2 Samuel 22:29
New International Version
You, LORD, are my lamp; the LORD turns my darkness into light.

New Living Translation
O LORD, you are my lamp. The LORD lights up my darkness.

English Standard Version
For you are my lamp, O LORD, and my God lightens my darkness.

Berean Standard Bible
For You, O LORD, are my lamp; the LORD lights up my darkness.

King James Bible
For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.

New King James Version
“For You are my lamp, O LORD; The LORD shall enlighten my darkness.

New American Standard Bible
“For You are my lamp, LORD; And the LORD illuminates my darkness.

NASB 1995
“For You are my lamp, O LORD; And the LORD illumines my darkness.

NASB 1977
“For Thou art my lamp, O LORD; And the LORD illumines my darkness.

Legacy Standard Bible
For You are my lamp, O Yahweh; And Yahweh illumines my darkness.

Amplified Bible
“For You, O LORD, are my lamp; The LORD illumines and dispels my darkness.

Christian Standard Bible
LORD, you are my lamp; the LORD illuminates my darkness.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
LORD, You are my lamp; the LORD illuminates my darkness.

American Standard Version
For thou art my lamp, O Jehovah; And Jehovah will lighten my darkness.

Contemporary English Version
Our LORD and God, you are my lamp. You turn darkness to light.

English Revised Version
For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
O LORD, you are my lamp. The LORD turns my darkness into light.

Good News Translation
You, LORD, are my light; you dispel my darkness.

International Standard Version
For you are my lamp, LORD, the LORD who illuminates my darkness.

Majority Standard Bible
For You, O LORD, are my lamp; the LORD lights up my darkness.

NET Bible
Indeed, you are my lamp, LORD. The LORD illumines the darkness around me.

New Heart English Bible
For you light my lamp. The LORD my God lights up my darkness.

Webster's Bible Translation
For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.

World English Bible
For you are my lamp, Yahweh. Yahweh will light up my darkness.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For You [are] my lamp, O YHWH, "" And YHWH lightens my darkness.

Young's Literal Translation
For Thou art my lamp, O Jehovah, And Jehovah doth lighten my darkness.

Smith's Literal Translation
For thou my light, O Jehovah: And Jehovah will enlighten my darkness.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and thou, O Lord, wilt enlighten my darkness.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For you are my lamp, O Lord. And you, O Lord, will illuminate my darkness.

New American Bible
You are my lamp, O LORD! My God brightens the darkness about me.

New Revised Standard Version
Indeed, you are my lamp, O LORD, the LORD lightens my darkness.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For thou wilt light my lamp; O LORD my God, lighten my darkness.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
You shall light my lamp, LORD JEHOVAH! My God shall enlighten my darkness
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For Thou art my lamp, O LORD; And the LORD doth lighten my darkness.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For thou, Lord, art my lamp, and the Lord shall shine forth to me in my darkness.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David's Song of Deliverance
28You save an afflicted people, but Your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down. 29For You, O LORD, are my lamp; the LORD lights up my darkness. 30For in You I can charge an army; with my God I can scale a wall.…

Cross References
Psalm 18:28
For You, O LORD, light my lamp; my God lights up my darkness.

Psalm 27:1
Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread?

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Isaiah 60:19-20
No longer will the sun be your light by day, nor the brightness of the moon shine on your night; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your splendor. / Your sun will no longer set, and your moon will not wane; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and the days of your sorrow will cease.

John 8:12
Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. / Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. / In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Proverbs 6:23
For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life,

Isaiah 42:16
I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.

John 1:4-5
In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. / The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Ephesians 5:8-9
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, / for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.

1 John 1:5-7
And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. / If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. / But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Psalm 36:9
For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.

Micah 7:8
Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.

Isaiah 9:2
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.

Luke 1:78-79
because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the Dawn will visit us from on high, / to shine on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”


Treasury of Scripture

For you are my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.

lamp.

Job 29:3
When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;

Psalm 27:1
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 84:11
For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

lighten

Psalm 4:6
There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

Psalm 18:28
For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

Psalm 97:11
Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.

