 70 20- 10 1- 400- 5 70- 40- 4- 10 I will fear evil for you with me 30 31 32 331 886 50 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 300- 2- 9- 20 6- 40- 300- 70- 50- 400- 20 5- 40- 5 your rod and your staff they 33 34 35 168 690 170 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 10- 50- 8- 40- 50- 10 400- 70- 200- 20 30- 80- 50- 10 comfort me you prepare before me 36 37 38 39 388 57 500 754 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 300- 30- 8- 50 50- 3- 4 90- 200- 200- 10 4- 300- 50- 400 table in presence of my enemies you anoint 40 41 42 43 392 511 96 221 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 2- 300- 40- 50 200- 1- 300- 10 20- 6- 60- 10 200- 6- 10- 5 with oil my head my cup overflows 44 45 46 47 21 17 78 360 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 1- 20 9- 6- 2 6- 8- 60- 4 10- 200- 4- 80- 6- 50- 10 surely goodness and love will follow me 48 49 50 51 50 60 28 718 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 20- 30 10- 40- 10 8- 10- 10 6- 300- 2- 400- 10 all of days of my life and I will dwell 52 53 54 55 414 26 251 100 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 2- 2- 10- 400 10- 5- 6- 5 30- 1- 200- 20 10- 40- 10- 40 in house of Yhwh for length of days
Numeric Features
1.1The psalm has 55 words (no feature), and 210 letters (2 x 3 x 5 x 7).
1.2Total of the passage: 13440 = 27 x 3 x 5 x 7.
2.Revelation 1:8's principle of sequence is, was, and is to come
can be seen in the placement of the words.
2.1Odd positioned words: 6832 = 24 x 7 x 61.
2.2Even positioned words: 6608 = 24 x 7 x 59.
2.3Beginning with the first word and pulling every Nth word after, the following values of N produce sequences divisible by 7:
2 13 20 22 27
The sum of the five N values: 84 = 2 x 2 x 3 x 7. SF: 14 = 2 x 7.
3.This is a psalm praising God. It was written by a man, not God, and it does not describe God with the qualities of The Proclamation, or of Revelation 1:8. As a result, the first letter of each word, and the last letter of each word individually yield no feature. However, they do produce a feature when they are taken together: 3086 + 3018 = 6104 = 23 x 7 x 109.
3.2The first and last letter of each word might not work, but the principle of first and last shows up in the words.
3.2.1The first and last words: 26 + 100 = 126 = 2 x 32 x 7. The last word is the 55th word from the beginning. It becomes clear now why there are 55 words. The positions of the first and last words comes out to 1 + 55 = 56 (23 x 7). And the sum of the factors is 13. (N.B. As long as the Nth and Nth last are added together, with the Nth last counted from the beginning, the sum will be divisible by seven.)
3.2.2The next pair of first and last words are the 14th and 14th last words: 128 + 96 = 224 = 25 x 7. The 14th last word is the 42nd word from the beginning. 14 + 42 = 56 = 23 x 7.
3.2.3The 27th and 27th last words: 30 + 124 = 154 = 2 x 7 x 11. The 27th last word is the 29th word from the beginning. And of course: 27 + 29 = 56 = 23 x 7.
3.2.4.1From the previous three features, add up the first word positions: 1 + 14 + 27 = 42 = 2 x 3 x 7.
3.2.4.2Now add the last word positions: 55 + 42 + 29 = 126 = 2 x 3 x 3 x 7.
3.2.4.3This naturally means all of them together also works: 42 + 126 = 168 = 23 x 3 x 7.
3.2.5The middle word of the psalm is the 28th word: 406 = 2 x 7 x 29. This fits in very well with the first and last words: 26 + 406 + 100 = 532 = 22 x 7 x 19.
3.3The principle here is the same as in the features immediately above, but instead of looking for paired words divisible by 7, we search for paired words divisible by 13. There is only one pair, as in one Yhwh God. The 21st word and the 21st last word: 51 + 170 = 221 = 13 x 17. The 21st last word is the 35th word from the beginning. 21 + 35 = 56 = 23 x 7. SF: 13.
3.4.1The first 3 words have their first letters starting in positions 1, 5, and 8 (which add to 14).
3.4.2The last three words have their first letters starting in positions 199, 203, and 207 (which add to 609 = 3 x 7 x 29).
3.4.3The first 3 and last 3 words added: 26 + 280 + 31 + 26 + 251 + 100 = 714 = 2 x 3 x 7 x 17.
