valley of the shadow of death

English

Etymology

From Psalm 23 of the Book of Psalms. "Shadow of death" is a calque of Hebrew צלמות.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

valley of the shadow of death

1. The world, a place where darkness and death are figurative valleys one must walk through as part of the human experience.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 23:4:

     Yea though I walke through the valley of the shadowe of death, I will feare no euill: for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staffe, they comfort me.

   • 1995, “Gangsta's Paradise”, performed by Coolio, →OCLC:

     As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death / I take a look at my life and realize there's nothin' left

2. A very dangerous place.

Derived terms

• valley of death

Translations

biblical phrase

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 死蔭的幽谷／死荫的幽谷 (sǐ yīn dí yōugǔ)

• Finnish: kuoleman varjon laakso
• German: das finstere Tal n
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἐν μέσῳ σκιᾶς θανάτου f (en mésōi skiâs thanátou) (in the valley of the shadow of death)

• Hebrew: גיא צלמות m (ge' tsalmawet)
• Japanese: 死の陰の谷 (shi no kage no tani)
• Latin: in mediō umbrae mortis (in the valley of the shadow of death)
• Portuguese: vale da sombra da morte m
• Spanish: valle de sombra de muerte m
• Swedish: dödsskuggans dal (literally “the death-shadow's valley”)

See also

• vale of tears