I think Psalms 23 tattoos are great ideas if you want to show the world that you are a devout follower of Christ. But the quote also has added symbolism, representing always prevailing with your faith by your side. So, the tattoo can be a pillar of strength in a way.
You can keep the tattoo simple and just get the passage name tattooed, or you can get it tattooed with a cross or even some doves to emphasize the Holy Spirit with you. The last client I did the tattoo on actually wanted me to do a whole sleeve with the bible verse design under Jesus' crucifixion.
But while working on it, it hit me that there are way more ways to go about the tattoo. So, I thought it might be fun to talk about them for you below.
Here are all the best tattoo ideas around.
You can keep it simple and only get the 'Psalm 23' scripture name tattooed. It'll be an easy way to symbolize the strength in the psalm without tattooing the whole passage.
Also, the psalm name tattoo would be perfect if you want something smaller and discreet. Most of the clients I've tattooed the scripture name for have got it tattooed on their hands or one of their fingers.
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If you want to emphasize your trust in God, you can get the entire Psalm 23 passage tattooed. Since you'll be getting kind of a big tattoo, I'd suggest getting it somewhere like on your forearm.
Also, you will have to decide between getting the King James Version (KJV) or any other translation of the text. Although, it's important to note that they still have the same meaning, with only a few words different here and there.
If you want to highlight the passage but don't want to commit to the whole thing, you can always do a few lines from the psalm. I had this one client who only wanted "I will fear no evil, for you are with me" from it because she wanted to represent having no fear after accepting Christ.
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The cross is a powerful Christian symbol often associated with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When combined with Psalm 23 as a tattoo, you get a design that represents both the salvation and strength that your faith brings.
If you want to keep it simple, you can just get a plain black ink cross. However, I've done a couple of pieces where clients have wanted me to tattoo Jesus' crucifixion scene with the bible verse on the bottom. You'll have to look for a larger spot for your Psalm 23 tattoo if you're going this route, like your back for instance.
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A crying eye in Psalm 23 can represent all the hardships you've faced. The crying eye can act as a form of release for the pain you've been through while adding Psalm 23 in there can tie in how God has been guiding you through all the tough times. To make the tattoo look cooler, you can have a reflection of a cross in the eye you're doing.
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The lion is a symbol of strength, courage, and resilience. In this context, combining a lion with Psalm 23 can represent living your life with the same strength as a lion since you have the lord by your side.
It's up to you to decide whether to go for a realistic lion. If you are going for a realistic piece, I'd suggest finding the right tattoo artist for the job. Realism isn't a skill that is easy to do.
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You can get the bible quote tattooed on your chest to highlight how much your faith means to you. After all, you'll have the bible verse will be near your heart at all times. Since the chest is a relatively large space to work with, you'll be able to go to town with the bible verse tattoo and make it elaborate.
If you're looking for suggestions, you can maybe do what one of my clients did. He got the verse next to these praying hands in the middle of his chest.
I have to say, though, chest tattoos can hurt. This shouldn't come as a surprise considering how much thin skin there is in them. Remember this if you don't have the best pain tolerance.
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You can get your Psalm 23 tattoo on your arm if you don't want anyone to miss it. It's a tattoo spot that's right up and center, especially in the case of a forearm Psalm 23 tattoo. But if you want to make your tattoo even more noticeable, you can get it as a part of a full sleeve. A full-sleeve Psalm 23 tattoo would stretch from the top of your arm to the bottom.
Naturally, as you're working with so much space, you'll have to add a few different design elements and details to fill in all that real estate. The last client I did an arm Psalm 23 tattoo for made me do a Jesus' crucifixion scene with the bible quote on the bottom and doves flying on top.
I get it if you don't want to commit to something as elaborate as a full sleeve, so you can always just get a half sleeve. It's essentially what you might think, as it's a Psalm 23 tattoo that stretches halfway up your arm.
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If you want something even more attention-grabbing, you can get the psalm tattoo on your hand. Since hands aren't the largest spots for tattoos, you can't get something that big here. A safe bet would just be going for the scripture name.
There's also a bit of symbolism to a hand Psalm 23 tattoo. The bible verse is all about your faith in Jesus Christ prevailing over everything. So the tattoo on your hand of all places can represent God's blessing whatever you touch and work on.
You can get the tattoo on the palm side of your hand if you want to take it up a notch. It'll be way more eye-catching and interesting. But of course, keep in mind that palm tattoos can be a bit tricky to take care of - you're not supposed to get tattoos wet or sweaty when they're healing.
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You can also get the Psalm 23 tattoo on your back. The back's a large space to work with, so just like with a sleeve, you can go to town and get a pretty elaborate tattoo here. As I suggested for a sleeve tattoo, you can maybe do Jesus' crucifixion scene with the bible verse on the bottom.
I generally like back tattoos because they're discreet. The bible verse and your connection with God might be more personal to you, so the tattoo on your back of all places can be a way for you to honor your faith privately.
Just remember that the closer to your spine and neck you go, the more your tattoo will hurt. I would say the back is one of the most painful spots for a tattoo. I had a client almost faint on me once when I was doing a back coverup for her.
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Last but not least, you can get a leg Psalm 23 tattoo. The leg's another large space for a tattoo, so you can go to town with your psalm tattoo here. What's also nice is that leg tattoos don't hurt that much, especially on your outer thigh.
If you liked the idea of an arm sleeve, you might like that you can get a sleeve on your leg too. It's up to you to decide between full or half-sleeve tattoos.
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King David wrote the Psalm and expressed his heart to God. It's arguably one of the most famous bible verses, and the most famous Psalm by far. It symbolizes that in life or death, and in times of want or need, your trust in God is what's important as he's always with you.
At the end of the day, it also reminds you to be a devout Christian follower and to live with Godly principles as nothing bad will ever prevail over you with your faith by your side.
The passage is known as the Shepherd's Psalm. This isn't a surprise since it has such deep meanings and connections to the Lord guiding you. The beginning line itself is 'The Lord is my shepherd'. The moniker is also fitting since King David was once a shepherd before becoming king.
When it comes to a Psalm 23 tattoo, you can go about it any way you want. However, the designs you add can change their meaning a bit. Like you can get a lion with the bible verse to show how your faith gives you the strength of a lion or a crying eye to represent your belief in helping you through all the hard times.
But of course, the placement of the Psalm also plays a role in its meaning. Like if you get it on your chest, you'll have it near your heart at all times which can represent how much your faith means to you. And if you get the tattoo on your hand, more specifically your palm, you can symbolize your faith in God making whatever you work on fruitful.
There are a lot of ways to go about a Psalm 23 tattoo like you can get a plain Psalm 23 name tattoo, a cross Psalm 23 tattoo, or even a lion and psalm design. However, it'll be a neat tattoo to represent God always being with you, so it'll work great as a pillar of strength. All in all, I hope you found this ultimate guide useful, and know which of the different Psalm tattoos to speak to your tattoo artist about now!
