For, behold, darkness will cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but Yahweh will arise on you, and his glory shall be seen on you.
Parallel Translations
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For, behold, darkness will cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but Yahweh will arise on you, and his glory shall be seen on you.
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For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
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For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but upon thee the LORD will arise, and His glory shall be seen upon thee.
Cross-references (27)
Passages linked to Isaiah 60:2 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Colossians 1:13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love,
- 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
- Acts 17:30-31 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent, because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.”
- Haggai 2:7-9 and I will shake all nations. The precious things of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, says Yahweh of Armies. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,’ says Yahweh of Armies. ‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says Yahweh of Armies; ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ says Yahweh of Armies.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:4-6 in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them. For we don’t preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake, seeing it is God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
- Ephesians 4:17-20 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts. They, having become callous, gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you didn’t learn Christ that way,
- Malachi 4:2 But to you who fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings. You will go out, and leap like calves of the stall.
- Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
- Romans 1:21-32 Because knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, and didn’t give thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, four-footed animals, and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves; who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error. Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers, backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.
- Leviticus 9:23 Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Meeting, and came out, and blessed the people; and Yahweh’s glory appeared to all the people.
- Numbers 16:19 Korah assembled all the congregation opposite them to the door of the Tent of Meeting. Yahweh’s glory appeared to all the congregation.
- Ezekiel 10:4 Yahweh’s glory mounted up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of Yahweh’s glory.
- Acts 17:23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, I announce to you.
- 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face seeing the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.
- Habakkuk 3:3-4 God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens, and his praise filled the earth. His splendor is like the sunrise. Rays shine from his hand, where his power is hidden.
- John 1:14 The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
- John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has declared him.
- John 8:55 You have not known him, but I know him. If I said, ‘I don’t know him,’ I would be like you, a liar. But I know him and keep his word.
- Acts 14:16 who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
- 1 Kings 8:11 so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for Yahweh’s glory filled Yahweh’s house.
- Jeremiah 13:16 Give glory to Yahweh your God, before he causes darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and while you look for light, he turns it into the shadow of death, and makes it deep darkness.
- Matthew 15:14 Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
- Matthew 23:19 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
- John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- Hebrews 1:2-3 has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds. His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, who, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high,
- Psalms 80:1 Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock, you who sit above the cherubim, shine out.
- Matthew 23:24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (16 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Signifying, that all men are in darkness till God…
Signifying, that all men are in darkness till God give them the light of his Spirit, and that this light shineth to none, but to those that are in his Church.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Isa 60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the…
Isa 60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
Ver. 2. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth.] As once it did Egypt, {Exo 10:21} when there was light in the land of Goshen. So is there in the Church, when all the world besides lieth buried in a fog of ignorance and a bog of wickedness. Rhodes is always located in the sun. {a} The separation of the saints in light is a wonderful separation. {Exo 33:16}
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But the Lord shall arise upon thee.] The Lord Christ, who is "the true light," {Joh 1:9} "the light of the world," {Joh 8:12} "the Sun of righteousness." {Mal 4:2} {See Trapp on "Mal 4:2"}
{a} Semper in sole sita est Rhodos.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain The darkness; either affliction and misery, a known metaphor;…
The darkness; either affliction and misery, a known metaphor; or ignorance and idolatry; as also all kinds of errors and immoralities, with which all that are out of the church are smutted and polluted: compare Eph 4:18,19.
Shall cover the earth; either,
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1. General, all the inhabitants of the earth, such as through ignorance reject the gospel. Or rather,
2. More particular, the Babylonians, by a synecdoche of the whole for a part, in that dismal condition being harassed by Cyrus, whereby the Jews were delivered; this being also a type of the deliverance of God’s people by the Messiah, which this text principally intends.
Gross darkness; an allusion to that Egyptian darkness, Exo 10:21, &c.; palpable ignorance, the inlet and nursery to gross idolatry and all profaneness.
The Lord, i.e. Christ, Mal 4:2; Luk 1:77-79.
