Psalm 23:5 NKJV
5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Peace Amidst Adversity
My Notes
When we read this verse from Psalm 23, we’re reminded that the Lord is not only our Shepherd—He is our Provider. The blessings we receive daily—bread for our hunger, drink for our thirst, peace in our hearts—come from His hand. David sees these provisions clearly and knows they are prepared “before him,” by the Lord Himself.
More than just meeting his needs, David experiences delight. The overflowing cup symbolizes abundance—not scarcity, not just enough, but more than enough. This is the mark of divine generosity.
Although Samuel had anointed David as king, this table prepared by the Lord served a different purpose—it was a declaration of ongoing favor. A quiet, personal display of grace. The scene here is not rushed or chaotic. David sits at a table rich with God’s goodness, surrounded by divine protection, while peace blankets him—even in the presence of enemies.
What’s striking is that this provision isn’t tucked away in safety—it’s laid out boldly in the sight of those who oppose us. Spiritual enemies may gather, but they are made witnesses to God’s care. They see the table, the oil, the cup. And the message is clear: the Lord defends and delights in His own.
The anointing of oil upon David’s head wasn’t just ceremonial—it was spiritual refreshment. It speaks of daily grace, renewed strength, and abundant joy. To be anointed by the Lord is to be deeply known, dearly loved, and divinely equipped for the day ahead. The cup overflowing says it all: with God, we are not just sustained—we are saturated in blessing.
Psalm 23:5 reflects God’s provision and care, illustrating that He prepares a feast even in the presence of enemies, symbolizing confidence and peace amidst adversity. The commentaries below emphasize the serene assurance the faithful have despite external conflicts. The anointing of the head with oil signifies abundant blessings and joy, akin to the rich hospitality of a host. The phrase “my cup runs over” denotes overflowing blessings, highlighting contentment in both material and spiritual aspects of life. Ultimately, this psalm underscores God’s unwavering support and bounty for His followers, ensuring their well-being regardless of challenges.
Commentaries:
Charles Spurgeon
“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” The good man has his enemies. He would not be like his Lord if he had not. If we were without enemies, we might fear that we were not the friends of God, for the friendship of the world is enmity to God. Yet see the quietude of the godly man in spite of, and in the sight of, his enemies. How refreshing is his calm bravery! “Thou preparest a table before me.” When a soldier is in the presence of his enemies, if he eats at all, he snatches a hasty meal, and away he hastens to the fight. But observe: “Thou preparest a table,” just as a servant does when she unfolds the damask cloth and displays the ornaments of the feast on an ordinary, peaceful occasion. Nothing is hurried, there is no confusion, no disturbance, the enemy is at the door, and yet God prepares a table, and the Christian sits down and eats as if everything were in perfect peace. Oh! The peace which Jehovah gives to his people, even in the midst of the most trying circumstances!
Let earth be all in arms abroad,
They dwell in perfect peace.
“Thou anointest my head with oil.” May we live in the daily enjoyment of this blessing, receiving a fresh anointing for every day’s duties. Every Christian is a priest, but he cannot execute the priestly office without unction, and hence we must go day by day to God the Holy Ghost, that we may have our heads anointed with oil. A priest without oil misses the chief qualification for his office, and the Christian priest lacks his chief fitness for service when he is devoid of new grace from on high. “My cup runneth over.” He had not only enough, a cup full, but more than enough, a cup which overflowed. A poor man may say this as well as those in higher circumstances. “What, all this, and Jesus Christ too?” said a poor cottager as she broke a piece of bread and filled a glass with cold water. Whereas a man may be ever so wealthy, but if he be discontented, his cup cannot run over; it is cracked and leaks. Content is the philosopher’s stone which turns all it touches into gold; happy is he who has found it. Content is more than a kingdom; it is another word for happiness.
