Discovery BoxIsaiah 9:2 
Context9:2 (9:1) The people walking in darkness
see a bright light; 1
light shines
on those who live in a land of deep darkness. 2
Isaiah 23:3
Context23:3 the deep waters! 3
Grain from the Shihor region, 4
crops grown near the Nile 5 she receives; 6
she is the trade center 7 of the nations.
Isaiah 54:2
Context54:2 Make your tent larger,
stretch your tent curtains farther out! 8
Spare no effort,
lengthen your ropes,
and pound your stakes deep. 9
Isaiah 60:2
Context60:2 For, look, darkness covers the earth
and deep darkness covers 10 the nations,
but the Lord shines on you;
his splendor 11 appears over you.
1 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).
2 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.
3 tc The Hebrew text (23:2b-3a) reads literally, “merchant of Sidon, the one who crosses the sea, they filled you, and on the deep waters.” Instead of מִלְאוּךְ (mil’ukh, “they filled you”) the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads מלאכיך (“your messengers”). The translation assumes an emendation of מִלְאוּךְ to מַלְאָכָו (mal’akhav, “his messengers”), taking the vav (ו) on וּבְמַיִם (uvÿmayim) as improperly placed; instead it should be the final letter of the preceding word.
4 tn Heb “seed of Shihor.” “Shihor” probably refers to the east branch of the Nile. See Jer 2:18 and BDB 1009 s.v. שִׁיחוֹר.
5 tn Heb “the harvest of the Nile.”
6 tn Heb “[is] her revenue.”
7 tn Heb “merchandise”; KJV, ASV “a mart of nations”; NLT “the merchandise mart of the world.”
8 tn Heb “the curtains of our dwelling places let them stretch out.”
9 tn Heb “your stakes strengthen.”
10 tn The verb “covers” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
11 tn Or “glory” (so most English versions); TEV “the brightness of his presence.”
