In death's dark vale I fear no illWith Thee, dear Lord, beside me,Thy rod and staff my comfort still,Thy cross before to guide me.
Much of the hymn is drawn from Psalm 23; this particular stanza comes from verse 4. Because "Thy rod and staff" are presented along with "Thy cross" here, I realized that - in a way - the original verse from the Psalm includes the cross, too. In the immediate context, "your rod and your staff" are a literal rod and staff that "comfort me" because they illustrate the shepherd's readiness to defend and guide the sheep. In a more metaphorical reading, "your rod and your staff" could represent the vertical and horizontal beams of the cross, which "comfort[s] me" because it shows Jesus's willingness to accept the punishment we deserve and grant us salvation.
