Isaiah 60:2
in Isaiah 60For behold, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you, and His glory will appear over you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but Jehovah will arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
KJV
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
⋯
This verse in Isaiah 60
Commentary
11 notes on this verse(Chapter 60—Verse 1 and following) Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. 70: Arise, arise, O Jerusalem, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples.
This site's exposition
Arise, shine, for your light has come
on Isaiah 60:1-3
“Arise, shine, for your light has come” tells Zion to rise from the darkness of chapter 59, where the people groped. Verse 2 sets her light against a dark world: “darkness covers the earth”. Verse 3 draws the world toward it: “Nations will come to your light”.
This site's exposition
thick darkness is over the peoples
Barnes notes that the Septuagint renders thick darkness as gnophos, a word for cloud. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown read His glory will appear as the Hebrew for seen in full view, and trace the light's spread in Isaiah 9:2. Calvin finds the contrast measuring God's love for his elect.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
And he sets out the judgment of discretion under the metaphor of perceiving by the light: for behold darkness, of tribulation; the peoples, of Babylon and their other enemies; but the Lord shall arise upon you, like the sun illuminating you: but over them only …
The Reformation1 voice
For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth. He now exhibits in a stronger light, by means of comparison, that grace which he formerly mentioned; that we may form some idea how much God loves his elect, and how extraordinary is the privilege which he bestows upon them.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The darkness - All kinds of errors. Shall be seen - Shall be conspicuous; as the Lord's arising, to the darkness covering the earth, so the glory being seen, answers to that gross darkness.
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For behold - Lo, darkness covers the earth. This is designed to turn the attention to the fact that all the rest of the world would be enveloped in deep spiritual night. Darkness - (See the notes at Isa 45:7). Shall cover the earth - Shall envelope the whole world except where it is illuminated by the gospel. It is needless to say that this was the fact when the Messiah came, and that it is still extensively true also. And gross darkness - Lowth renders this, ‘A thick vapor.’ Herder. ‘Deep obscurity.’ Septuagint, Γνόφος Gnophos - Cloud, shade, tempest.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
darkness . . . earth--the rest of the earth: in contrast with "light . . . upon thee" (Isa 60:1). The earth will be afterwards enlightened through Israel (Isa 9:2). be seen--conspicuously: so the Hebrew.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Darkness shall cover the earth - This is the state of the Gentile people.
Modern Voices1 voice
A commentator
GK ChestertonThe Everlasting Man, Chapter III: The Antiquity of Civilisation (1925) (1925)
proposed
The truth, it may be repeated, is that what we really see, as distinct from what we may reasonably guess, in this earliest phase of history is darkness covering the earth and great darkness the peoples, with a light or two gleaming here and there …
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הִנֵּ֤ה | hineh | there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| הַחֹ֙שֶׁךְ֙ | hachoshekh | <the> darkness | H2822 → | 80 times |
| יְכַסֶּה־ | yekhaseh- | it will cover | H3680 → | 152 times |
| אֶ֔רֶץ | ʾeretz | [the] earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וַעֲרָפֶ֖ל | vaarafel | and thick darkness | H6205 → | |
| לְאֻמִּ֑ים | leumim | peoples | H3816 → | 31 times |
| וְעָלַ֙יִךְ֙ | vealayikh | and on you | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יִזְרַ֣ח | yizrach | he will dawn | H2224 → | 18 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וּכְבוֹד֖וֹ | ukhevodo | and glory his | H3519 → | 200 times |
| עָלַ֥יִךְ | ʾalayikh | over you | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יֵרָאֶֽה׃ | yeraeh | it will appear | H7200 → | 1300 times |
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
הִנֵּ֤הthere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
הַחֹ֙שֶׁךְ֙<the> darkness
hachoshekhH2822 →80 times
יְכַסֶּה־it will cover
yekhaseh-H3680 →152 times
אֶ֔רֶץ[the] earth
ʾeretzH776 →2504 times
וַעֲרָפֶ֖לand thick darkness
vaarafelH6205 →
לְאֻמִּ֑יםpeoples
leumimH3816 →31 times
וְעָלַ֙יִךְ֙and on you
vealayikhH5921 →5755 times
יִזְרַ֣חhe will dawn
yizrachH2224 →18 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וּכְבוֹד֖וֹand glory his
ukhevodoH3519 →200 times
עָלַ֥יִךְover you
ʾalayikhH5921 →5755 times
יֵרָאֶֽה׃it will appear
yeraehH7200 →1300 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Peter 2:9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
it leads to
- Exodus 19:5–6
Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine.
- Deuteronomy 7:6
For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of…
- Revelation 1:6
who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
- Revelation 5:10
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”
- Isaiah 61:6
But you will be called the priests of the LORD; they will speak of you as ministers of our God; you will feed on the wealth of nations, and you will boast in their…
- Exodus 19:5–6
Through
Colossians 1:13He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,
it leads to
- Ephesians 5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,
- Acts 26:18
to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified…
- 1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
- Ephesians 5:8
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah

This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; GK Chesterton, The Everlasting Man, Chapter III: The Antiquity of Civilisation (1925); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.
