Matthew 4:16. The people; of the region just described.

Sitting in darkness. Dwelling contentedly. Isaiah says: ‘walking,' but Matthew indicates that the condition was worse. ‘Darkness' is the usual Scriptural figure for a state of depravity, including more than ignorance.

Saw a great light. The past tense in prophecy indicates certain fulfilment. This region had seen Christ, the light of men, bringing to them ‘truth, knowledge, moral purity, and happiness!' The article brings this out more fully.

The region and shadow of death. Poetic parallelism, a stronger expression for ‘darkness,' meaning either the region where death resides and the shadow he produces, or simply the region of the shadow of death. Darkness is spiritual death.

Did light spring up, as a star or the sun arises, the persons being passive. The Galileans, though probably not more barbarous and depraved than the inhabitants of Judea, were despised. Here the light arose; to those in the shadow of death the light came. Among the despised, those furthest from the temple, the work began and met with best success. This prophecy was not understood by the official interpreters. (John 7:52.)

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Old Testament