Lexical Summary tsalmaveth: Shadow of death Original Word: צַלְמָוֶת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance shadow of death From tsel and maveth; shade of death, i.e. The grave (figuratively, calamity) -- shadow of death. see HEBREW tsel see HEBREW maveth NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom tsel and maveth Definition death-like shadow, deep shadow NASB Translation black gloom (1), dark (1), deep darkness (6), deep shadow (4), shadow of death (4), thick darkness (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs צַלְמָ֫וֶת noun [masculine] death-shadow, deep shadow, in poetry (probably = צֵל + מָוֶת, ᵐ5. (usually) σκιὰ θανάτου, compare ᵑ6 ᵑ9, so Thes SchwLeben n. d. Tode, 194, see especially NöZAW xvii (1897), 183 ff.; Ew Br and most modern (after older commentaries) read צַלְמוּת darkness, deep darkness, compare Arabic  IV, Assyrian [ƒalâmu], Ethiopic  be black, dark); **compare  darkness; WeKl. Proph. ed. 3, 81 would read feminine plural צְלָמוֺת, like  Qor 2:16; 2:18; and frequently. — death-shadow, often "" חשֶׁךְ, לַיְלָה etc., and opposed to בֹּקֶר, אוֺר. 1 = deep shadow, darkness (compare הַרְרֵי אֵל, אַרְזֵי אֵל): Amos 5:8; Job 3:5; Job 12:22; Job 24:17a Job 28:3; Job 34:22; of eyes heavy with weeping Job 16:16; ׳בַּלְהוֺת צJob 24:17b terrors of the darkness. 2 figurative a. of distress Jeremiah 13:16; Psalm 107:10; Psalm 107:14; ׳אֶרֶץ צ Isaiah 9:1. b. of extreme danger Jeremiah 2:6; Psalm 23:4; Psalm 44:20. 3 characterizing world of the dead, ׳אֶרֶץ חשֶׁךְ וצ Job 10:21, ׳כְּמוֺ אֹפֶל צ Job 10:22 (text dubious, see Bu Du); ׳וְשַׁעֲרֵי צ Job 38:17 (ᵐ5 πυλωροὶ δὲ ᾅδου; "" שַׁעֲרֵימָֿ֑וֶת). Topical Lexicon Definition and Scope צַלְמָוֶת denotes the deepest darkness known to human experience—darkness so dense that it is identified with death itself. Scripture employs it both literally, of places where light is absent, and metaphorically, of conditions in which hope, order, and life are eclipsed. Occurrences and Theological Trajectory The term appears eighteen times, with the greatest concentration in the Book of Job. Early wisdom literature uses it to expose the frailty of human existence (Job 3:5; Job 10:21-22). Psalms then transform the image into a setting for divine deliverance (Psalm 23:4; Psalm 107:14). The prophets carry the motif forward, contrasting Israel’s self-chosen darkness with the covenant light God supplies (Isaiah 9:2; Jeremiah 2:6; Amos 5:8). Portrait of Human Suffering Job repeatedly turns to צַלְמָוֶת to describe life’s most desolate places: “He uncovers the depths of darkness and brings deep darkness into light” (Job 12:22). In Job 16:16 swollen eyes testify to grief; Job 24:17 depicts criminals who love the night because to them “deep darkness is morning.” The vocabulary admits that suffering sometimes feels impenetrable, yet even in lament the righteous do not deny God’s sovereignty (Job 34:22). Realm of Death and Sheol Job 38:17 couples the “gates of death” with “the gates of deepest darkness,” suggesting that צַלְמָוֶת borders Sheol, the unseen realm. The phrase thus functions as a poetic parallel to death itself and reminds readers that only the Creator fully comprehends that territory. Divine Reveal in Deep Darkness Psalm 23:4 famously reorients the phrase: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” Presence, not circumstance, determines security. Psalm 44:19 adds a national angle: “You have crushed us in the place of jackals and covered us with deepest darkness,” turning calamity into intercession. Psalm 107:14 declares God’s answer: “He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke away their chains.” Deliverance is not merely emotional; it is historical and bodily. Messianic and Redemptive Hope Isaiah 9:2 links צַלְמָוֶת with the coming light of messianic salvation: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” Matthew 4:16 applies the verse to Jesus’ Galilean ministry, showing that the Old Testament anticipation of emerging light converges on the person of Christ. Amos 5:8 similarly calls Israel to seek “the LORD … who turns darkness into dawn,” implying that covenant faith returns light where sin had invited darkness. Pastoral and Ministry Implications 1. Comfort in grief: Psalm 23 authorizes believers to name the intensity of pain while clinging to the Shepherd’s guidance. Worship and Prayer These texts shape corporate lament and praise. Congregations may confess, “We sit in darkness,” yet quickly rehearse the Lord’s saving acts. The Psalms demonstrate that praying truthfully about the shadow of death honors God by expecting Him to act within it. Eschatological Outlook While צַלְמָוֶת can describe the finality of physical death, Scripture ultimately portrays it as temporary. Revelation 21:23 foresees a city where “the glory of God gives it light,” fulfilling the anticipation seeded in Isaiah 9:2. For those in Christ, the deepest darkness is a passageway, not a destination. Forms and Transliterations בְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃ בצלמות׃ וְ֭צַלְמָוֶת וְצַלְמָ֑וֶת וְצַלְמָ֔וֶת וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃ וצלמות וצלמות׃ לְצַלְמָ֔וֶת לצלמות צַ֭לְמָוֶת צַלְמָ֑וֶת צַלְמָ֔וֶת צַלְמָ֡וֶת צַלְמָ֣וֶת צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ צלמות צלמות׃ ḇə·ṣal·mā·weṯ ḇəṣalmāweṯ lə·ṣal·mā·weṯ ləṣalmāweṯ letzalMavet ṣal·mā·weṯ ṣalmāweṯ Tzalmavet Vetzalmavet wə·ṣal·mā·weṯ wəṣalmāweṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 3:5 HEB: יִגְאָלֻ֡הוּ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְ֭צַלְמָוֶת תִּשְׁכָּן־ עָלָ֣יו NAS: Let darkness and black gloom claim KJV: Let darkness and the shadow of death stain INT: claim darkness and black settle and Job 10:21 Job 10:22 Job 12:22 Job 16:16 Job 24:17 Job 24:17 Job 28:3 Job 34:22 Job 38:17 Psalm 23:4 Psalm 44:19 Psalm 107:10 Psalm 107:14 Isaiah 9:2 Jeremiah 2:6 Jeremiah 13:16 Amos 5:8 18 Occurrences |
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