1 Nevertheless the darkness shall not be as when the distress was in the [land], at the time he at first lightly, and afterwards heavily, visited the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, — the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations: 2 the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them light hath shone. 3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, hast increased its joy: they joy before thee like to the joy in harvest; as [men] rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of him that is shod for the tumult, and the garment rolled in blood, shall be for burning, fuel for fire. 6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name is called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with judgment and with righteousness, from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this. 8 The Lord sent a word unto Jacob, and it lighteth upon Israel. 9 And all the people shall know [it], Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in pride and stoutness of heart, 10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; the sycamore trees are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars. 11 And Jehovah will set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and arm his enemies, 12 the Syrians on the east, and the Philistines on the west; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. 13 But the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, and they do not seek Jehovah of hosts. 14 And Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm-branch and rush, in one day: 15 the ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. 16 For the guides of this people mislead [them]; and they that are guided by them are swallowed up. 17 Therefore the Lord will not rejoice in their young men, neither will he have mercy on their fatherless and on their widows; for every one is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. 18 For wickedness burneth as a fire: it devoureth briars and thorns, and kindleth in the thickets of the forest, and they go rolling up like a pillar of smoke. 19 Through the wrath of Jehovah of hosts is the land burned up, and the people is as fuel for fire: a man spareth not his brother; 20 and he snatcheth on the right hand, and is hungry, and eateth on the left hand; and they are not satisfied. They eat every man the flesh of his own arm: 21 Manasseh, Ephraim, and Ephraim, Manasseh; [and] they together are against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.
Isaiah 9 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (21)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Matthew 4:15–16; 2 Kings 15:29; Isaiah 8:22; 1 Chronicles 5:26; 2 Chronicles 16:4
- 2 Matthew 4:16; Ephesians 5:8; John 8:12; John 12:46; Luke 1:78–79
- 3 Isaiah 35:10; Isaiah 26:15; Isaiah 65:18; Isaiah 66:10; Psalm 119:162
- 4 Jeremiah 30:8; Isaiah 14:25; Isaiah 10:26–27; Nahum 1:13; Isaiah 54:14
- 5 2 Thessalonians 1:8; Ezekiel 39:8–10; Isaiah 30:33; Psalm 46:9; Isaiah 66:15–16
- 6 Luke 2:11; Matthew 28:18; Jeremiah 23:5–6; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23
- 7 Luke 1:32–33; Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:14; 2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 45:4–6
- 8 Isaiah 7:7–8; Zechariah 5:1–4; Isaiah 8:4–8; Micah 1:1–9; Zechariah 1:6
- 9 Isaiah 46:12; Isaiah 10:9–11; Jeremiah 44:28–29; Malachi 4:1; 1 Peter 5:5
- 10 Malachi 1:4; 1 Kings 10:27; 1 Kings 7:9–12
- 11 Isaiah 17:1–5; Isaiah 7:8; Isaiah 10:9–11; Isaiah 8:4–7; 2 Kings 15:29
- 12 2 Chronicles 28:18; Isaiah 5:25; Psalm 79:7; 2 Kings 16:6; Isaiah 10:4
- 13 Jeremiah 5:3; Hosea 7:10; Isaiah 31:1; Isaiah 1:5; Hosea 7:16
- 14 Revelation 18:8; Isaiah 19:15; Amos 6:11; Isaiah 30:13; Hosea 13:3
- 15 Matthew 24:24; Isaiah 29:10; 2 Timothy 4:2–3; Isaiah 3:2–3; 1 Samuel 9:6
- 16 Isaiah 3:12; Matthew 15:14; Matthew 23:16–36; 1 Kings 8:55–56; 2 Chronicles 30:27
- 17 Jeremiah 18:21; Isaiah 5:25; Isaiah 10:6; Isaiah 9:12; Matthew 12:34
- 18 Malachi 4:1; Psalm 83:14; Nahum 1:10; Isaiah 5:24; Isaiah 34:8–10
- 19 Micah 7:2; Micah 7:6; 2 Peter 2:4; Isaiah 60:2; Isaiah 24:6
- 20 Isaiah 49:26; Jeremiah 19:9; Isaiah 8:21; Leviticus 26:26–29; Lamentations 4:10
- 21 Isaiah 5:25; 2 Chronicles 28:6–8; Isaiah 9:12; Galatians 5:15; 2 Kings 15:30
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
There are the following predictions: --"Unto us a child is born, and unto us a young man is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulders;" which is significant of the power of the cross, for to it, when He was crucified, He applied His shoulders, as shall be more clearly made out in the ensuing discourse.
… the foal of an ass; that He received for drink, vinegar and gall; that He was despised among the people, and humbled Himself even to death and that He is the holy Lord, the Wonderful, the Counsellor, the Beautiful in appearance, and the Mighty God, coming on the clouds as the Judge of all men; --all these things did the …
The Lord saw him, he concerning whom it was said, "They that sat under the shadow of death, unto them hath light arisen." What then was said to Nathanael?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
… nation by a part of it, nor signifies obscurely all the tribes; mark how the Prophet distinguishes that place, saying "The land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people which sat in darkness, saw great light:" by darkness here not meaning that which is sensible, but men's errors and ungodliness.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
The soul when it was deified descended into Hades, in order that, just as the Sun of Righteousness rose for those upon the earth, so likewise He might bring light to those who sit under the earth in darkness and shadow of death: in order that just as He brought the message of peace to those upon the earth, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 9 (1899)