אִ֘ירָ֤א (’î·rā) in Psalms 23:4: Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular

Hebrew-verb

Verb

Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular

Qal

Imperfect

First person

Common

Singular

The imperfect form presents the action as unfolding, expected, desired, or modal in context; Psalms 23:4 determines how that force is heard.

This form carries the BSB rendering "I will fear" within Psalms 23:4. Psalm 23 confesses the Lord's shepherding care through provision, danger, comfort, and dwelling with him.

The action or phrase rendered "I will fear" in Psalms 23:4

The negative particle and the object 'evil' complete the imperfect form, so the clause says, 'I will fear no evil' in the valley context.

It states the speaker's first-person response inside the valley clause: even there, he will not fear evil because the Lord is with him.

The imperfect form does not deny the reality of danger, remove all human feeling, or turn the verse into a general promise detached from the Shepherd's presence.

High: The first-person imperfect under negation carries the psalmist's confession of trust in the valley.

First-person imperfect under negation. states the speaker's resolved response while the surrounding phrase names the reason for confidence. Attached to the clause 'I will fear no evil'. Governed by the valley statement and the Lord's presence in Psalm 23:4. Hebrew imperfect force should be read from the negative construction and pastoral context, not from tense labels alone.

What response does the speaker confess in the valley? He confesses that he will fear no evil because the Lord is with him.

Direct: The first-person imperfect with negation directly supports the rendering 'I will fear no evil.'

Hebrew imperfect forms can be future, habitual, modal, or context-shaped; Psalm 23:4 supplies the confessional force. The grammar does not erase the danger of the valley; it states trust in the Lord within that danger.

Imperfect always means future tense: Hebrew imperfect is broader than English future tense; the clause and context decide how to render it. fear form proves believers never feel danger: The form supports the confession, but the verse's comfort rests on the Lord's presence.

The BSB+ row for Psalms 23:4 links the English rendering "I will fear" with אִ֘ירָ֤א, Strong's H3372, and the parsing label V-Qal-Imperf-1cs.

H3372 is represented here by the lemma יָרֵא. In this occurrence, the public guide is limited to the BSB rendering "I will fear" rather than every possible gloss of the entry.

The first-person imperfect appears with the negative and the object "evil," so the form serves a confession of resolved trust rather than a bare vocabulary note about fear.

Psalm 23:4 moves the shepherd confession into the darkest valley and anchors the refusal to fear in the Lord's presence and comfort.

The form fits Scripture's shepherding language for the Lord's care, guidance, presence, and provision.

When teaching Psalm 23:4, use this form to show that the verse gives a personal confession of trust in the face of evil, not a denial that the valley is dangerous.

Do not derive a full theology of fear, suffering, or comfort from V-Qal-Imperf-1cs alone. The grammar supports the confession, while the verse grounds it in the Lord's nearness.