______________________________________________________
Enduring Word
You prepare a table before me: Without departing from the previous picture of the valley of the shadow of death, David envisioned the provision and goodness given by the LORD as a host, inviting David to a rich table prepared for him. (Guzik)
i. “Here the second allegory begins. A magnificent banquet is provided by a most liberal and benevolent host, who has not only the bounty to feed me, but power to protect me; and, though surrounded by enemies, I sit down to this table with confidence, knowing that I shall feast in perfect security.” (Clarke)
ii. David gives a beautiful picture: table suggests bounty; prepare suggests foresight and care; before me suggests the personal connection. (Guzik)
In the presence of my enemies: This is a striking phrase. The goodness and care suggested by the prepared table is set right in the midst of the presence of my enemies. The host’s care and concern doesn’t eliminate the presence of my enemies but enables the experience of God’s goodness and bounty even in their midst. (Guzik)
i. “This is the condition of God’s servant – always conflict, but always a spread table.” (Maclaren)
You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Despite the dangers about and the presence of enemies, David enjoyed the richness of his host’s goodness. He was refreshed by a head anointed with oil; his cup was overfilled. (Guzik)
i. “Beloved, I will ask you now a question. How would it be with you if God had filled your cup in proportion to your faith? How much would you have had in your cup?” (Spurgeon)
ii. “Those that have this happiness must carry their cup upright, and see that it overflows into their poor brethren’s emptier vessels.” (Trapp)
______________________________________________________
Albert Barnes
Thou preparest a table – The image is now changed, though expressing the general idea which is indicated in the first verse of the psalm, “I shall not want.” The evidence or proof of this in the previous verses is that God was a shepherd, and would provide for him as a shepherd does for his flock; the evidence here is that God had provided a table, or a feast, for him in the very presence of his enemies, and had filled his cup with joy. The word “table” here is synonymous with “feast,” and the meaning is, “thou providest for my wants.” There “may” be an allusion here to some particular period of the life of the psalmist, when he was in want, and when he perhaps felt an apprehension that he would perish, and when God had unexpectedly provided for his wants; but it is impossible now to determine to what occasion he thus refers. There were numerous occasions in the life of David which would be well represented by this language, “as if” God had provided a meal for him in the very “presence” of his foes, and in spite of them.
Before me – For me. It is spread in my presence, and for me.
In the presence of mine enemies – That is, in spite of them, or so that they could not prevent it. They were compelled to look on and see how God provided for him. It was manifest that this was from God; it was a proof of the divine favor; it furnished an assurance that he who had done this would never leave him to want. The friends of God are made to triumph in the very presence of their foes. Their enemies are compelled to see how He interposes on their behalf, how He provides for them, and how He defends them. Their final triumph on the day of judgment will be in the very presence of all their assembled enemies, for in their very presence He will pronounce the sentence which will make their eternal happiness sure, Matthew 25:31-36.
Thou anointest my head with oil – Margin, as in Hebrew, “makest fat.” That is, thou dost pour oil on my head so abundantly that it seems to be made fat with it. The expression indicates abundance. The allusion is to the custom of anointing the head on festival occasions, as an indication of prosperity and rejoicing (see Matthew 6:17, note; Luke 7:46, note), and the whole is indicative of the divine favor, of prosperity, and of joy.
My cup runneth over – It is not merely “full;” it runs over. This, too, indicates abundance; and from the abundance of the favors thus bestowed, the psalmist infers that God would always provide for him, and that He would never leave him to want.
______________________________________________________
John Gill
Thou preparest a table before me,…. In a providential way granting a sufficiency, and even an affluence of temporal good things; the providence of God lays and spreads a table for his people in the wilderness, and sets them down at it, and bids them welcome to it; see Psalm 78:19; and in a way of grace, the Lord making large provisions in his house for them, called the goodness and fatness of his house, and a feast of fat things; and under the Gospel dispensation, the table of the Lord, on which are set his flesh and blood for faith to feed upon; see Proverbs 9:2; and also in heaven, the joys of which are compared to a feast, and the enjoyment of them to sitting at a table, and which are prepared by the Lord for his people, from the foundation of the world; and of which they have some foresight and foretaste in this world; see Luke 22:30; and all this
in the presence of my enemies; they seeing and envying the outward prosperity of the saints, whenever they enjoy it, and their liberty of worshipping God, hearing his word, and attending on his ordinances, none making them afraid; as they will see, and envy, and be distressed at a more glorious state of the church yet to come, Revelation 11:12; and even, as it should seem from the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the glory and happiness of the saints in the other world will be seen, or by some way or other known, by wicked men; which will be an affliction to them, and an aggravation of their misery; though here it seems chiefly to regard the present life. Some have thought there is an allusion to princes, who, having conquered others, eat and feast at a well spread table in the presence of the conquered, and they being under it; see Judges 1:7;
thou anointest my head with oil; giving him an abundance of good things, not only for necessity, but for pleasure and delight; especially pouring out largely upon him the oil of gladness, the Spirit of God and his graces, the anointing which teaches all things, and filling him with spiritual joy and comfort; for this refers not to the anointing of David with material oil for the kingdom, by Samuel, while Saul was living, or by the men of Judah, and afterwards by all the tribes of Israel, when Saul was dead. The allusion is to the custom of the eastern countries, at feasts, to anoint the heads of the guests with oil; see Ecclesiastes 9:7. It was usual to anoint the head, as well as other parts of the body, on certain occasions; hence that of Propertius: and in the times before Homer it was usual both to wash and anoint before meals, and not the head only, but the feet also; which, though Pliny represents as luxurious, was in use in Christ’s time, Luke 7:38; and spoken of as an ancient custom by Aristophanes his Scholiast for daughters to anoint the feet of their parents after they had washed them; which may serve to illustrate the passage in the Gospel; see Ecclesiastes 9:8;
my cup runneth over; denoting an affluence of temporal good things, and especially of spiritual ones, which was David’s case. Such who are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ, to whom the grace of the Lord has been exceeding abundant, and the Lord himself is the portion of their cup, their cup may be said to run over indeed.
