Jehovah Raah, The Lord Is My Shepherd

Use in the Bible: In the Old Testament Jehovah-Raah (The Lord my Shepherd) is used in Psalm 23.

Jehovah-Raah in the Septuagint: kurios poimainei me…the Lord shepherds me

Meaning and Derivation: Jehovah is translated as "The Existing One" or "Lord." The chief meaning of Jehovah is derived from the Hebrew word Havah meaning "to be" or "to exist." It also suggests "to become" or specifically "to become known"…this denotes a God who reveals Himself unceasingly. Rô'eh from which Raah derived, means "shepherd" in Hebrew. A shepherd is one who feeds or leads his flock to pasture (Ezekiel 34:11-15). An extend translation of this word, rea', is "friend" or "companion." This indicates the intimacy God desires between Himself and His people. When the two words are combined…Jehovah Raah…it can be translated as "The Lord my Friend."

Further references of the name Jehovah-Raah in the Old Testament: Gen 48:15; Gen 49:24; Psa 23:1; Psa 80:1

Commentary:
From God's being his shepherd he infers that he shall not want anything that is good for him. The great care that God takes of believers. He is their shepherd, and they may call him so. Time was when David was himself a shepherd he was taken from following the ewes great with young (Psalm 78:70,71), and so he knew by experience the cares and tender affections of a good shepherd towards his flock. He remembered what need they had of a shepherd, and what a kindness it was to them to have one that was skillful and faithful he once ventured his life to rescue a lamb. By this therefore he illustrates God's care of his people and to this our Saviour seems to refer when he says, I am the shepherd of the sheep the good shepherd, John 10:11. He that is the shepherd of Israel, of the whole church in general (Psalm 80:1), is the shepherd of every particular believer the meanest is not below his cognizance, Isaiah 40:11. He takes them into his fold, and then takes care of them, protects them, and provides for them, with more care and constancy than a shepherd can, that makes it his business to keep the flock. If God be as a shepherd to us, we must be as sheep, inoffensive, meek, and quiet, silent before the shearers, nay, and before the butcher too, useful and sociable we must know the shepherd's voice, and follow him.

The great confidence which believers have in God: "If the Lord is my shepherd, my feeder, I may conclude I shall not want any thing that is really necessary and good for me." If David penned this psalm before his coming to the crown, though destined to it, he had as much reason to fear wanting as any man. Once he sent his men a begging for him to Nabal, and another time went himself a begging to Ahimelech and yet, when he considers that God is his shepherd, he can boldly say, I shall not want. Let not those fear starving that are at God's finding and have him for their feeder. More is implied than is expressed, not only, I shall not want, but, "I shall be supplied with whatever I need and, if I have not every thing I desire, I may conclude it is either not fit for me or not good for me or I shall have it in due time." - Matthew Henry