Isaiah 9:2

Isaiah 9:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
• New International Version (NIV)The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.

Context of Isaiah 9:2

1Nevertheless, the gloom of the distressed land will not be like that of the former times when he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future he will bring honor to the way of the sea, to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. 3You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before you as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils. 4For you have shattered their oppressive yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor, just as you did on the day of Midian.

Isaiah 9:2 word by word

הָעָם֙ הַהֹלְכִ֣ים בַּחֹ֔שֶׁךְ רָא֖וּ א֣וֹר גָּד֑וֹל יֹשְׁבֵי֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ צַלְמָ֔וֶת א֖וֹר נָגַ֥הּ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• that walkedהָלַךְhâlak · to go: walkH1980
• in darknessחֹ֫שֶׁךְchôshek · darknessH2822
• have seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• a greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• lightאוֹר'ôr · lightH216
• they that dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of the shadow of deathצַלְמָ֫וֶתtsalmâveth · shadowH6757
• shinedנָגַהּnâgahh · to shineH5050

Cross-references for Isaiah 9:2

• Isaiah 50:10Who among you fears the Lord and listens to his servant? Who among you walks in darkness, and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord; let him lean on his God.
• Isaiah 60:1Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord shines over you.
• Micah 7:8Do not rejoice over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will stand up; though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.
• Matthew 4:16The people who live in darkness have seen a great light, and for those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.
• Luke 1:78Because of our God’s merciful compassion, the dawn from on high will visit us
• Luke 2:32a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.
• John 8:12Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
• John 12:35Jesus answered, “The light will be with you only a little longer. Walk while you have the light so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. The one who walks in darkness doesn’t know where he’s going.
• Ephesians 5:8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light —
• 1 Peter 2:9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
• 1 John 1:5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him.
• Job 10:21before I go to a land of darkness and gloom, never to return.
• Psalms 23:4Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff — they comfort me.
• Psalms 107:10Others sat in darkness and gloom — prisoners in cruel chains —
• Amos 5:8The one who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns darkness into dawn and darkens day into night, who summons the water of the sea and pours it out over the surface of the earth — the Lord is his name.

Commentaries on Isaiah 9:2

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2The people that walked in darkness - The inhabitants of the region of Galilee. They were represented as walking in darkness, because they were far from the capital, and from the temple; they had few religious privileges; they were intermingled with the pagan, and were comparatively rude and uncultivated in their manners and in their language. Allusion to this is several times made in the New Testament; John 1:46: Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?‘…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-7After judgment and destruction, there would still be hope. God promised that the Messiah (God’s chosen one) would come and rule. In the Messiah’s kingdom, darkness would end and great light would begin. This light would first appear in Galilee. Then it would spread to the whole nation of Israel and finally to the whole world. The Messiah would defend those who suffer and are treated unfairly. He would bring an end to cruelty and injustice. He would rule…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. the people--the whole nation, Judah and Israel. shadow of death--the darkest misery of captivity.Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 9:2

• Blindness
• Church
• Darkness
• Gentiles
• Gospel
• Isaiah
• Naphtali
• Prophecy
• Quotations and Allusions

In the dictionaries

• Shadow of Death
• Ahaz
• Darkness
• Increase
• Kindle
• Prince
• Snatch
• Zebulun, Lot of
• Dark; Darkness
• Ezekiel

Commentaries on Isaiah 9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings