I will darken the bright stars overhead and cover your land in darkness. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!
Parallel translations
- WEB I will make all the bright lights of the sky dark over you, and set darkness on your land, says the Lord Yahweh.
- KJV All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.
- BSB All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you, and I will bring darkness upon your land,’ declares the Lord GOD.
- NKJV All the bright lights of the heavens I will make dark over you, And bring darkness upon your land,” Says the Lord God.
- NASB “All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you And will set darkness on your land,” Declares the Lord God.
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
God will dim every light in the sky and set darkness over Egypt's land. The withdrawal of light dramatizes the nation's coming gloom and doom.
Overview
Extending the imagery of verse 7, the Lord declares total darkness over Egypt. Light in Scripture often signifies life, favor, and God's presence; its removal pictures judgment, dread, and the loss of all hope for the condemned nation. The repeated 'says the Lord Yahweh' stamps the oracle with divine authority and certainty.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Gen 1:14God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs to mark seasons, days, and years;
- Prov 20:20Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 32:8 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.