Published on
December 21, 2020
Video length
4 mins
This bilingual setting of Psalm 23 was written, recorded, and submitted by Josh Davis and focuses on the reality of God as pastor/shepherd of our souls.

Psalm 23

How does this psalm piece interpret the psalm? 
In Spanish, the word used for “shepherd” in Psalm 23 is “pastor”—the same word used for the pastor of a church. As the chorus is sung repeatedly in Spanish, we declare the reality that God is the pastor who cares for and guides our souls. In times when we are confronted with our own mortality, the phrase “when death is near, be nearer still” gives us simple words to pray. And in our increasingly multicultural world, a song that must be sung in two different languages helps us embrace the unity and diversity of God’s flock. 

This song could be sung during a time of reflection. The chorus in Spanish is very singable and easy for non-Spanish-speakers to learn.

Text and Music: Psalm 23; Josh Davis, © 2019 Josh Davis  
Used by permission.  
Contact: Josh Davis, jd@proskuneo.org 

 

Recent Media Resources

Video Psalms/Scripture Visual Arts
Surprised by the Psalms

Anneke Kaai studied fine art and painting in the Netherlands at secular schools in the 1960s and ’70s. That experience compelled her to express her Christian faith through her art. She has painted many works based on scripture, including three series of paintings on the psalms, which she sees as a bountiful resource of imagery for the full range of human feelings in relation to God.

May 5, 2026 | 90 min video
Video History Music/Song
Psalmody in Black: The Psalter as Human Expression

This workshop explores the deep connection between the psalms and the breadth of human emotion through musical settings by Black composers. Interwoven with reflections on the history and function of the Psalter, this program reveals how these timeless texts continue to speak to the spiritual, emotional, and cultural experiences of our shared humanity. 

May 1, 2026 | 90 min video
Podcast Justice/Reconciliation Psalms/Scripture
Andrew Wilkes on Doing the Work of Liberation and Justice with the Psalms as Our Guide

Pastor-scholar Andrew Wilkes shares how his worshiping community, Double Love Experience Church, prayed and sang the psalms during the troubling times of 2020. The psalms gave them language and support for praise and lament, and Wilkes asserts that lament is the evidence of faith because we are bringing our troubles to God.

April 10, 2026 | 14 min listen