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2 Samuel 22
1. David's psalm of thanksgiving for God's deliverance and blessings














For You, O LORD, are my lamp;
This phrase acknowledges God as the source of guidance and illumination. In ancient times, lamps were essential for navigating the darkness, symbolizing divine guidance and wisdom. The imagery of God as a lamp is consistent with other biblical passages, such as Psalm 119:105, which describes God's word as a lamp to one's feet. This metaphor highlights the personal relationship between the believer and God, emphasizing reliance on divine direction. The use of "LORD" (Yahweh) underscores the covenant relationship between God and His people, reflecting trust and dependence on His faithfulness.

the LORD lights up my darkness.
Here, the psalmist expresses confidence in God's ability to dispel darkness, which often symbolizes chaos, ignorance, or adversity. This assurance is rooted in the historical context of David's life, where he faced numerous challenges and enemies. The phrase can be connected to the New Testament, where Jesus is described as the "light of the world" (John 8:12), fulfilling the role of bringing spiritual enlightenment and salvation. The transformation from darkness to light signifies hope, deliverance, and the presence of God in times of trouble. This theme resonates throughout Scripture, illustrating God's power to overcome evil and provide clarity and peace.

Persons / Places / Events
1. David
The author of this song of praise, David is expressing his gratitude and trust in the LORD for delivering him from his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
The central figure in this verse, Yahweh is depicted as a source of light and guidance for David, symbolizing divine intervention and support.

3. Darkness
Represents the challenges, uncertainties, and adversities that David faced, both physically and spiritually.
Teaching Points
God as Our Light
Just as David relied on God to illuminate his path, we too can trust God to guide us through life's uncertainties and challenges.

Overcoming Darkness
The darkness in our lives, whether it be fear, doubt, or sin, can be dispelled by the light of God's presence and truth.

Dependence on Divine Guidance
In times of confusion or difficulty, seeking God's wisdom and direction is crucial for making righteous decisions.

Praise and Gratitude
Like David, we should cultivate a heart of gratitude, acknowledging God's faithfulness and deliverance in our lives.

Christ as the Fulfillment
Recognize that Jesus embodies the light of God, offering salvation and guidance to all who follow Him.(29) Thou art my lamp.--Comp. Psalm 27:1. The psalm changes the figure, "thou wilt light my candle (margin, lamp)." With this comp. Psalm 132:17; 1Kings 11:36; 1Kings 15:4.

Verses 29-31. -

"For thou, Jehovah, art my Lamp;
And Jehovah will make my darkness light.
For by thee do I run upon a troop;
In my God I leap over a wall.
God - his way is perfect;
The word of Jehovah is purified.
He is a Shield to all that trust in him."
Lamp. The lamp burning in the house is the proof of life and activity present there; and thus the extinguishing of the lamp means ruin and desolation (Job 21:17). So David is called "the lamp of Israel" (2 Samuel 21:17), because the active life of the nation centred in him. In a still higher sense the life and being of his people centres in God, and without him the soul is waste and void, like the universe before God said, "Let there be light." I run. To the warrior in old time speed was as important as strength, and thus Homer constantly calls Achilles "fleet of foot." It was his fleetness which gave Asahel a high place among the mighties (2 Samuel 2:18), and to this quality David now refers. The troop signifies a light armed band of marauders, whom with God's aid David could overtake, and stop in their course of rapine. The wall means fortifications like those of Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:7). Sieges were tedious affairs in old time, but David had captured that city with a rapidity so great that the metaphor in the text is most appropriate. Purified; or, refined. This does not mean that it is proved by experience and found true, but that it is absolutely good and perfect like refined gold (see Psalm 12:6).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

You,
אַתָּ֥ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

O LORD,
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

are my lamp;
נֵירִ֖י (nê·rî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5216: A lamp, light

the LORD
וַיהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

enlightens
יַגִּ֥יהַּ (yag·gî·ah)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5050: To glitter, to illuminate

my darkness.
חָשְׁכִּֽי׃ (ḥā·šə·kî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 2822: The dark, darkness, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness


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OT History: 2 Samuel 22:29 For you are my lamp Yahweh (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 22:28
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