______________________________________________________
Matthew Henry
How highly he magnifies God’s gracious vouchsafements to him (v. 5): “Thou preparest a table before me; thou hast provided for me all things pertaining both to life and godliness, all things requisite both for body and soul, for time and eternity:” such a bountiful benefactor is God to all his people; and it becomes them abundantly to utter his great goodness, as David here, who acknowledges,
(1.) That he had food convenient, a table spread, a cup filled, meat for his hunger, drink for his thirst.
(2.) That he had it carefully and readily provided for him. His table was not spread with anything that came next to hand, but prepared, and prepared before him.
(3.) That he was not stinted, was not straitened, but had abundance: “My cup runs over, enough for myself and my friends too.”
(4.) That he had not only for necessity, but for ornament and delight: Thou anointest my head with oil. Samuel anointed him king, which was a certain pledge of further favor; but this is rather an instance of the plenty with which God had blessed him, or an allusion to the extraordinary entertainment of special friends, whose heads they anointed with oil, Lu. 7:46. Nay, some think he still looks upon himself as a sheep, but such a one as the poor man’s ewe-lamb (2 Sa. 12:3), that did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom; not only thus nobly, but thus tenderly, are the children of God looked after. Plentiful provision is made for their bodies, for their souls, for the life that now is, and for that which is to come. If Providence does not bestow upon us thus plentifully for our natural life, it is our own fault if it is not made up to us in spiritual blessings.
______________________________________________________
Miscellaneous Comments
“In the presence of mine enemies:” they seeing and envying and fretting at it, but not being able to hinder it.
—Matthew Pool.
“Thou anointest my head with oil.” Anointing the head with oil is a great refreshment. There are three qualities of oil—lævor, nitor, odor, a smoothness to the touch, brightness to the sight, fragrancy to the smell, and so, gratifying the senses, it must needs cause delight to those anointed with it. To this Solomon alludes when persuading to a cheerful life, he saith, “Let thy head lack no ointment.” How fully doth this represent the Spirit’s unction, which alone rejoices and exhilarates the soul! It is called the “oil of gladness,” and the “joy of the Holy Ghost.”
—Nathanael Hardy.
“Thou anointest my head with oil.” Thou hast not confined thy bounty merely to the necessaries of life, but thou hast supplied me also with its luxuries.
—In “A plain Explanation of Difficult Passages in the Psalms,” 1831.
“My cup runneth over.” Or as it is in the Vulgate: And my inebriating chalice, how excellent it is! With this cup were the martyrs inebriated, when, going forth to their passion, they recognised not those that belonged to them; not their weeping wife, not their children, not their relations; while they gave thanks and said, “I will take the cup of salvation!”
—Augustine.
Cross-References
Psalm 92:10 (KJV)
10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn:
I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
Psalm 133:2 (KJV)
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head,
That ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard:
That went down to the skirts of his garments;
Psalm 104:15 (KJV )
15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man,
And oil to make his face to shine,
And bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.
______________________________________________________
Closing Thoughts
The LORD is my shepherd: In one sense, this was not unusual. There are other references to this analogy between the deity and his followers in ancient Middle Eastern cultures. “In all Eastern thought, and very definitely in Biblical literature, a king is a shepherd.” (Morgan)
ii. It is also a familiar idea throughout the Bible that the LORD is a shepherd to His people. The idea begins as early as the Book of Genesis, where Jacob called the LORD the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel (Genesis 49:24).
· In Psalm 28:9 David invited the LORD to shepherd the people of Israel, and to bear them up forever. Psalm 80:1 also looks to the LORD as the Shepherd of Israel, who would lead Joseph like a flock.
· Ecclesiastes 12:11 speaks of the words of the wise, which are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd.
· Isaiah 40:11 tells us that the LORD will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm. Micah 7:14 invites the LORD to Shepherd Your people with Your staff…As in days of old.
· Zechariah 13:7 speaks of the Messiah as the Shepherd who will be struck, and the sheep scattered (quoted in Matthew 26:31).
· In John 10:11 and 10:14, Jesus clearly spoke of Himself as the good shepherd, who gives His life for the sheep and who can say, “I know My sheep, and am known by My own.” Hebrews 13:20 speaks of Jesus as that great Shepherd of the sheep, 1 Peter 2:25 calls Jesus the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls, and 1 Peter 5:4 calls Jesus the Chief Shepherd.
· The idea of Jesus as the Good Shepherd was precious to early Christians. One of the more common motifs in catacomb paintings was Jesus as a shepherd, with a lamb carried across His shoulders.
Psalm 23 – The Lord the Shepherd of His People
1
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.
- Exploring the Beauty of Psalms: Insights and Commentaries
- Monthly Breakdown of Our Blog Content
- Psalms Commentary: Faith and Inspiration
Leave a Reply