Psalm 23 is one of the most well-known and beloved psalms in the Bible. In verse 5, David writes, “You anoint my head with oil.” This verse comes after David has described God as his shepherd who provides for him, guides him, and protects him. So what is the significance of this statement about anointing his head with oil?
There are a few important things to understand about anointing oil in the ancient Israelite context. First, olive oil was used to anoint kings, priests, and prophets to set them apart for service to God. The anointing ceremony represented God’s blessing and equipping for leadership roles. So when David says God anoints his head with oil, it means God has specially chosen David and empowered him to serve in leadership.
Second, hosts would anoint the heads of honored guests with oil as an act of hospitality, care, and refreshment. Anointing a guest’s head showed them honor, refreshed them from their travels, and gave them a sense of belonging. So David is pointing to God’s gracious hospitality and care for him as an honored guest. God refreshes and restores David’s soul, just as the anointing oil would have been soothing and refreshing.
Third, shepherds would use anointing oil on wounds and pests that afflicted their sheep. The oil promoted healing and warded off germs and insects that would attack the sheep. So David compares God’s attentive care to a shepherd using healing oil on the sheep under his care. Even when David is spiritually wounded or attacked, God applies the healing balm of his grace.
Taking all these uses of anointing oil together gives a rich picture of what David is expressing about God’s blessing on his life. As king of Israel, David sees himself as divinely anointed and empowered to lead God’s people. As an honored guest of God’s house, David experiences generous hospitality and a sense of belonging with God. As a sheep under the care of God the shepherd, David is healed and refreshed by God’s grace when he is spiritually wounded or attacked.
This verse comes right after the famous line “you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (v.5). Even when surrounded by enemies, David experiences God’s lavish care and empowering presence. The promises of verses 1-4 are now personalized in verse 5 as God spreads a feast for David and anoints him with soothing, healing oil. David is affirmed as an honored guest and commissioned anointed leader who will dwell in God’s household forever.
So in this one vivid poetic image, David casts a vision of the abundant blessing, care, protection, and purpose that comes from an intimate relationship with God. Even in times of trial, God sustains us and empowers us to persevere. We can trust God to be our gracious host and dependable shepherd through every season of life.
1. The significance of being anointed
In the Old Testament context, being anointed with oil signified being set apart and consecrated for service to God. Kings, priests, and prophets were anointed with oil when they were commissioned for leadership roles as God’s representatives (Exodus 29:7, 1 Samuel 10:1, 1 Kings 19:16). The anointing oil was seen as a tangible symbol of God’s spirit and empowerment for the tasks He had called them to. So when David speaks of God anointing his head with oil, he is pointing to his own consecration as one called and equipped to lead God’s people as king.
At David’s anointing, the prophet Samuel poured oil over David’s head to mark God’s selection of David as the next king over Israel (1 Samuel 16:1-13). While David had already been anointed as king by this point, He sees God as continually strengthening, guiding, and empowering him through the ups and downs of his leadership. The oil is not just a one-time event, but an ongoing source of blessing and spiritual vitality from God.
So the image of his head being anointed with oil is David’s poetic way of expressing that he serves at the pleasure of God. His calling as king comes from God’s hand. His ability to lead depends fully on God’s enablement. Without God’s anointing, he is merely a vulnerable shepherd boy. But with God’s favor, he is empowered to take on the mighty Goliath and someday rule over all Israel. The anointing oil represents the Holy Spirit’s equipping presence in David’s life and leadership.
2. The significance of hospitality
In ancient near east culture, honored guests would be anointed with oil by their host as an act of hospitality, care, and welcoming. Hosts provided their guests food, shelter, protection in keeping with cultural standards of hospitality and honor (Genesis 18:1-8, Luke 7:44-46). Anointing a guest’s head with refreshing oil demonstrated the host’s attentiveness to their needs and desire to bless them. So when David speaks of God anointing his head with oil, he has in mind God’s gracious hospitality as his divine host.
David casts himself as a guest in God’s house, under God’s constant care and protection. He experiences God spreading a feast before him, which was another way hosts would show hospitality and honor (v.5). So the oil points to the gracious hospitality David enjoys as one welcomed into God’s presence. God attends to David’s needs, refreshes his soul, and gives him a sense of belonging in God’s household.
