Isaiah 9:1

“But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. As at the former time he treated with contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, so in the latter time he will make it glorious, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.”
Isaiah 9:1 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

Butכִּיthere will be noלֹאgloomמוּעָףfor her whoלַאֲשֶׁרwas in anguish.מוּצָק לָהּAsכָּat the formerהָרִאשׁוֹןtimeעֵתhe treated with contemptהֵקַלthe landאַרְצָהof Zebulunזְבֻלוּןand the landוְאַרְצָהof Naphtali,נַפְתָּלִיso in the latter timeוְהָאַחֲרוֹןhe will make it glorious,הִכְבִּידthe wayדֶּרֶךְof the sea,הַיָּםbeyondעֵבֶרthe Jordan,הַיַּרְדֵּןGalileeגְּלִילof the nations.הַגּוֹיִם

Quotation · Matthew 4:15-16

Go to Matthew 4:15-16

Matthew quotes Isaiah 9:1-2 when telling that Jesus went to live in Capernaum, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali that the prophet names.

Formula: ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ Ἠσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος “so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, when he says” (Matthew 4:14)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: Γῆ Ζαβουλὼν καὶ γῆ Νεφθαλίμ ὁδὸν θαλάσσης πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου Γαλιλαία τῶν ἐθνῶν ὁ λαὸς ὁ καθήμενος ἐν σκοτίᾳ φῶς εἶδεν μέγα καὶ τοῖς καθημένοις ἐν χώρᾳ καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου φῶς ἀνέτειλεν αὐτοῖς

Hebrew (Masoretic text): כִּי לֹא מוּעָף לַאֲשֶׁר מוּצָק לָהּ כָּעֵת הָרִאשׁוֹן הֵקַל אַרְצָה זְבֻלוּן וְאַרְצָה נַפְתָּלִי וְהָאַחֲרוֹן הִכְבִּיד דֶּרֶךְ הַיָּם עֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן גְּלִיל הַגּוֹיִם הָעָם הַהֹלְכִים בַּחֹשֶׁךְ רָאוּ אוֹר גָּדוֹל יֹשְׁבֵי בְּאֶרֶץ צַלְמָוֶת אוֹר נָגַהּ עֲלֵיהֶם

Septuagint (Isaiah 9:1-2 in the Septuagint numbering): Τοῦτο πρῶτον πίε, ταχὺ ποίει, χώρα Ζαβουλών, ἡ γῆ Νεφθαλείμ, ὁδὸν θαλάσσης, καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ οἱ τὴν παράλων κατοικοῦντες καὶ πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, Γαλιλαία τῶν ἐθνῶν, τὰ μέρη τῆς Ἰουδαίας. ὁ λαὸς ὃ καθήμενος ἐν σκότει, ἴδετε φῶς μέγα· οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν χώρᾳ, καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου, φῶς λάμψει ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 6 consecutive words: “πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου Γαλιλαία τῶν ἐθνῶν.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Isaiah 9:1, word by word

gloomמוּעָףmuaf

gloom, darkness

Gloom, darkness; also distress.

Where else “muaf” appears

was in anguishמוּצָקmutsak

distress, narrowness

Narrowness, a tight place; distress.

Where else “mutsak” appears

at the formerרִאשׁוֹןrishon

former

What already happened or existed before, in past times.

Where else “rishon” appears

timeעֵתet

time

The moment at which something happens; also "at that time".

Where else “et” appears

he treated with contemptהֵקַלhekal

despise

To count something or someone as little, as a thing without weight.

Where else “hekal” appears

the landאַרְצָartsa

land

A region or nation, above all Israel's.

Where else “artsa” appears

of Zebulunזְבֻלוּןzevulun

Zebulun

Zebulun, a son of Jacob and Leah; also the tribe that came from him and its land.

Where else “zevulun” appears

of Naphtaliנַפְתָּלִיnaftali

Naphtali

Naphtali, a son of Jacob and Bilhah; also the tribe that came from him and its land. The name sounds like "wrestle".

Where else “naftali” appears

so in the latter timeאַחֲרוֹןacharon

last

What comes at the end or goes behind something else.

Where else “acharon” appears

he will make it gloriousהִכְבִּידhichbid

honor

Literally "give weight": to hold someone in high regard.

Where else “hichbid” appears

the wayדֶּרֶךְderech

road

The track or route by which one goes from one place to another.

Where else “derech” appears

of the seaיָּםyam

sea

The sea, or a large lake.

Where else “yam” appears

beyondעֵבֶרever

beyond

Past the river, especially the Jordan.

Where else “ever” appears

the Jordanיַּרְדֵּןyarden

Jordan

See it on the map Where else “yarden” appears

Galileeגְּלִילgelil

Galilee

See it on the map Where else “gelil” appears

of the nationsגּוֹיִםgoyim

Gentiles

The peoples other than Israel.

Where else “goyim” appears

Translation note

In the Hebrew text this verse is 8:23. Matthew 4:15-16 quotes verses 1-2.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Matthew 4:15-16

Matthew quotes Isaiah 9:1-2 when telling that Jesus went to live in Capernaum, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali that the prophet names.

See them side by side

Isaiah 9:1

¹But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. As at the former time he treated with contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, so in the latter time he will make it glorious, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

Matthew 4:15-16

¹⁵“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations:

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

1Jordan
Today: Jordan River: Israel, West Bank, Jordan, Dead Sea
Israel's main river; it flows from Mount Hermon in the north, through the Sea of Galilee, to the Dead Sea.
Israel crossed it on dry ground to enter the promised land (Josh 3:17). Naaman was healed in it (2 Kgs 5:14), and Jesus was immersed in it (Matt 3:13).
Joshua 3:17 2 Kings 5:14 Matthew 3:13 Mark 1:9
2Galilee
Today: northern Israel, around the Sea of Galilee
The northern region of Israel, around the Sea of Galilee.
Most of Jesus' ministry took place there; he taught, healed and called his disciples (Matt 4:23; Mark 1:14).
Isaiah 9:1 Matthew 4:23 Mark 1:14 Luke 4:14

The context

1 · This verse (above)

2The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of the shadow of death, light has shone on them.

Read all of Isaiah 9

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