“For You are my lamp, O Lord; The Lord shall enlighten my darkness.
Parallel translations
- WEB For you are my lamp, Yahweh. Yahweh will light up my darkness.
- KJV For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.
- BSB For You, O LORD, are my lamp; the LORD lights up my darkness.
- NASB “For You are my lamp, Lord; And the Lord illuminates my darkness.
- NLT O Lord, you are my lamp. The Lord lights up my darkness.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David confesses that Yahweh is his lamp who lights up his darkness. God is the source of his hope and guidance.
Overview
In the gloom of trouble, God himself is David's light, dispelling fear and showing the way. This intimate image expresses dependence on God for life and direction. It points to Christ, the light of the world, who shines in our darkness and gives the light of life to all who follow him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Ps 27:1By David. Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?
- John 8:12Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
- Rev 21:23The city has no need for the sun, neither of the moon, to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
- John 12:46I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness.
- Job 29:3when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
- Mic 7:9I will bear the indignation of Yahweh, because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my case, and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light. I will see his righteousness.
- Ps 112:4Light dawns in the darkness for the upright, gracious, merciful, and righteous.
- Isa 50:10Who among you fears Yahweh, and obeys the voice of his servant? He who walks in darkness, and has no light, let him trust in Yahweh’s name, and rely on his God.
- Ps 18:28For you will light my lamp, Yahweh. My God will light up my darkness.
- Ps 97:11Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.
- Isa 60:19–20The sun will be no more your light by day; nor will the brightness of the moon give light to you, but Yahweh will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
- Ps 84:11For Yahweh God is a sun and a shield. Yahweh will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly.
- Ps 4:6Many say, “Who will show us any good?” Yahweh, let the light of your face shine on us.
- 2 Sam 21:17But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “Don’t go out with us to battle any more, so that you don’t quench the lamp of Israel.”
- Mal 4:2But to you who fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings. You will go out, and leap like calves of the stall.
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 22:29 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.