His glory shall be seen; shall be wonderfully conspicuous: as the Lord’s arising answers to the darkness covering the earth, so the glory being seen answers to that gross darkness. The sense is, that whereas the time was, that the people of God were under great calamities, while their enemies were in ease and prosperity, now it shall be quite contrary; now these shall be in adversity, and those in prosperity, a great turn of providence; and withal implies that this light of grace is a peculiar to his people, in respect of which all other prosperity is but darkness and misery; as light was peculiar to Goshen, when darkness was in all the Egyptian houses, Exo 10:23.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and…
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people,.... Like that which covered the land of Egypt, when there was light in Goshen: and this may be meant either of the darkness of ignorance, idolatry, superstition, false doctrine, and false worship, that should cover the far greater part of the nations of the world, before this light and glory should break out, as it does at this day; some parts of it being covered with Pagan darkness, others with Mahometan darkness, and others with Papal darkness; and a very small spot it is where the light of the Gospel is, and that clear, but among a very few; for the most part it is not clear nor dark, it is not day nor night; and this is the evening time, in which, ere long, it shall be light; see Zac 14:6 or else this may design the distress that the antichristian states will be in, when this light shall break forth; the kingdom of the beast will be full of darkness, distress, and confusion, Rev 16:10,
but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee: as on the tabernacle of old, Lev 9:23 to which the allusion is, Isa 4:5 this shows that the light and glory of the Lord, in the preceding verse, design the Lord himself, and his gracious purpose, and the display of his glory in the Gospel now preached; and that it will be visible in the church, and taken notice of by others, and induce them, and even great personages, to come unto it, as follows: or "he shall be seen", or "appear", in "his glory upon thee"; so Ben Melech renders it, supposing that "in", is wanting; and so the sense is, that Christ shall appear in the glory of his person and of his offices, and especially his kingly office; and in the glory of his grace and righteousness, in the ministration of his word among his people. The Jews (r) apply this to the first coming of Christ, which belongs to his spiritual reign.
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(r) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 99. 1.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain The darkness - All kinds of errors. The Lord…
The darkness - All kinds of errors. The Lord - Christ. Shall be seen - Shall be conspicuous; as the Lord's arising, to the darkness covering the earth, so the glory being seen, answers to that gross darkness.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 2. Darkness shall cover the earth] This is…
Verse 2. Darkness shall cover the earth] This is the state of the Gentile people.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Isa 60:2. For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth…
Isa 60:2. For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth — Ignorance, idolatry, and all kinds of errors and vices; and gross darkness the people — Like that of Egypt; the most palpable blindness and infatuation as to divine things; but the Lord — Christ, the bright and morning-star, the day- spring from on high, or, rather, the Sun of righteousness, Rev 22:16; Luk 1:78; Mal 4:2; shall arise upon thee — By his gospel and his grace, bringing light to those that before sat in darkness, and in the shadow of death; and his glory shall be seen upon thee — Shall be wonderfully conspicuous. “The design of the Holy Spirit in this clause, as I suppose,” says Vitringa, “is to describe the state of the nations of the world, at the time when God should illuminate the church with this light, as if by a new advent of his Son, and a repeated manifestation of his divine kingdom. Almost all the world should be found in a similar state of darkness to that wherein the Son of God found it at his first coming; and if we might form any judgment from the state of things, from the darkness which now overspreads the earth, through the prevalence of Popery, infidelity, and immorality, in the countries professing Christianity, and Mohammedanism and paganism in the other regions of the earth, we may reasonably conclude, that these words of the prophet, at the period alluded to, will not want their exact completion.”
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain For behold - Lo, darkness covers the earth. This…
For behold - Lo, darkness covers the earth. This is designed to turn the attention to the fact that all the rest of the world would be enveloped in deep spiritual night.
Darkness - (See the notes at Isa 45:7).
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Shall cover the earth - Shall envelope the whole world except where it is illuminated by the gospel. It is needless to say that this was the fact when the Messiah came, and that it is still extensively true also.
And gross darkness - Lowth renders this, ‘A thick vapor.’ Herder. ‘Deep obscurity.’ Septuagint, Γνόφος Gnophos - Cloud, shade, tempest. The Hebrew word (ערפל ‛ărâpel) usually denotes thick cloud, cloudy darkness, gloom; and is often applied to the thick clouds of a tempest Exo 20:18; Deu 4:11; Psa 18:10. It is a word of intenser meaning than that which is rendered ‘darkness’ (השׁך chôshek) and the idea here is, that the nations would be enveloped in a cloud of ignorance and sin so dense and obscure that no light could penetrate it - a description strikingly applicable to the whole pagan world.
But the Lord shall arise upon thee - Like the sun. That is, Yahweh would manifest his perfections to them in a glorious manner.
