Psalms 23:4

23:4 Even when I must walk through the darkest valley, ¹ 

I fear ²  no danger, ³ 

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff reassure me. ⁴ 

Psalms 27:3

27:3 Even when an army is deployed against me,

I do not fear. ⁵ 

Even when war is imminent, ⁶ 

I remain confident. ⁷ 

Matthew 8:24-26

8:24 And a great storm developed on the sea so that the waves began to swamp the boat. But he was asleep. 8:25 So they came ⁸  and woke him up saying, “Lord, save us! We are about to die!” 8:26 But ⁹  he said to them, “Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked ¹⁰  the winds and the sea, ¹¹  and it was dead calm.

Hebrews 13:6

13:6 So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, and ¹²  I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” ¹³ 

¹ tn The Hebrew term צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet) has traditionally been understood as a compound noun meaning “shadow of death” (צֵל [tsel] + מָוֶת [mavet]; see BDB 853 s.v. צַלְמָוֶת). Other scholars prefer to vocalize the form צַלְמוּת (tsalmut) and understand it as an abstract noun (from the root צָלַם, tsalam) meaning “darkness.” An examination of the word’s usage favors the latter derivation. It is frequently associated with darkness/night and contrasted with light/morning (see Job 3:5; 10:21-22; 12:22; 24:17; 28:3; 34:22; Ps 107:10, 14; Isa 9:1; Jer 13:16; Amos 5:8). In some cases the darkness described is associated with the realm of death (Job 10:21-22; 38:17), but this is a metaphorical application of the word and does not reflect its inherent meaning. If the word does indeed mean “darkness,” it modifies גַיְא (gay’, “valley, ravine”) quite naturally. At the metaphorical level, v. 4 pictures the shepherd taking his sheep through a dark ravine where predators might lurk. The life-threatening situations faced by the psalmist are the underlying reality behind the imagery.

² tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 4, as in vv. 1-3, highlight what is typical in the psalmist’s experience.

³ tn The Hebrew term רַע (ra’) is traditionally translated “evil” here, perhaps suggesting a moral or ethical nuance. But at the level of the metaphor, the word means “danger, injury, harm,” as a sheep might experience from a predator. The life-threatening dangers faced by the psalmist, especially the enemies mentioned in v. 5, are the underlying reality.

⁴ tn The Piel of נָחַם (nakham), when used with a human object, means “comfort, console.” But here, within the metaphorical framework, it refers to the way in which a shepherd uses his implements to assure the sheep of his presence and calm their nerves. The underlying reality is the emotional stability God provides the psalmist during life threatening situations.

⁵ tn Heb “my heart does not fear.”

⁶ tn Heb “if war rises up against me.”

⁷ tn Heb “in this [i.e., “during this situation”] I am trusting.”

⁸ tn The participle προσελθόντες (proselqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

⁹ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

¹⁰ tn Or “commanded” (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).

¹¹ sn Who has authority over the seas and winds is discussed in the OT: Ps 104:3; 135:7; 107:23-30. When Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea he was making a statement about who he was.

¹² tc Some important mss (א* C* P 0285^vid 33 1175 1739 pc lat) lack καί (kai), but because the omission conforms to the wording of Ps 118:6 (117:6 LXX), it is suspect.

¹³ sn A quotation from Ps 118:6.