“The LORD is my shepherd” – for many, this is the first Bible verse they knew by heart. The image of the shepherd runs through the entire Bible: God cares for his people like a shepherd for his flock, and Jesus calls himself the good shepherd. Here you will find 20 Bible verses about the good shepherd.
Psalm 23
The psalm of the good shepherd, verse by verse.
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The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
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He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Psalm 23:2Water
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He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
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Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
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Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Psalm 23:5First Communion
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Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
God as a shepherd
The image of the shepherd in the Old Testament.
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He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs in his arms, carry them in his bosom, and lead the mothers of the sheep.
Isaiah 40:11Pregnancy
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For thus saith the LORD GOD: Behold, I will tend my flock myself; I will seek them. As a shepherd seeketh out his sheep which are gone astray from the flock, so will I seek my sheep, and will save them from all places where they were scattered, when it was dark and cloudy.
Ezekiel 34:11-12
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I will feed my sheep myself, and will make them pasture, saith the LORD GOD. I will seek again the lost, and bring back that which is strayed, and bind up that which is broken, and feed that which is weak; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and will feed them with judgment.
Ezekiel 34:15-16
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O shepherd of Israel, hear: thou that keepest Joseph like sheep; appear, thou that sittest above the cherubim!
Psalm 80:2
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Know ye that the LORD is God! He hath made us, and not we ourselves, to be his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Psalm 100:3Recognition
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For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today ye have heard his voice.
Psalm 95:7
Jesus, the good shepherd
Jesus takes up the image and fulfills it.
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I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd layeth down his life for his sheep.
John 10:11I Am sayingsFirst Communion
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I am the good shepherd, and I know my own, and mine know me.
John 10:14I Am sayingsBaptismal verses
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For my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall any man take them out of my hand.
John 10:27-28
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Which man among you hath an hundred sheep, and, if he lose one, doth he not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it upon his shoulders with joy. And when he is come home, he calleth his friends and neighbours together, and saith unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
Luke 15:4-6
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And when he saw the people, he had compassion on them: for they were afflicted and scattered like sheep, that have no shepherd.
Matthew 9:36Compassion
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For ye were like the lost sheep; but now ye are turned to the shepherd and bishop of your souls.
1 Peter 2:25
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But the God of peace, who hath brought us out of the dead by the blood of the eternal covenant, our LORD Jesus.
Hebrews 13:20Covenant
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For the Lamb that sitteth upon the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto the living waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Revelation 7:17
Bible texts: Luther Bible 1912 (public domain), carefully adapted to modern spelling.
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This goes well with it
One hundred sheep – and the shepherd goes after the one (Luke 15). The ONE/HUNDRED socks tell this parable. How Psalm 23 can be read today is explained in the post Psalm 23 read today.
ONE/HUNDRED – SocksSocks about the parable of the one sheep that Jesus seeks among a hundred (Luke 15).€12
Easy Yoke - PosterThe poster for “Easy Yoke, Light Burden” as a reminder of Jesus' invitation to rest.€12
Promises Vintage SweaterEmbroidered sweater in a vintage look that reminds of God's promises.€55
Abba - Names of God PosterPoster for “Abba, dear Father” (Romans 8:15) – also beautiful for a child's room.€12
Psalm 23 – the shepherd psalm
Psalm 23 is probably the best-known psalm of all. It is attributed to David, who himself was a shepherd before becoming king. In six verses, it describes what a good shepherd does: He leads to green pastures and to fresh water, he goes with through the “dark valley,” he sets the table and fills the cup. At the end, the image changes from the shepherd to the host: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever” (Psalm 23:6). Many people pray it at sickbeds and at funerals.
Jesus, the good shepherd
In the Gospel of John, Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd layeth down his life for his sheep” (John 10:11). He thus picks up Ezekiel 34, where God himself promises to seek his flock because the previous shepherds had failed. In the parable of the lost sheep, the shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep behind to seek the one – and rejoices when he finds it (Luke 15:4-6). More about this at The I Am sayings of Jesus, The most beautiful psalms and psalm verses and Bible verses about seeking God.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does “The LORD is my shepherd” stand?
In Psalm 23:1: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
What does “I am the good shepherd” mean?
In John 10:11, Jesus says that he cares for his own, knows them, and gives his life for them. It is one of the seven I Am sayings in the Gospel of John.
