Psalm 23: The Lord Is My Shepherd — Part VIII
“Yea, Though I Walk Through The Valley Of The Shadow Of Death, I Will Fear No Evil”
What is it that makes the 23rd psalm, not just one of the most beloved portions of the Bible, but one of the most beloved pieces of all literature?
Years ago I heard the psalm perfectly described when a speaker introduced the psalm as follows: “You have heard it said a picture is worth a thousand words, and the 23rd psalm puts into words a thousand pictures.” This is so true. As we follow the psalm, whether we fully understand it or not, what we love about it, is the way it whisks us from one mesmerizing place to the next. From “green pastures” to “still waters;” from “paths of righteousness” to a “banquet table,” all the way to the “house of the Lord.” The power of the psalm is in the way it transports us from one place of grandeur to the next. Yet in the midst of these idyllic surroundings, verse four, the centre piece of the psalm, suddenly jolts us from a place of tranquility into a place of darkness, into a place of death, and into a place of fear.
Despite the way the darkness of verse four contrasts with the light of the rest of the psalm, I believe it is the acknowledgement of the “valley of the shadow of death,” which makes the Shepherd’s song so endearing. If the dark valley was never mentioned, the psalm, although lovely, would come across as naive sentiment, and would never have the staying power this 3000 year old psalm has miraculously held. It is in the recognition of this, “valley of the shadow of death” that cements this psalm into the reality of the messy world we live. A world that includes moments of transcendent beauty, but also a world that includes immense devastation.
When each of us read the haunting words, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” although we may have no clue to what David meant when he penned them, they probably mean something different to each of us. There is a deep and existential reality behind this phrase we all can recognize. For some, it might have been a personal brush with death; for others, it might be the experience of losing a loved one; and for others still, it may bring back memories of a dark period, possibly a personal battle with addiction or depression. We each know and experience our own “dark valleys.”
I generally do not like, or try to encourage, the infusing of our own meanings into a Biblical text, however the Hebrew word David uses to describe the dark nature of this “valley” is not easily translated. It is as though David (or maybe more accurately God in his providence), knew the hearers of this psalm would infuse it with their own lived-out realities. Even when considering the different prospects of what David might have meant, we cannot help but seeing our own experiences in each possibility. Here are three potential ways “the valley of the shadow of death” could be understood:
A Place of Deep Darkness? The idea of “deep darkness” is the most common way this word is described, and it is often described alongside other unpleasant descriptors: The absolute and literal, can’t see the hand in front of your face, kind of darkness (Job 10:22); a place of terrors (Job 24:7); and finally, the place of death (Job 10:21).
A Place of Vulnerability? Another way of understanding this term, is not based on any grammatical meaning, but based on the well-founded fear a shepherd would have leading his flock through certain valleys and gorges. It would be in these narrow mountain passes, where the mountain heights would cast a dark shadow over the path, and where the sheep would be vulnerable to an ambush from bandits, or an attack from a waiting and unseen predator.
Place of Gloom? A final way this term could be understood is as a place of sadness and despair. It may not necessarily speak to a physically dark or dangerous place, but a place of darkness nonetheless within the very soul of a person. One does not need to read long through the psalms of David to realize how honest he spoke of his own sense of loneliness and abandonment. However, it may be Job, who best describe this place of gloom when he cried, “I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin and have laid my strength in the dust. My face is red with weeping, and on my eyelids is deep darkness” (Job 16:15–16).
Regardless of what David’s intention may have been, there is not one of those sentiments we cannot identify with. We have all had, or will experience our own “valley” of deep darkness, of vulnerability, and of gloom. Thankfully this psalm, which acknowledges the hardships of life’s journey, also reminds us, “I will not fear.” How is it possible not to fear, especially in what is described as, “the valley of the shadow of death?” The psalm tells us, the answer to this question is found, both in the presence, and in the instruments of our Shepherd, which will be the focus of our attention next week…
