Psalms 107:10-15

107:10 They sat in utter darkness, ¹ 

bound in painful iron chains, ² 

107:11 because they had rebelled against God’s commands, ³ 

and rejected the instructions of the sovereign king. ⁴ 

107:12 So he used suffering to humble them; ⁵ 

they stumbled and no one helped them up.

107:13 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;

he delivered them from their troubles.

107:14 He brought them out of the utter darkness, ⁶ 

and tore off their shackles.

107:15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,

and for the amazing things he has done for people! ⁷ 

Psalms 112:4

112:4 In the darkness a light ⁸  shines for the godly,

for each one who is merciful, compassionate, and just. ⁹ 

Isaiah 9:2

9:2 (9:1) The people walking in darkness

see a bright light; ¹⁰ 

light shines

on those who live in a land of deep darkness. ¹¹ 

Isaiah 49:9

49:9 You will say ¹²  to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’

and to those who are in dark dungeons, ¹³  ‘Emerge.’ ¹⁴ 

They will graze beside the roads;

on all the slopes they will find pasture.

Isaiah 50:10

50:10 Who among you fears the Lord?

Who obeys ¹⁵  his servant?

Whoever walks in deep darkness, ¹⁶ 

without light,

should trust in the name of the Lord

and rely on his God.

Matthew 4:16

4:16 the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,

and on those who sit in the region and shadow of death a light has dawned.” ¹⁷ 

Luke 1:78-79

1:78 Because of ¹⁸  our God’s tender mercy ¹⁹ 

the dawn ²⁰  will break ²¹  upon us from on high

1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, ²² 

to guide our feet into the way ²³  of peace.”

[107:10]  ¹ tn Heb “those who sat in darkness and deep darkness.” Synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of “darkness” experienced by the exiles. The Hebrew term צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet, “deep darkness”) has traditionally been understood as a compound noun, meaning “shadow of death” (צֵל + מָוֶת [tsel + mavet]; see BDB 853 s.v. צַלְמָוֶת; cf. NASB). Other authorities prefer to vocalize the form צַלְמוּת (tsalmut) and understand it as an abstract noun (from the root צלם) meaning “darkness.” An examination of the word’s usage favors the latter derivation. It is frequently associated with darkness/night and contrasted with light/morning (see Job 3:5; 10:21-22; 12:22; 24:17; 28:3; 34:22; Ps 107:10, 14; Isa 9:1; Jer 13:16; Amos 5:8). In some cases the darkness described is associated with the realm of death (Job 10:21-22; 38:17), but this is a metaphorical application of the word and does not reflect its inherent meaning. In Ps 107:10 the word refers metonymically to a dungeon, which in turn metaphorically depicts the place of Israel’s exile (see vv. 2-3).

[107:10]  ² tn Heb “those bound in suffering and iron.” “Suffering and iron” is a hendiadys (like English “good and angry”), where both words contribute to one idea. In this case the first word characterizes the second; the iron (chains) contribute to the prisoners’ pain and suffering.

[107:11]  ³ tn Heb “the words of God.”

[107:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “the counsel of the Most High.”

[107:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “and he subdued with suffering their heart.”

[107:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “darkness and deep darkness.” See the note on the word “darkness” in v. 10.

[107:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.

[112:4]  ⁸ tn In this context “light” symbolizes divine blessing in its various forms (see v. 2), including material prosperity and stability.

[112:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “merciful and compassionate and just.” The Hebrew text has three singular adjectives, which are probably substantival and in apposition to the “godly” (which is plural, however). By switching to the singular, the psalmist focuses on each individual member of the group known as the “godly.” Note how vv. 5-9, like vv. 1-2a, use the singular to describe the representative godly individual who typifies the whole group.

[9:2]  ¹⁰ sn The darkness symbolizes judgment and its effects (see 8:22); the light represents deliverance and its effects, brought about by the emergence of a conquering Davidic king (see vv. 3-6).

[9:2]  ¹¹ tn Traditionally צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet) has been interpreted as a compound noun, meaning “shadow of death” (so KJV, ASV, NIV), but usage indicates that the word, though it sometimes refers to death, means “darkness.” The term should probably be repointed as an abstract noun צַלְמוּת (tsalmut). See the note at Ps 23:4.

[49:9]  ¹² tn Heb “to say.” In the Hebrew text the infinitive construct is subordinated to what precedes.

[49:9]  ¹³ tn Heb “in darkness” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “the prisoners of darkness.”

[49:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “show yourselves” (so ASV, NAB, NASB).

[50:10]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “[who] listens to the voice of his servant?” The interrogative is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[50:10]  ¹⁶ tn The plural indicates degree. Darkness may refer to exile and/or moral evil.

[4:16]  ¹⁷ sn A quotation from Isa 9:1.

[1:78]  ¹⁸ tn For reasons of style, a new sentence has been started in the translation at this point. God’s mercy is ultimately seen in the deliverance John points to, so v. 78a is placed with the reference to Jesus as the light of dawning day.

[1:78]  ¹⁹ sn God’s loyal love (steadfast love) is again the topic, reflected in the phrase tender mercy; see Luke 1:72.

[1:78]  ²⁰ sn The Greek term translated dawn (ἀνατολή, anatolh) can be a reference to the morning star or to the sun. The Messiah is pictured as a saving light that shows the way. The Greek term was also used to translate the Hebrew word for “branch” or “sprout,” so some see a double entendre here with messianic overtones (see Isa 11:1-10; Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12).

[1:78]  ²¹ tn Grk “shall visit us.”

[1:79]  ²² sn On the phrases who sit in darkness…and…death see Isa 9:1-2; 42:7; 49:9-10.

[1:79]  ²³ tn Or “the path.”