“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4)
Like many of you I am most familiar with Psalm 23 in the King James Version. In that translation of verse 4 there is reference to walking through “the valley of the shadow of death.” A quick count on ‘Bible Gateway’ shows me that 27 of the English translations listed there follow this familiar phrasing. It is such a pervasive and prevalent metaphor and is perhaps the reason why this psalm is so often used in funerals and memorial services. There are also some quite graphic and striking dynamic equivalent translations which reinforce this connection with bereavement: “a valley as dark as the grave” (ERV), “Death Valley” (Msg), “a valley of death-shade” (YLT), and “the unending shadows of death’s darkness” (VOICE). It offers such strong comfort to know that our God is with us through the darkness of loss.
The original Hebrew phrase is, however, not fixed to a specific geographic location or limited to the specific pastoral situation of bereavement. Helpfully there are another 17 translations which suggest a far wider application with variations on “dark/very dark/darkest valley.” For me, one of the most powerful translations of verse 4 reads: “Even if I pass through death-dark ravines, I will fear no disaster; for you are with me.” (CJB).
This verse assures us that whatever we go through that causes us fear or anxiety or despair, our God is with us. He is in this situation with us. He walks through this disaster with us. He navigates this ravine with us. He holds our hand through this deep darkness. Such darkness can come upon us in an instant: it is, after all, a dramatic and sudden shift in the psalm from the calm of verses 1-3 to this ‘death-dark ravine.’ He remains unwaveringly “with me” no matter what a day brings. May you know His presence with you this day and every day.