Luke 1:79

Luke 1:79. To give light. The purpose of the visiting. The figure contained in the word ‘day-spring,' is carried out.

To them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death. This describes the condition of Israel, and also of the world at large. They were ‘sitting,' remaining, abiding, ‘in darkness,' as opposed to the light of divine truth, ‘and the shadow of death' (comp. Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:16); in a darkness, in which death reigns, deprived of the light of spiritual life. Death is personified as casting a shadow. The Scriptural figure of darkness usually involves the two thoughts of spiritual ignorance and death, just as light includes the light of divine truth and life, the former being the sphere of the latter.

To guide our feet into the way of peace. This is the end of giving light, and thus of the visit of the dayspring. This figure suggests walking in the light (Ephesians 5:8),as opposed to ‘sitting in darkness.' As the word ‘peace' in the Old Testament is generally used to sum up divine blessings, a sense which receives even greater fulness in the New Testament (see on chap. Luke 2:14), it may be well said, that ‘the hymn concludes with a boundless prospect into the still partially hidden future.'