Isaiah 9:1
in Isaiah 9Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those in distress. In the past He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future He will honor the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations:
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But there shall be no gloom to her that was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time hath he made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
KJV
Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.
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This verse in Isaiah 9
Commentary
11 notes on this verse(Chapter 9, verses 1 and following) In the first time, the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali were relieved, and in the last time the way of the sea beyond the Jordan of the Galilee of the Gentiles was made heavy. 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 shone.
This site's exposition
Galilee of the nations
on Isaiah 9:1-2
Zebulun and Naphtali are named with "the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations" as the first honored. Matthew 4:15-16 quotes the passage of Jesus beginning His ministry in Galilee. The district hit earliest by judgment is honored earliest by grace.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
297. At the first time the land of Zabulon. Here he sets out the mode and order of destruction: and first, according to the diversity of punishers; second according to the diversity of punishments, where it says, the Lord sent (Isa 9:8). The first of …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Zebulun - These parts are particularly mentioned, because this storm fell most heavily upon them; but under them the other parts of the land are understood. Afterward - By Shalmaneser, who took Samaria, and carried Israel into captivity, 2 Kings xvii, 5, 6. Of which calamity, though yet to come, he speaks as if it were past, as the manner of the prophet is.
Well, those were dark times with the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, and there was dimness of anguish in Galilee of the Gentiles, both in respect of ignorance (they did not speak according to the law and the testimony, and then there was no light in them, ch. viii.
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Nevertheless, the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
As in this case the Revised Version is much to be preferred, we will now read it— "But there shall be no gloom to her that was in anguish. In the former time He brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time has He made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness ha ve seen a great light: they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined." Isaiah 9:1,2.
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Galilee's very debasement made it feel its need of a Saviour, a feeling not known to the self-righteous Jews (Mt 9:13). It was appropriate, too, that He who was both "the Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the Glory of His people Israel," should minister chiefly on the border land of Israel, near the Gentiles.
As in this case the Revised Version is much to be preferred, we will now read it— "But there shall be no gloom to her that was in anguish. In the former time He brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time has He made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness ha ve seen a great light: they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined." Isaiah 9:1,2. When Judah was in sore distress, the sign that she should be delivered was Immanuel. "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel" (Isa. 7:14). When no other ray of comfort could be found, light came from the promise of the wondrous birth of Him whose name is "God with us." God alone would be the Deliverer of Judah when overmatched by her two enemies. God would be with them and He gave them as a pledge a vision of that time when, in very deed, God would dwell among men and wear their Nature in the Person of The Virgin-Born. It is noteworthy that the clearest promises of the Messiah have been given in the darkest hours of history. If the Prophets had been silent upon the Coming One before, they always speak out in the cloudy and dark days, for well the Spirit made them know that the coming of God in human flesh is the lone star of the world's night. It was so in the beginning, when our first parents had sinned and were doomed to quit the Paradise of delights.
Dimness “Accumulated darkness” - Either מנדחה menuddechah, fem. to agree with אפלה aphelah; or אפל המנדח aphel hammenuddach, alluding perhaps to the palpable Egyptian darkness, Exo 10:21. The land of Zebulun - Zebulun, Naphtali, Manasseh, that is, the country of Galilee all round the sea of Gennesareth, were the parts that principally suffered in the first Assyrian invasion under Tiglath-pileser; see 2Ki 15:29; 1Ch 5:26. And they were the first that enjoyed the blessings of Christ’s preaching the Gospel, and exhibiting his miraculous works among them. See Mede’s Works, p. 101, and 457. This, which makes the twenty-third verse of chap. 8 in the Hebrew, is the first verse in chap. 9 in our authorized version. Bishop Lowth follows the division in the Hebrew.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Nevertheless - Notwithstanding what is said in the previous chapter of the calamities that are coming upon Israel.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
The people who walked in darkness The inhabitants of Jerusalem, who were darkened by their concern [of falling into the hands] of Sennacherib. Comp. with what Hezekiah said (infra:3), “This day is a day of distress, debate, and blasphemy.”
