Isaiah 9:2

“The 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.”
Isaiah 9:2 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

The peopleהָעָםwho walkedהַהֹלְכִיםin darknessבַּחֹשֶׁךְhave seenרָאוּa greatגָּדוֹלlight;אוֹרthose who dweltיֹשְׁבֵיin a landבְּאֶרֶץof the shadow of death,צַלְמָוֶתlightאוֹרhas shoneנָגַהּon them.עֲלֵיהֶם

Allusion · 2 Corinthians 4:6

Go to 2 Corinthians 4:6

Both texts speak of the light that shines in the darkness.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

חֹשֶׁךְjoshejH2822σκότουςskotousG4655“darkness”
אוֹרorH216φῶςphōsG5457“light”
נָגַהּnagahH5050φωτισμὸνphōtismonG5462“give light”

Isaiah 9:2, word by word

The peopleעָםam

crowd

The people gathered in a place: the crowd, or the troops that go out to war.

Where else “am” appears

who walkedהֹלְכִיםholchim

walk

Literally "to go": to live a certain way, as Enoch with Elohim.

Where else “holchim” appears

in darknessחֹשֶׁךְchoshech

gloom

Distress, ignorance or death.

Where else “choshech” appears

have seenרָאוּrau

see

To see with one's eyes.

Where else “rau” appears

a greatגָּדוֹלgadol

great

Of great size, amount or importance: a river, a city, a king.

Where else “gadol” appears

lightאוֹרor

light

The brightness that comes from the sun, the day or a lamp and lets one see.

Where else “or” appears

those who dweltיֹשְׁבֵיyoshve

dwell

To make one's home in a place.

Where else “yoshve” appears

in a landאֶרֶץerets

land

A region or nation, above all Israel's.

Where else “erets” appears

of the shadow of deathצַלְמָוֶתtsalmavet

deep darkness

Deep darkness: the thickest gloom. The word joins "shadow" and "death"; it is used for extreme danger, for the densest darkness and for the place of the dead.

Where else “tsalmavet” appears

has shoneנָגַהּnagah

shine, illuminate

To shine, to be bright; to make something shine, to give light.

Where else “nagah” appears

The context

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.

2 · This verse (above)

3You have multiplied the nation, you have increased the joy for it; they rejoice before you as with the joy at harvest, as people exult when they divide spoil.

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