myBibleHistory

Journey of a Passage

Psalm 23:4

The valley of the shadow of death

All four witnesses have the valley, the fear of no evil, God's presence and the rod and staff. The one question is the word tsalmavet: "shadow of death" (Greek, Latin, KJV) or "deep darkness." The Greek and Latin also turn "valley" into "in the midst of."

Same letters, different readings: the consonants agree, but ancient readers vocalized or interpreted them differently

The family tree

Each row is a language or text tradition. Witnesses in the same row may share ancestry, revise one another, or have an uncertain relationship; the line under each box says which. A solid arrow appears only where direct copying or a documented revised edition is established. Order by date never implies copying. Scroll sideways on a phone.

✓ contains it · ✕ does not · ❝ quotes part of it · ⓘ reports on manuscripts · ▢ pages lost · – no copy survives

  • Same line, through lost copies
  • Translation
Hebrew
  1. The psalm as first composedPsalms composed over centuries (c. 10th–4th century BC; debated)
  2. Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)AD 1008Descends, through lost copies, from The psalm as first composed
Greek
  1. Greek Psalter (library: Giguet's French)Old Greek c. 2nd century BC; French 1872Translated from the Old Greek Psalter
Latin
  1. Jerome's Gallican Psalter (Clementine Vulgate)c. AD 386–392, revised from the GreekTranslated from the Greek Psalter (Origen's Hexapla)
English
  1. King James Bible1611Translated from printed Masoretic Hebrew

Every witness, in order

  1. Psalms composed over centuries (c. 10th–4th century BC; debated)

    The psalm as first composed

    – No copy survives

    No original survives. About forty Psalms manuscripts from Qumran, Masada and Nahal Hever (c. 2nd century BC – 1st century AD) are the oldest copies.

  2. c. AD 386–392, revised from the Greek

    Jerome's Gallican Psalter (Clementine Vulgate)

    ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from the Greek Psalter (Origen's Hexapla)

    How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Clementine Vulgate (1592 edition).

    Nam etsi ambulavero in medio umbræ mortis, non timebo mala, quoniam tu mecum es. Virga tua, et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt.

    Latin numbering: Psalm 22:4. Jerome revised this Latin Psalter from the Greek, so it is a witness to the Greek, not to the Hebrew.

  3. AD 1008

    Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)

    ✓ Contains this passageDescends, through lost copies, from The psalm as first composed

    How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, a digital transcription of the Leningrad Codex.

    גַּ֤ם כִּֽי־אֵלֵ֨ךְ בְּגֵ֪יא צַלְמָ֡וֶת לֹא־אִ֘ירָ֤א רָ֗ע כִּי־אַתָּ֥ה עִמָּדִ֑י שִׁבְטְךָ֥ וּ֝מִשְׁעַנְתֶּ֗ךָ הֵ֣מָּה יְנַֽחֲמֻֽנִי׃

    Even when I walk in a valley of deep darkness (tsalmavet), I fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me

    Hebrew numbering: Psalm 23:4.

  4. 1611

    King James Bible

    ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from printed Masoretic Hebrew

    How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: King James Version (1769 text).

    Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

  5. Old Greek c. 2nd century BC; French 1872

    Greek Psalter (library: Giguet's French)

    ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from the Old Greek Psalter

    How the site knows this: Known here only through a translation.

    Lors même que je cheminerais au milieu des ombres de la mort, je ne craindrais aucun mal, parce que vous êtes avec moi. Votre houlette et votre bâton m’ont rassuré.

    Greek numbering: Psalm 22:4. Giguet's 1872 French of a printed Greek text; not checked against Rahlfs' critical edition.

What changed, and why

Tsalmavet is pointed as if it were two words, tsel (shadow) + mavet (death). Comparative Semitic evidence suggests a noun tsalmut, "darkness," which the Masoretes may have pointed as a compound. The Greek (skias thanatou) shows that the "shadow of death" understanding is at least as old as the 2nd century BC.

The Greek has "in the midst of" (en mesōi) where the Hebrew has "in a valley of" (be-ge): Giguet "au milieu des ombres de la mort," Vulgate "in medio umbrae mortis." The Greek and Latin number this Psalm 22: search "Psalm 22 LXX" to find it.

What the evidence shows

  • Independently documentedThe Greek and Latin read "shadow of death" for tsalmavet.
  • Plausible, not confirmedTsalmavet was originally a single word, "darkness."

Sources

    Related lessons

    • Psalm 23: The LORD Is My Shepherd →"A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." God leads to green pastures and still waters, restores the soul, leads in right paths for his name's sake. "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me." Then the scene changes to a host who prepares a table before enemies, anoints the head with oil, and fills the cup. "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me… and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."