Shall be seen upon thee - There is more emphatic meaning in the original here than is conveyed in our translation. The Hebrew word (יראה yērâ'eh) does not mean merely that that glory would be visible, but that it would be conspicuous. It would be so bright and luminous that it would be seen afar - like a cloud or column of glory standing over Jerusalem that would be conspicuous to far distant people.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain People. Babylon shall suffer, while thou art relieved. (Calmet)…
People. Babylon shall suffer, while thou art relieved. (Calmet) --- The Gentiles continue in darkness till they embrace the faith, ver. 3. (Haydock) --- Only those who are in the Church receive the light of truth. (Worthington)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain darkness . . . earth--the rest of the earth:…
darkness . . . earth--the rest of the earth: in contrast with "light . . . upon thee" (Isa 60:1). The earth will be afterwards enlightened through Israel (Isa 9:2).
be seen--conspicuously: so the Hebrew.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 2, 3. Darkness shall cover the earth — Apparently…
2, 3. Darkness shall cover the earth — Apparently spoken of the Gentiles, whose “darkness” shall continue for awhile, but will be ultimately dissipated by the reflected light from Zion.
The Lord shall arise upon thee — Zion is brought into light, not as a spectacle, not to be in contrast with Gentiles engrossed in darkness; but to impart her light upon Gentiles.
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This explains Isa_60:2. The Lord is risen upon the whole pagan world in that he has confided to Zion — that is, the whole Christian world — the duty of direct evangelization in every part of the earth. Thus (Isa_60:3) all nations are to walk in Zion’s light of truth and salvation.
Brightness of thy rising — The glory of Zion is to increase, and attract many and strong nations and kings, as by a light suddenly breaking on thickest gloom. The words here must not be weakened by a change to thy rising brightness. “Thy rising” is as the “sun of suns” coming over Jerusalem from the east and in surpassing splendour passing on to the west.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 2, 3. While Zion is thus illuminated by the…
2, 3. While Zion is thus illuminated by the presence of Jehovah the heathen world still lies in darkness. Jerusalem is the one point of light on the earth’s surface, to which the nations and their kings are attracted. For people read with R.V. peoples.
but the Lord &c.] Better: but upon thee (emphatic) shall Jehovah arise.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (2) The darkness shall cover the earth . .…
(2) The darkness shall cover the earth . . .—The darkness which had shrouded Zion still spreads its veil over the heathen nations of the world, but they also are to share in the light which is to stream forth from the new Jerusalem. (Comp. Mal_4:2; Psa_84:11.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth. As…
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth. As in Egypt a "thick darkness" covered the whole land at the word of Moses, (Exo_10:22) while still "the children of Israel had light in their dwellings," so now the world and "the nations" of the world lay in a deep obscurity, into which scarcely a ray of light penetrated, while on Israel there dawned a glory which streamed from the throne of God, and at once transfigured her, and gave her the appearance of an angel of the Most High. In the radiance of this light she was to stand up and show herself, and then great results would follow.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth
Isa_60:2-3
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth
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The manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles
1.
The first token that was shown to the Gentile world that the great Light had arisen which was to cast its beams over them as well as over the small nation which alone hitherto had known God, was the wonderful star which was seen in the sky. This appeared but twice to the Magi--once to tell them to set out, and once to tell them that they had arrived. All the rest was faith.
2. It was the manifestation of the Redeemer, the Light of the world, to the Gentiles. But much had yet to be done before the Gentiles were received into the full equality of privilege and grace with the Jews. It was above thirty years yet before the rending of the veil of the temple showed that the partition-wall was broken down by the death of Christ, which divided Jew from Gentile; still longer before the commission was given to go and teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Holy Trinity; still longer before the vision at Joppa and the gift of the Holy Spirit at Ceasarea bade St. Peter baptize Cornelius, the first Gentile Christian, into the Church.
3. Let us claim our share in that exceeding great joy with which the wise men saw the first brightness of that star when they saw it in the East. If we do truth--that is to say, if we really,, try to please God, by living according to His will--then we come to the light, and our deeds will be made manifest that they are wrought in God. (G. Moberly.)
Zions glory
The prophet here reverts for a moment to the previous condition of the world, in order to describe, with more effect, the glorious change to be produced. He is not, therefore, to be understood as saying that Zion shall be glorious because, while the nations are in darkness, she is to enjoy exclusive light, but because the light imparted to her first shall draw the nations to her. (J. A. Alexander.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 General Information:
General Information:
Isaiah is speaking to the people of Israel. He continues the metaphor about "light." (See: Isaiah 60:1)
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Though darkness will cover the earth, and thick darkness the nations
Both of these phrases mean the same thing and are combined for emphasis. They refer to "spiritual darkness." This means all the other people of the world will not know Yahweh or how to please him. This is a metaphor for divine judgment. (See: Parallelism and Metaphor)
yet Yahweh will arise upon you
This means the light of God's presence will appear for the people of Israel, and it will show the way they should go. (See: Metaphor)
his glory will be seen on you
This can be stated in active form. AT: "the people of the nations will see his glory on you" (See: Active or Passive)
translationWords
darkness
nation
Yahweh
glory
light
king
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.