The King of Love My Shepherd Is

Henry Williams Baker · 1868 · tune ST COLUMBA
Key of D · public domain

Words

Verse 1The King of love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.

Verse 2Where streams of living water flow
My ransomed soul He leadeth,
And where the verdant pastures grow
With food celestial feedeth.

Verse 3Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me,
And on His shoulder gently laid,
And home rejoicing brought me.

Verse 4In 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.

Verse 5And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever.

The story

Baker was an English vicar who spent years editing Hymns Ancient and Modern, and this is the one piece of his own that outlived the editing. What he did with Psalm 23 is unusual. Instead of translating it straight, he read it through the parable of the lost sheep, so the third verse is not in the psalm at all: perverse and foolish oft I strayed, but yet in love He sought me. That is Luke 15 laid over David. Whether that is faithful or a liberty is a fair argument, but it is the verse people remember. Baker is reported to have spoken those lines as he was dying in 1877.

Chords in D

Verse 1 D G A The King of love my Shepherd is, Bm G A Whose goodness faileth never; D G A I nothing lack if I am His G A D And He is mine forever. Verse 2 D G A Where streams of living water flow Bm G A My ransomed soul He leadeth, D G A And where the verdant pastures grow G A D With food celestial feedeth. Verse 3 D G A Perverse and foolish oft I strayed, Bm G A But yet in love He sought me, D G A And on His shoulder gently laid, G A D And home rejoicing brought me. Verse 4 D G A In death's dark vale I fear no ill Bm G A With Thee, dear Lord, beside me; D G A Thy rod and staff my comfort still, G A D Thy cross before to guide me. Verse 5 D G A And so through all the length of days Bm G A Thy goodness faileth never; D G A Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise G A D Within Thy house forever.

In the app you can move this to any key and it works out the capo for you.

Common questions

Who wrote The King of Love My Shepherd Is? Henry Williams Baker wrote the words in 1868.

What tune is it sung to? ST COLUMBA, set here in the key of D.

What scripture is it built on? Psalm 23.

Is The King of Love My Shepherd Is free to use in church? Yes. The words are public domain, which means any church may sing them, print them in a bulletin, put them on a screen or record them, without asking permission and without paying anyone.

The psalm it came from

The King of Love My Shepherd Is is Psalm 23 set to a tune. The psalm itself is here in full — King James, Berean Standard and Reina-Valera side by side, with a note on what it is doing and where it sits in the book.

Read Psalm 23

Also set from Psalm 23: The Lord's My Shepherd, I'll Not Want (Scottish Psalter, 1650)

Themes

Comfort · Psalms · Grace

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