Bible Strands
Psalms 23:6
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist closes the shepherd psalm, addressing YHWH, at the end of a movement from provision through danger to final rest. This is the destination verse; everything before it leads here.
The words — יִרְדְּפוּ (yirdephu, "they will pursue") casts goodness and mercy as active pursuers, not passive attributes. And שַׁבְתִּי (shavti) carries the sense of "I will return," not merely "I will dwell," implying a homecoming.
The thread — The dwelling motif appears in Psalms 27:4, where the speaker's one desire is to dwell in the house of the LORD. The "safely into His heavenly kingdom" of 2 Timothy 4:18 and the "eternal house in heaven" of 2 Corinthians 5:1 echo the same destination.
Why it lands — The speaker does nothing in this verse; the pursuit and the dwelling are both received. It asks the reader to stop performing and accept that the following is directed at them, not earned by them.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Cross-references
- Psalms 27:4 One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple.
- 2 Timothy 4:18 And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
- 2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
- Psalms 36:7 How precious is Your loving devotion, O God, that the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings!
- Psalms 16:11 You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
- Psalms 73:24 You guide me with Your counsel, and later receive me in glory.
- Psalms 103:17 But from everlasting to everlasting the loving devotion of the LORD extends to those who fear Him, and His righteousness to their children’s children—
- 2 Corinthians 1:10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,
- Psalms 30:11 You turned my mourning into dancing; You peeled off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
- Psalms 17:15 As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied in Your presence.