3.4.4The middle three words have their first letter positions as 98, 100, and 103 (which add to 301 = 7 x 43).
3.4.5The middle three words added together: 30 + 406 + 124 = 560 = 24 x 5 x 7.
3.4.6This means the first 3, middle 3, and last 3 words come out as 1274 = 2 x 72 x 13.
4.In the previous feature, we looked at individual words paired from the beginning and the end. This also works with groups of words.
4.1The first seven words and the last seven words: 3339 = 32 x 7 x 53.
4.2The first nine and last nine words: 3899 = 7 x 557.
4.3The first 15 and last 15 words: 6545 = 5 x 7 x 11 x 17.
5.1.1Words whose sums are prime numbers:
Position: 3 4 19 24 30 45 54 Word value: 31 269 43 31 331 17 251
Total of these words: 973 = 7 x 139.
5.1.2Words that are not prime numbers:
a) Word position b) Word value. a) 1 2 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 b) 26 280 459 305 372 100 50 504 155 440 320 128 155 194 190 346 a) 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 b) 30 51 16 566 212 270 30 406 124 886 50 168 690 170 388 57 500 a) 39 40 41 42 43 44 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 55 b) 754 392 511 96 221 21 78 360 50 60 28 718 414 26 100
The sum of line b): 12467 = 7 x 13 x 137.
5.2Words divisible by 13:
Word position: 1 39 43 46 53 Word value: 26 754 221 78 26
The sum of the positions: 182 = 2 x 7 x 13.
The sum of the words: 1105 = 5 x 13 x 17. SF: 35 = 5 x 7.
5.3The middle 49 words: 12726 = 2 x 32 x 7 x 101.
6.The number of letters in each word has several features.
a) Number of letters in each word. b) Odd positioned words. c) Even positioned words. a) 4 3 2 4 5 3 7 2 2 5 6 4 5 5 6 3 4 3 2 2 3 4 5 2 4 2 2 3 4 4 7 3 6 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 3 4 7 2 3 3 5 4 4 4 4 b) 4 2 5 7 2 6 5 6 4 2 3 5 4 2 4 7 6 4 3 4 4 4 3 7 3 5 4 4 c) 3 4 3 2 5 4 5 3 3 2 4 2 2 3 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 2 4 2 3 4 4
6.1.1The odd positioned number of letters (line b):
4 2 5 7 2 6 5 6 4 2 3 5 4 2 4 7 6 4 3 4 4 4 3 7 3 5 4 4
Total: 119 = 7 x 17.
6.1.2From this list in feature 6.1.1 pull odd and even positioned numbers again.
Odd positioned: 4 5 2 5 4 3 4 4 6 3 4 3 3 4 = 54 (no feature).
Even positioned: 2 7 6 6 2 5 2 7 4 4 4 7 5 4 = 65 = 5 x 13.
6.2.1The even positioned number of letters (line c):
3 4 3 2 5 4 5 3 3 2 4 2 2 3 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 2 4 2 3 4 4
Total: 91 = 7 x 13.
6.2.2From 6.2.1 pull odd and even positioned numbers again.
Odd positioned: 3 3 5 5 3 4 2 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 = 52 = 2 x 2 x 13.
Even positioned: 4 2 4 3 2 2 3 3 4 4 2 2 4 = 39 = 3 x 13.
6.3.1Eleven words in the psalm have only 3 letters (for a total of 33 letters).
Word position: 2 6 16 18 21 28 32 37 45 49 50 Word value: 280 305 194 346 51 406 50 57 17 60 28 Total of the positions: 304 nf.
The total of these 11 words: 1794 = 2 x 3 x 13 x 23.
6.3.2Six words have 5 letters (for a total of 30 letters).
Word position: 5 10 13 14 23 51 Word value: 459 504 320 128 566 718 Total of the positions: 116 nf.
The total of these 6 words: 2695 = 5 x 7 x 7 x 11.
6.3.3The total number of letters for these seventeen words: 33 + 30 = 63 = 3 x 3 x 7. SF: 13.
6.3.4.1So why are words with 3 or 5 letters special? Perhaps they point to the third and fifth words of the psalm: 31 + 459 = 490 = 2 x 5 x 7 x 7. SF: 21 = 3 x 7.
6.3.4.2Perhaps it is because the total of the word positions from these two groups are also related: 304 + 116 = 420 = 22 x 3 x 5 x 7.