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
The people, the house of Israel, which walked in Egypt as in the darkness, went forth to see a great light. They that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 1 further source is cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| מוּעָף֮ | muaf | gloom | H4155 → | |
| לַאֲשֶׁ֣ר | laasher | [will belong] to [that] which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| מוּצָ֣ק | mutzak | distress | H4164 → | |
| לָהּ֒ | lah | [belonged] to it | ||
| כָּעֵ֣ת | kaet | like the time | H6256 → | 296 times |
| הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן | harishon | <the> former | H7223 → | 182 times |
| הֵקַ֞ל | hekal | he treated with contempt | H7043 → | 82 times |
| אַ֤רְצָה | ʾartzah | [the] land of <towards> | H776 → | 2504 times |
| זְבֻלוּן֙ | zevulun | Zebulun | H2074 → | |
| וְאַ֣רְצָה | veartzah | and [the] land of <towards> | H776 → | 2504 times |
| נַפְתָּלִ֔י | naftali | Naphtali | H5321 → | |
| וְהָאַחֲר֖וֹן | vehaacharon | and the latter [time] | H314 → | 51 times |
| הִכְבִּ֑יד | hikhbid | he will make honored | H3513 → | 113 times |
| דֶּ֤רֶךְ | derekh | [the] way of | H1870 → | 707 times |
| הַיָּם֙ | haiyam | the sea | H3220 → | 396 times |
| עֵ֣בֶר | ʾever | [the] other side of | H5676 → | 90 times |
| הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן | haiyarden | the Jordan | H3383 → | |
| גְּלִ֖יל | gelil | Galilee of | H1551 → | |
| הַגּוֹיִֽם׃ | hagoyim | the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
מוּעָף֮gloom
muafH4155 →
לַאֲשֶׁ֣ר[will belong] to [that] which
laasherH834 →5497 times
מוּצָ֣קdistress
mutzakH4164 →
לָהּ֒[belonged] to it
lah
כָּעֵ֣תlike the time
kaetH6256 →296 times
הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן<the> former
harishonH7223 →182 times
הֵקַ֞לhe treated with contempt
hekalH7043 →82 times
אַ֤רְצָה[the] land of <towards>
ʾartzahH776 →2504 times
זְבֻלוּן֙Zebulun
zevulunH2074 →
וְאַ֣רְצָהand [the] land of <towards>
veartzahH776 →2504 times
נַפְתָּלִ֔יNaphtali
naftaliH5321 →
וְהָאַחֲר֖וֹןand the latter [time]
vehaacharonH314 →51 times
הִכְבִּ֑ידhe will make honored
hikhbidH3513 →113 times
דֶּ֤רֶךְ[the] way of
derekhH1870 →707 times
הַיָּם֙the sea
haiyamH3220 →396 times
עֵ֣בֶר[the] other side of
ʾeverH5676 →90 times
הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ןthe Jordan
haiyardenH3383 →
גְּלִ֖ילGalilee of
gelilH1551 →
הַגּוֹיִֽם׃the nations
hagoyimH1471 →561 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 Chronicles 5:26So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria) to take the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. And…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 17:6
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Kings 15:19
Then Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver in order to gain his support and strengthen his own grip on the kingdom.
- 2 Kings 15:29
In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and he took the people…
- 2 Kings 18:11
The king of Assyria exiled the Israelites to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.
- 1 Chronicles 5:6
and Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria carried into exile.
- 2 Kings 17:6
Through
2 Kings 15:29In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and he took the people…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 15:20
And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, conquering Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and the whole land of Naphtali, including the region of Chinnereth.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Chronicles 5:26
So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria) to take the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. And…
- 1 Kings 15:20
Through
Isaiah 8:22Then they will look to the earth and see only distress and darkness and the gloom of anguish. And they will be driven into utter darkness.
it leads to
- Isaiah 5:30
In that day they will roar over it, like the roaring of the sea. If one looks over the land, he will see darkness and distress; even the light will be obscured by clouds.
- Isaiah 5:30
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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About Isaiah
This page draws on 10 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); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2163: “Immanuel—The Light of Life” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.