Psalms 18:28
in Psalms 18For You, O LORD, light my lamp; my God lights up my darkness.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For thou wilt light my lamp: Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness.
KJV
For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
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This verse in Psalms 18
Commentary
13 notes on this verse"I will bring forth a horn to David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed." The lamp is prepared for Christ, having arisen from the seed of David, for who other could it be than the offspring who has come forth from the succession of David according to the flesh; in what way does Christ who came into the womb of David become the ray of his own excellence and the light shining brightly for all people? Why in the aforesaid words does David speak prophetically: "Because you will light my lamp, Lord"?
This site's exposition
You, O LORD, light my lamp
on Psalms 18:28-30
The lamp is lit and the darkness with it. Charging an army and scaling a wall are both credited to God, and His way is called perfect and His word flawless. He is a shield to everyone who takes refuge in Him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
"For Thou wilt light My candle, O Lord." For our light is not from ourselves; but "Thou wilt light my candle, O Lord. O my God, Thou wilt enlighten my darkness." For we through our sins are darkness; but "Thou, O my God, wilt enlighten my darkness."
"For Thou wilt light My candle, O Lord." For our light is not from ourselves; but "Thou wilt light my candle, O Lord. O my God, Thou wilt enlighten my darkness." For we through our sins are darkness; but "Thou, O my God, wilt enlighten my darkness."
Let us not allow what is according to the flesh to persecute what is according to the spirit; neither let us, using the body as a pretext, quench the lamp that has been lit in us. We must therefore not contradict to the point of …
Just as the eye is the lamp of the body, so the lamp of the soul is the mind, in which, unless Christ has poured the oil of his grace, there will not be light within. The prophet, therefore, proclaims that his lamp is lighted …
A commentator
Augustine of HippoTractates on the Gospel of John, Tractate 14 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
So far as relates to man in himself, he is of earth, and speaks of the earth; and when he speaks some divine things, he is enlightened by God. For, were he not enlightened, he would be earth speaking of earth. God's grace is apart by itself, the nature of man apart by itself. Do but examine the nature of man: man is born and grows, he learns the customs of men. What does he know but earth, of earth? He speaks the things of men, knows the things of men, minds the things of men; carnal, he judges carnally, conjectures carnally: lo! it is man all over. Let the grace of God come, and enlighten his darkness, as it saith, "Thou wilt lighten my candle, O Lord; my God, enlighten my darkness;" let it take the mind of man, and turn it to its own light; immediately he begins to say, as the apostle says, "Yet not I, but the grace of God that is with me;" and, "Now I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." That is to say, "He must increase, but I must decrease." Thus John: as regards John, he is of the earth, and speaks of the earth; whatever that is divine thou hast heard from John, is of Him that enlightens, not of him that receives.
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
"For you." Here he turns to prayer, as if to say: so just are you. "For you light my lamp." And he does two things. First he gives thanks for a benefit received. Second, he sets forth a petition for one to be received, at …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
For thou wilt light my candle,....
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
"For thou wilt light my candle." Even the children of the day sometimes need candle-light. In the darkest hour light will arise; a candle shall be lit, it will be comfort such as we may fittingly use without dishonesty—it will be our own candle; yet God himself will find the holy fire with which the candle shall burn; our evidences are our own, but their comfortable light is from above. Candles which are lit by God the devil cannot blow out.
"For thou wilt light my candle." Even the children of the day sometimes need candle-light. In the darkest hour light will arise; a candle shall be lit, it will be comfort such as we may fittingly use without dishonesty—it will be our own candle; yet God himself will find the holy fire with which the candle shall burn; our evidences are our own, but their comfortable light is from above. Candles which are lit by God the devil cannot blow out. All candles are not shining, and so there are some graces which yield no present comfort; but it is well to have candles which may by and by be lit, and it is well to possess graces which may yet afford us cheering evidences. The metaphor of the whole verse is founded upon the dolorous nature of darkness and the delightfulness of light; "truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun;" and even so the presence of the Lord removes all the gloom of sorrow, and enables the believer to rejoice with exceeding great joy. The lighting of the lamp is a cheerful moment in the winter's evening, but the lifting up of the light of God's countenance is happier far. It is said that the poor in Egypt will stint themselves of bread to buy oil for the lamp, so that they may not sit in darkness; we could well afford to part with all earthly comforts if the light of God's love could but constantly gladden our souls.
For thou wilt light my candle - Thou wilt restore me to prosperity, and give me a happy issue out of all my afflictions. By the lamp of David the Messiah may be meant: thou wilt not suffer my family to become extinct, nor the kingdom which thou hast promised me utterly to fail.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For thou wilt light my candle - Margin, lamp. The word lamp best expresses the idea. In the Scriptures light is an image of prosperity, success, happiness, holiness, as darkness is the image of the opposite. See the notes at Job 29:2-3; compare also Job 18:6; Job 21:17; Pro 20:27; Pro 24:20; Psa 119:105; Psa 132:17; Isa 62:1. The meaning here is, that the psalmist felt assured that God would give him prosperity, as if his lamp were kept constantly burning in his dwelling. The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness - Will shed light on my path, which would otherwise be dark: will impart light to my understanding; will put peace and joy in my heart; will crown me with his favor. Compare the note at Psa 4:6.
The words behind it
8 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 |
| אַ֭תָּה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| תָּאִ֣יר | tair | you light | H215 → | 43 times |
| נֵרִ֑י | neri | lamp my | H5216 → | 49 times |
| יְהוָ֥ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י | ʾelohai | God my | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יַגִּ֥יהַּ | yagiah | he lightens | H5050 → | |
| חָשְׁכִּֽי׃ | chasheki | darkness my | H2822 → | 80 times |
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אַ֭תָּהyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
תָּאִ֣ירyou light
tairH215 →43 times
נֵרִ֑יlamp my
neriH5216 →49 times
יְהוָ֥הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱ֝לֹהַ֗יGod my
ʾelohaiH430 →2601 times
יַגִּ֥יהַּhe lightens
yagiahH5050 →
חָשְׁכִּֽי׃darkness my
chashekiH2822 →80 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
Matthew 4:16the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 9:2
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 42:6–7
“I, the LORD, have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a…
- Isaiah 9:2
Through
Luke 1:79to shine on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
it leads to
- Ephesians 5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 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…
- Matthew 4:16
the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”
- Isaiah 42:7
to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.
- Ephesians 5:8
Through
Isaiah 42:16I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These…
it leads to
- Isaiah 30:21
And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”
- Isaiah 30:21
Through
2 Samuel 22:29For You, O LORD, are my lamp; the LORD lights up my darkness.
it leads to
- John 8:12
Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 8:12
About Psalms
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Arnobius the Younger, COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 18; Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 18; Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on the Gospel of John, Tractate 14; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 1; Eusebius of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON PSALMS 18:29, 30; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodorus of Tabennese, INSTRUCTIONS 3:40 and Thomas Aquinas, Exposition on the Psalms of David.