This shows that David sees his relationship with God in very personal, intimate terms. He is not merely a subject of a distant, impersonal deity. David experiences God caring for him like a host attentively caring for an honored guest. The anointing oil reflects hospitality, care, refreshment, and a deep sense of belonging in God’s house.
3. The significance of healing
In the ancient world, shepherds would use anointing oil to help heal the wounds and protect the skin of sheep under their care. Applying oil promoted healing, soothed irritations, and kept away germs and insects that could afflict the sheep (Isaiah 1:6, Luke 10:34). Since David portrays God as his shepherd in Psalm 23, his reference to anointing likely also points to the healing and protective powers of God’s care.
As a shepherd boy himself, David would have had firsthand experience caring for wounded and pestered sheep in his flock. He knows how the oil could promote healing and comfort to the sheep. In saying God anoints his head with oil, David compares himself to a sheep who has been wounded or afflicted and is now experiencing God’s healing touch.
David’s life as a fugitive fleeing King Saul often left him worn down and battle weary. He faced numerous trials and attacks from enemies. But even in times of affliction, he testifies that God restored his soul like a shepherd pouring oil on wounded sheep (Psalm 23:2-3). The anointing oil represents God’s healing mercies that bring comfort, renewal, and protection even in difficulty.
So the oil points to how God applies the healing balm of his grace to the places David feels wounded, irritated, or attacked. When David’s soul or mind feel cracked and dry, God tenderly anoints him with the soothing oil of his Spirit. The Spirit renews David’s strength and refreshes his soul, just as the anointing oil would have refreshed sheep.
4. A foreshadowing of Christ
As the king chosen and anointed by God, David points forward to Jesus the great descendant of David who is the ultimate Christ (Messiah) and shepherd-king. The word “Christ” actually means “anointed one.” Jesus is consecrated by God with the Holy Spirit and power to carry out his messianic mission (Luke 4:18, Acts 10:38). So this image of God’s anointing ultimately finds its full meaning in Jesus.
Jesus is the honored guest of all time, warmly welcomed into God’s household as the beloved Son with whom God is well pleased (Luke 3:21-22). God pours out the Spirit on Jesus to equip him for the ministry of announcing good news, liberation, and healing to all who are oppressed.
Jesus is also the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep, binding up the brokenhearted and comforting all who mourn (John 10:11, Isaiah 61:1-3). He is the wounded healer, who took up our infirmities and healed the sick by the power of the Spirit (Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 8:16-17). The oil of gladness flows from Christ to all who take refuge in him (Hebrews 1:9).
So in the full biblical context, David’s words about God anointing his head point forward to the coming Messiah Jesus who would be filled with God’s Spirit beyond measure in order to carry out the ultimate mission of redemption. What David experienced in part, Jesus fulfilled in its fullness for the sake of the world.
5. The blessing of God’s presence
When summarizing the meaning of this vivid poetic image, the oil signifies the tangible blessing of God’s empowering presence in David’s life. As king, David knows he is consecrated by God for service. As guest, he experiences God’s generous hospitality. As sheep, he is healed and refreshed by his shepherd’s care. And as ancestor of Jesus, David’s anointing foreshadows the coming Messiah who would fulfill God’s purposes.
So God anointing David’s head is a multilayered metaphor speaking to the comfort, purpose, protection, and belonging that comes only from an intimate walk with God. It points to the abundant life available when we open ourselves to the nurturing presence of the Holy Spirit. Even when we face enemies, wounds, or trials, God’s anointing brings empowerment, courage, and renewal as we trust in his goodness and live out our calling.
For believers in Christ today, this reminds us that we too have been anointed with God’s Spirit to live as ambassadors of Christ’s kingdom (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). The same Spirit who empowered Jesus equips us with gifts, wisdom, and character to carry out God’s work. We can ask for fresh anointing when we are weary, discouraged, or attacked. God will generously pour out his Spirit to renew our strength, just as David testified.
By using this vivid metaphor of anointing with oil, David reminds us of the precious gift it is to live each day in intimacy with God – known, loved, guided, healed, and renewed by the gentle touch of the Good Shepherd. This is the blessing to which we are called as followers of the Anointed One, Jesus Christ.