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 Living Translation (NLT)The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.

Context of Isaiah 9:2

1Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles. 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. 3You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in 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 50:10“Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness And has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord And rely upon his God.
• Isaiah 60:1Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
• Micah 7:8Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness, The Lord will be a light to me.
• Matthew 4:16The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”
• Luke 1:78Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
• Luke 2:32A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
• John 8:12Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
• John 12:35Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is 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 generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
• 1 John 1:5This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
• Job 10:21Before I go to the place from which I shall not return, To the land of darkness and the shadow of death,
• Psalms 23:4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
• Psalms 107:10Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Bound in affliction and irons—
• Amos 5:8He made the Pleiades and Orion; He turns the shadow of death into morning And makes the day dark as night; He calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face 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
• Ezekiel
• Isaiah

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