Jehovah Rohi (The Lord is my Shepherd)

The Lord our God is referred to by many names throughout the Bible. Last week, we covered the name El Elyon, or God Most High. Today, we will talk about the name Jehovah Rohi, or The Lord is my Shepherd.

What does Jehovah Rohi mean?

Jehovah Rohi is translated from Hebrew as “The Lord is my Shepherd.” This term is made up from a combination of Jehovah, or Yahweh—our attempt at pronouncing YHWH, (a personal name for God in the Bible) and Rohi, or Raah, (meaning Shepherd).

Where is Jehovah Rohi found in the Bible?

Israel was a country of shepherds from the time of Abraham. When they travelled to Egypt during the famine, Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?” they replied, “We are shepherds, just as our fathers were.” (Genesis 47:3-4). So, language regarding grazing, sheep, and pasture were very familiar with the Israelites.

King David also served his family as a shepherd in his youth. He spent his formative years caring for sheep and defending these vulnerable creatures against all threats. David learned to trust in God when things got dangerous, including defending his herd against a lion and a bear (1 Samuel 17:34-37). He credits these experiences for his faith when volunteering to challenge the giant Goliath. Not surprisingly, David is the author of Psalm 23.

The name Jehovah Rohi (The Lord is my Shepherd) appears most famously in Psalm 23, the “Shepherd’s Psalm.” This was the first chapter of the Bible that I memorized as a child. Recitation of this psalm comforted me during countless moments of stress and fear throughout my life.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23).

I was personally unfamiliar with shepherd tools, so I looked up the context of the terms rod and staff. These two tools serve together to protect, guide, and comfort the flock. A rod is the simpler of the tools—a straight, sturdy stick. It is a solid, blunter object that shepherds used to defend herds against predators. Interestingly, as the rod was the shorter of the two sticks, the rod also aided in the counting of sheep. Each sheep would pass under the rod, one at a time, to help process the count in an orderly fashion and decide which sheep goes to tithe (Leviticus 27:32).

A shepherd’s staff is actually a tool that is specific to sheep grazing (as opposed to cattle or other animals). The staff is a long, slender stick with a curve on the end, almost like a hook. This curvy end can help pull a sheep or lamb out of some rough brush or a pit that it may fall into. Sometimes, a shepherd will use the curvy end of the staff to lift a newborn lamb without touching it with his hands (to not get his scent on it, and therefore, increase the chance of the mother rejecting it). The staff will also guide and nudge sheep along on their path. The staff is a great tool to increase the shepherd’s reach as he guides the flock with the sound of his voice but also the touch of the staff.

The name Jehovah Rohi appears again in the Bible in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 34. At this time, Babylon has invaded Judah and taken many prisoners (such as Daniel and Ezekiel himself) to Babylon. Society was understandably very discouraged and fearful, and while these things had to come to pass, God sent messages of comfort of a time when He will again gather His people and restore all things. As we know, this would not be the last time that the people of Israel would be scattered. The time of eternal bounty and joy is still to come when Jesus returns, although we see signs of it with the miraculous restoration of the state of Israel after two thousand years.

“Hear the word of the Lord, you nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’ For the Lord will deliver Jacob and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they. They will come and shout for and joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the Lord—the grain, the new wine and the olive oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more.” (Jeremiah 31:10-12).

“‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.” (Ezekiel 34:11-12).

In the New Testament, Jesus reveals Himself to be the Good Shepherd:

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:11-15). Here, Jesus was preparing his disciples for the fulfillment of the above prophecies (in Jeremiah and Ezekiel) where God shepherds His people and makes all things right, forever. He fulfills this by laying down His life and rising again.

What does Jehovah Rohi mean to us today?

First, Jehovah Rohi, our Shepherd, provides for us. “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” (Psalm 23:1). As a shepherd provides good pasture for his flock, so our Shepherd gives us everything that we need. Not only do we lack nothing, but we also have an abundance of other good things! “You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5) Jesus came that we may have life, and life to the full (John 10:10).

Life is so much more than all of that though, right? Life does not consist in the abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15). How many of us know people that are incredibly wealthy, and yet suffer from dissatisfaction, tension, and emptiness? Thankfully, Jehovah Rohi also provides us with peace and refreshment for our souls: “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.” (Psalm 23:2-3).

Second, Jehovah Rohi, our Shepherd, guides us. “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:3). If you are having trouble with an important decision, have you asked God for direction? He will help you and He delights in every detail of your life (Psalm 37:23-24).

Even when we stray from the Lord, He intends to find us and guide us back to Him. When the Pharisees were irritated that Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors, Jesus answered with a parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” (Luke 15:4-7). It’s not too late.

Third, Jehovah Rohi, our Shepherd, protects us. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley (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.” (Psalm 23:4). How comforting to know that while troubles will come in this life, we have nothing to fear. Jesus is with us always (Matthew 28:20). He has the tools and the ability to protect us. In times of my greatest stress, I have repeated this verse over and over—as many times as it takes to calm my restless mind. Just as God protected David and his sheep from the lion, bear, Goliath, and countless other perils, we can count on the Lord as our Shepherd as well.

I hope you enjoyed learning about Jehovah Rohi, the Lord is my Shepherd. Keep reading this week as I continue the series researching the Names of God. Next up, I will be covering the name Jehovah Rapha, or the Lord that Heals.