THE KING OF LOVE MY SHEPHERD IS[1]
One of the most beloved portions of Scripture is the 23rd Psalm. In it, we see ourselves portrayed as needy sheep, but we also see the lengths to which our loving Lord – our Shepherd – goes to provide for our every need. “The King of Love My Shepherd Is” is a faithful and beautiful setting of this psalm, penned by the 19th century English hymnwriter Henry W. Baker.
Born in London in 1821, Baker was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated in 1844. Taking Holy Orders in 1844, he became Vicar of Monkland, Herefordshire, where he served for 33 years until his death in 1877.[2]
Baker begins his hymn where King David begins Psalm 23, with the confident assertion that, because the Lord is his shepherd, he has everything that he needs.
The King of love my shepherd is, whose goodness faileth never; I nothing lack if I am his and he is mine forever.
David’s confidence was in the love and goodness and faithfulness of the Lord. David’s faith was in the character of God, not in his ability to trust God. He knew himself to regularly need rest in “green pastures” and refreshment from “still waters.”
Where streams of living water flow, my ransomed soul he leadeth, and where the verdant pastures grow with food celestial feedeth.
Although God considered David to be a “man after my own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14), he was not a sinless man. No one was more aware of his sinful tendencies and failures than King David was. As Psalm 51 reveals, when confronted with his sin, David diligently repented. Henry Baker seems to see God’s leading of David in “paths of righteousness” (Psalm 23:3) in this light, lauding the love of God that remains constant even when we are “perverse and foolish.”
Perverse and foolish oft I strayed, but yet in love he sought me, and on his shoulder gently laid, and home, rejoicing, brought me.
Psalm 23:4 is one reason for the universal appeal of the psalm. No one is exempt from the “valleys” of life, and occasions where the “shadow of death” or trouble looms heavy. David in the psalm, and Baker in the hymn, reminds us that our Good Shepherd is never closer to us than in those times and circumstances.
In death’s dark vale I fear no ill with thee, dear Lord, beside me; thy rod and staff my comfort still, thy cross before to guide me.
The protection our Shepherd gives us is not a “just getting by”. The truly caring shepherd nurtures and provides everything his sheep need. In Psalm 23, David describes the Good Shepherd as providing a “table” for nourishment, “anointing” for wounds, and an “overflowing cup”, rejoicing in the bounty of the Shepherd’s care. Baker echoes David’s sentiment.
Thou spread’st a table in my sight; thine unction grace bestoweth, and oh! What transport of delight from thy pure chalice floweth.
How good it is to know that our Shepherd’s care is not for just a moment or a particular season. Our faithful Shepherd is with us every moment of this life, leading us forward to our eternal home with him.
And so, throughout the length of days thy goodness faileth never; Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise within thy house forever.
Albert E. Bailey called Henry Baker’s paraphrase [of Psalm 23] a “work of genius” by its “fusing into the psalm Christ’s parable of the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-5, 11, 14-18) and John’s teaching that Christ is the incarnation of God’s love (John 15:9-14; 1 John 4:8-11).” As such, Baker helps us to interpret Psalm 23 through the lenses of a multitude of related Scriptures.[3]
The King of Love My Shepherd Is
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Corinthians 4.15).
[1] Words: Henry W. Baker, 1868. Tune: ST. COLUMBA, a 19th century Irish melody.
[2] https://hymnary.org/person/Baker_HenryW
[3] The Sing! Hymnal, Crossway Publishers, 2025, p. 937.
