Image of the Week: Psalm 23
© D. Yael Bernhard
Psalm 23 is perhaps the most famous inspirational poem ever written. It speaks to the human condition, and the darkness that all people pass through at some point in their lives. It expresses our hunger for hope. Reaching across over three thousand years, these ancient, simple words offer the companionship of divine Spirit. What could be more comforting?
Commissioned by a Christian publisher, this childlike illustration was done in 2014 with the publisher's preferences in mind. That meant depicting the positive images suggested by the words: "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside still waters." I mixed extra yellow into my greens, for yellow-green is the color of new leaves and new life. The woman dips her feet in the pure water, at peace in the presence of wild lilies. I tilted the land to give a greater sense of her lying on a swell of earth. I embedded her in the field. She was naked at first, and covered by grass. My editor vetoed that.
But what I really wanted was – and is – to also illustrate the dark side of the psalm – the Valley of the Shadow of Death. The "fear no evil" part would be hard to depict – but so important. Think about this psalm in the context of its origins. It is attributed to David (a subject of much debate). Nearly a thousand years before the beginning of the Common Era, King David was a common shepherd. In the cruel terrain of the Judean Desert, a sheep couldn't survive a single day without a shepherd. This ancient occupation has all but perished from our modern lives – yet the metaphor still speaks to us. What did David mean, by referring to God as his shepherd? David, who fled from the wrath of Saul into the harshest desert conditions. I have hiked several times in the Judean Desert. It is utterly dry and rocky, with treacherous cliffs and ravines. Imagine the depth of solitude David experienced, and the breadth of uncertainty he was facing. It's believed the psalms may have been written by David right there, in the clefts and canyons of that desert, lost like a lamb separated from its flock. Out of that context came these words that speak to us across oceans of time.
As for "I shall not want" – well, the Hebrew "lo ekhsar" (לא אחסר) actually says "I lack nothing" or more literally, "I will miss nothing" or "I want for nothing." We don't say "want for" to connote lack anymore; in its contemporary form the word expresses desire, not need – a subtle but important difference.
If you search online for images of Psalm 23, you'll find sheep and shepherds, starry skies, mountain valleys, and the like. These images only hint obliquely at the essence of the concept, which is that of a guiding light in darkness, or comfort in the face of death.
How can concepts of human nature translate into visual form? Well, it's not easy. Illustrators must learn to think symbolically. As I write these words, the seed of a new image is beginning to grow.
The Bible is not a history book, yet its impact on humankind has been so great, it's become part of history. In contemplating passages such as this psalm, not only the words themselves but their effect on countless millions of people over vast expanses of time is what makes it so compelling. Is this the hand of God at work, through words wrought by human hands?
A good week to all!