Psalm 23 is arguably the most memorized, the most quoted, the most cherished piece of scripture in Western culture. Even the most biblically impaired have heard somewhere, sometime, "The Lord is my shepherd." Coupled with its familiarity is its continuing ability to offer deep comfort, solace and strength to a great diversity of people in all sorts of situations. But Psalm 23 does have a particular historical and linguistic heritage in addition to its cumulative spiritual lineage. Indeed, for such a familiar piece of scripture, Psalm 23 still sparks considerable debate among scholars.

As a part of the Book of Psalms, these six verses are traditionally considered to be one of the great works composed by David, or at least composed for King David's court. Actual authorship is virtually impos…