1 Yet the darkenesse shall not be according to the affliction that it had when at the first hee touched lightly the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, nor afteward when he was more grieuous by the way of the sea beyond Iorden in Galile of the Gentiles. 2 The people that walked in darkenes haue seene a great light: they that dwelled in the land of the shadowe of death, vpon them hath the light shined. 3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased their ioye: they haue reioyced before thee according to the ioye in haruest, and as men reioyce when they deuide a spoyle. 4 For the yoke of their burthen, and the staffe of their shoulder and the rod of their oppressour hast thou broken as in the day of Midian. 5 Surely euery battell of the warriour is with noyse, and with tumbling of garments in blood: but this shall be with burning and deuouring of fire. 6 For vnto vs a childe is borne, and vnto vs a Sonne is giuen: and the gouernement is vpon his shoulder, and he shall call his name Wonderfull, Counseller, The mightie God, The euerlasting Father, The prince of peace, 7 The increase of his gouernement and peace shall haue none end: he shall sit vpon the throne of Dauid, and vpon his kingdome, to order it, and to stablish it with iudgement and with iustice, from hencefoorth, euen for euer: the zeale of the Lord of hostes will performe this. 8 The Lord hath sent a worde into Iaakob, and it hath lighted vpon Israel. 9 And all the people shall knowe, euen Ephraim, and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and presumption of the heart, 10 The brickes are fallen, but we will build it with hewen stones: the wilde figge trees are cut downe, but we will change them into ceders. 11 Neuerthelesse the Lord will raise vp the aduersaries of Rezin against him, and ioyne his enemies together. 12 Aram before and the Philistims behinde, and they shall deuoure Israel with open mouth: yet for all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. 13 For the people turneth not vnto him that smiteth them, neither doe they seeke the Lord of hostes. 14 Therefore will the Lord cut off from Israel head and taile, branche and rush in one day. 15 The ancient and the honorable man, he is the head: and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the taile. 16 For the leaders of the people cause them to erre: and they that are led by them are deuoured. 17 Therefore shall the Lord haue no pleasure in their yong men, neither will he haue compassion of their fatherlesse and of their widowes: for euery one is an hypocrite and wicked, and euery mouth speaketh follie: yet for all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out stil. 18 For wickednesse burneth as a fire: it deuoureth the briers and the thornes and will kindle in the thicke places of the forest: and they shall mount vp like the lifting vp of smoke. 19 By the wrath of the Lord of hostes shall the land be darkened, and the people shall be as the meate of ye fire: no man shall spare his brother. 20 And he shall snatch at the right hand, and be hungrie: and he shall eate on the left hand, and shall not be satisfied: euery one shall eate ye flesh of his owne arme. 21 Manasseh, Ephraim: and Ephraim Manasseh, and they both shall be against Iudah yet for all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
Isaiah 9 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
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)