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.”
Parallel translations
- WEB the people who sat in darkness saw a great light, to those who sat in the region and shadow of death, to them light has dawned.”
- KJV The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
- NKJV The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”
- NASB The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light, And those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, Upon them a Light dawned.”
- NLT the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.”
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
Those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death have seen a great light. It announces that Jesus is the dawning light of salvation.
Overview
Completing the Isaiah quotation, Matthew presents Jesus as the great light breaking upon a people in spiritual darkness and under the sentence of death. The imagery captures humanity's lost condition and the hope that arrives in Christ. He is the light of the world whose coming dispels the gloom of sin and brings life.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Isa 9:2The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.
- Isa 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 light to the nations,
- Luke 1:78–79because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the Dawn will visit us from on high,
- Isa 60:1–3Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
- Mic 7:8Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.
- Ps 107:10–14Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and chains,
- Luke 2:32a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.”
- Amos 5:8He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns darkness into dawn and darkens day into night, who summons the waters of the sea and pours them over the face of the earth—the LORD is His name—
- Job 34:22There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity can hide.
- Jer 13:16Give glory to the LORD your God before He brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the dusky mountains. You wait for light, but He turns it into deep gloom and thick darkness.
- Job 10:22to a land of utter darkness, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”
- Job 3:5May darkness and gloom reclaim it, and a cloud settle over it; may the blackness of the day overwhelm it.
- Ps 44:19But You have crushed us in the lair of jackals; You have covered us with deepest darkness.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 4:16 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 Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.