To the teaching and to the testimony! Surely those who speak like this will have no dawn!
They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry; when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will curse their king and their gods. They will turn their faces upward, or they will look to the earth, but will see only distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, and they will be thrust into thick darkness. But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.
Deeper Dive
The passage speaks of a time when God will transform gloom into honour for the land of Zebulun and Naphtali. Historically, these northern tribes faced great affliction due to invasions. This change is symbolic of hope and restoration through divine intervention, emphasising the arrival of a great light, often interpreted as the coming of the Messiah. The passage conveys themes of redemption and divine promise, contrasting past suffering with future glory. Recalling the events of Gideon defeating Midian, this comparison highlights miraculous deliverance against overwhelming odds. It shows God’s power to liberate and vindicate His people. Midian’s defeat illustrated God’s supremacy and Israel’s deliverance, foreshadowing future, greater salvific acts. Symbolically, it’s a promise of victory over oppression and darkness, delivered by God’s mighty intervention encouraging exultation and relief as God prevails against adversities.
To the teaching and to the testimony! Surely those who speak like this will have no dawn!
They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry; when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will curse their king and their gods. They will turn their faces upward, or they will look to the earth, but will see only distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, and they will be thrust into thick darkness. But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.
Deeper Dive
The passage speaks of a time when God will transform gloom into honour for the land of Zebulun and Naphtali. Historically, these northern tribes faced great affliction due to invasions. This change is symbolic of hope and restoration through divine intervention, emphasising the arrival of a great light, often interpreted as the coming of the Messiah. The passage conveys themes of redemption and divine promise, contrasting past suffering with future glory. Recalling the events of Gideon defeating Midian, this comparison highlights miraculous deliverance against overwhelming odds. It shows God’s power to liberate and vindicate His people. Midian’s defeat illustrated God’s supremacy and Israel’s deliverance, foreshadowing future, greater salvific acts. Symbolically, it’s a promise of victory over oppression and darkness, delivered by God’s mighty intervention encouraging exultation and relief as God prevails against adversities.