6.4This feature is similar to the previous one, but it is less spectacular. Ten words have two letters (for a total of 20 letters):
Word position: 3 8 9 19 20 24 26 27 44 48 = 228 nf. Word value: 31 100 50 43 30 31 270 30 21 50 = 656 nf.
Three words have six letters (for a total of 18 letters):
Word position: 11 15 33 = 59 nf. Word value: 155 155 168 = 478 nf.
6.4.1Ten plus three is thirteen.
6.4.2The positions of the two groups: 228 + 59 = 287 = 7 x 41.
6.4.3The sum of the words: 656 + 478 = 1134 = 2 x 34 x 7.
6.4.4Why are two letter words and six letter words related? The second and sixth words of the psalm: 280 + 305 = 585 = 3 x 3 x 5 x 13.
6.5The two remaining groups are of four and seven letter words, and the number of features continues to deteriorate. Twenty-two are four letter words:
Word position: 1 4 12 17 22 25 29 30 34 35 36 38 39 Word value: 26 269 440 190 16 212 124 331 690 170 388 500 754 Word position: 40 41 42 43 46 52 53 54 55 = 748 nf. Word value: 392 511 96 221 78 414 26 251 100 = 6199 nf.
Three are seven letter words:
Word position: 7 31 47 = 85 nf. Word value: 372 886 360 = 1618 nf.
The sum of the positions: 748 + 85 = 833 = 7 x 7 x 17.
7.The letter values of the divine name can be run 13 times through the letters of psalm 23.
a) Letter from the divine name. b) Count. c) Adjusted count. d) Letter found in psalm 23. a) 10 5 6 5 10 5 6 5 10 5 6 5 10 5 6 5 10 5 6 5 b) 10 15 21 26 36 41 47 52 62 67 73 78 88 93 99 104 114 119 125 130 c) 10 15 21 26 36 41 47 52 62 67 73 78 88 93 99 104 114 119 125 130 d) 1 50 1 90 6 30 10 2 30 30 6 1 6 10 10 40 70 40 50 20 a) 10 5 6 5 10 5 6 5 10 5 6 5 10 5 6 5 10 b) 140 145 151 156 166 171 177 182 192 197 203 208 218 13 19 24 34 c) 140 145 151 156 166 171 177 182 192 197 203 208 8 13 19 24 34 d) 3 10 300 300 1 6 4 20 2 10 30 40 30 200 4 2 50 a) 5 6 5 10 5 6 5 10 5 6 5 10 5 6 5 b) 39 45 50 60 65 71 76 86 91 97 102 112 117 123 128 c) 39 45 50 60 65 71 76 86 91 97 102 112 117 123 128 d) 50 80 6 70 4 300 20 30 1 70 5 40 20 8 70
Total: 2289 = 3 x 7 x 109. SF: 119 = 7 x 17.
9.Pulling every Nth letter, the following values of N produce sequences divisible by 7:
4 44 47 50 54 58 59 75 77 78 91 94 95
Total: 826 = 2 x 7 x 59.
10.Five words begin with with the letter 1:
Word position: 4 21 25 28 44 Word value: 269 51 212 406 21
Total words: 959 = 7 x 137.
11.Twenty-two letters occupy the same position whether from the beginning or end.
a) Letter position. b) Letter value. a) 8 18 20 22 25 47 59 65 77 87 97 114 124 134 146 152 b) 30 400 300 10 10 10 40 4 10 40 70 70 40 10 4 40 a) 164 186 189 191 193 203 b) 10 10 10 300 400 30
Sum of the positions: 4620 = 2 x 2 x 3 x 5 x 7 x 11.
Sum of the letters: 1848 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 x 7 x 11.
The table above is actually a mirror doubling the results. The first half is duplicated in reverse in the last half.
8 18 20 22 25 47 59 65 77 87 97 = 525 = 3 x 5 x 5 x 7 30 400 300 10 10 10 40 4 10 40 70 = 924 = 2 x 2 x 3 x 7 x 11
Conclusion
Many people reading Psalm 23 instinctively feel its deep meaning applies to them. They know it is special, and it becomes their favourite psalm. You don't need numeric features for this. But numeric features are a bonus, and they serve another purpose.
Adherents to other gods or religions can read Psalm 23 and feel it applies to themselves, their religion and their god. But the numbers prove such claims have no basis. The numeric features tie in with the principles of first and last
and of is, was, and is to come
(sequence) from Revelation 1:8 clearly showing Psalm 23 belongs solely to the Bible, to יהוה, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.