Hymn History-The Lord's My Shepherd
Hymn HistoryThe Lord's My Shepherd
The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want.
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
My soul He doth restore again;
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
Even for His own Name's sake.
Yea, though I walk in death's dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me; and Thy rod
And staff my comfort still.
My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God's house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Scottish Psalter, 1650
Melody by
Jessie S. Irvine
(1836-1887)
Many older hymns were simply Psalms set to music and arranged differently. This song was taken directly from Psalm 23, one of the most popular Psalms of all. The individual that originally arranged this hymn in 1650 is unknown, however Jessie Irvine, a Scottish pastor's daughter set the melody.
This hymn's melody is set to the tune, “Crimond” which was composed about 1870 by Irvine. Irvine's father was the minister in Crimond, Scotland which is famous for its unusual clock in the church tower. The clockmaker accidentally put six marks into one of the five minutes, making a day there 24 minutes longer than anywhere else on earth.