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, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory. 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. 3You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder. 4For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army 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 obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God.
• Isaiah 60:1“Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you.
• Micah 7:8Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.
• Matthew 4:16the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.”
• Luke 1:78Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
• Luke 2:32He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
• John 8:12Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
• John 12:35Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going.
• Ephesians 5:8For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!
• 1 Peter 2:9But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
• 1 John 1:5This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.
• Job 10:21before I leave—never to return— for the land of darkness and utter gloom.
• Psalms 23:4Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
• Psalms 107:10Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron chains of misery.
• Amos 5:8It is the Lord who created the stars, the Pleiades and Orion. He turns darkness into morning and day into night. He draws up water from the oceans and pours it down as rain on the land. 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