Matthew 4:16

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

the people that sat in darkness saw a great light, and to them that sat in the region and shadow of death, to them did light spring up.

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ὁ λαὸς ὁ καθήμενος ἐν σκότει εἶδεν φῶς μέγα· καὶ τοῖς καθημένοις ἐν χώρᾳ καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου φῶς ἀνέτειλεν αὐτοῖς.

Transliteration

The laos ho kathēmenos in skotei eiden phōs mega; and to the ones kathēmenois in chōra and skia thanatou phōs aneteilen autois.

Grammar Details

*laos*: nominative, masculine, singular - people
*ho kathēmenos*: present middle participle, nominative, masculine, singular - the one sitting/dwelling
*skotei*: dative, neuter, singular - darkness [object of preposition]
*eiden*: aorist active, 3rd singular - saw
*phōs*: nominative, neuter, singular - light
*mega*: accusative, neuter, singular - great
*kathēmenois*: present middle participle, dative, masculine, plural - to the ones sitting/dwelling
*chōra*: dative, feminine, singular - region/country [object of preposition]
*skia*: dative, feminine, singular - shadow [object of preposition]
*thanatou*: genitive, masculine, singular - of death
*aneteilen*: aorist active, 3rd singular - rose/dawned
*autois*: dative, masculine, plural - to them

Word Meanings

*laos*: people/nation/population
*kathēmenos*: sitting/dwelling/residing
*skotei*: darkness/gloom
*eiden*: saw/perceived
*phōs*: light/radiance
*mega*: great/large/intense
*chōra*: region/country/land
*skia*: shadow/shade
*thanatou*: of death/mortality
*aneteilen*: rose/dawned/shone forth

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
Readers preferring contemporary language

🔄 Compare with

ESVNIVCSBNLTNASBNET

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

Isa 9:2 : 2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Amos 5:8 : 8 [ seek him] that maketh the Pleiades and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night; that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth (Jehovah is his name);
Luke 2:32 : 32 A light for revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of thy people Israel.
Isa 60:1-3 : 1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of Jehovah is risen upon thee. 2 For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but Jehovah will arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 3 And nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
Job 3:5 : 5 Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own; Let a cloud dwell upon it; Let all that maketh black the day terrify it.
Job 10:22 : 22 The land dark as midnight, [The land] of the shadow of death, without any order, And where the light is as midnight.
Job 34:22 : 22 There is no darkness, nor thick gloom, Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
Ps 44:19 : 19 That thou hast sore broken us in the place of jackals, And covered us with the shadow of death.
Ps 107:10-14 : 10 Such as sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Being bound in affliction and iron, 11 Because they rebelled against the words of God, And contemned the counsel of the Most High: 12 Therefore he brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, and there was none to help. 13 Then they cried unto Jehovah in their trouble, And he saved them out of their distresses. 14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And brake their bonds in sunder.
Jer 13:16 : 16 Give glory to Jehovah your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.
Isa 42:6-7 : 6 I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; 7 to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the {H3608} prison-house.
Mic 7:8 : 8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, Jehovah will be a light unto me.
Luke 1:78-79 : 78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, Whereby the dayspring from on high shall visit us, 79 To shine upon them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death; To guide our feet into the way of peace.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

Isa 9:1-2
2 verses
90%
1But there shall be no gloom to her that was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time hath he made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Luke 1:77-80
4 verses
84%
77To give knowledge of salvation unto his people In the remission of their sins,
78Because of the tender mercy of our God, Whereby the dayspring from on high shall visit us,
79To shine upon them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death; To guide our feet into the way of peace.
80And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel.
Matt 4:12-15
4 verses
83%
12Now when he heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee;
13and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali:
14that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
15The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, Toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles,
Luke 2:31-32
2 verses
76%
31Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples;
32A light for revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of thy people Israel.
Isa 60:1-3
3 verses
75%
1Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of Jehovah is risen upon thee.
2For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but Jehovah will arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
3And nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
Matt 4:17
74%
17From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
John 1:4-5
2 verses
74%
4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not.
John 12:46
73%
46I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me may not abide in the darkness.
John 12:35-36
2 verses
72%
35Jesus therefore said unto them, Yet a little while is the light among you. Walk while ye have the light, that darkness overtake you not: and he that walketh in the darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
36While ye have the light, believe on the light, that ye may become sons of light. These things spake Jesus, and he departed and hid himself from them.
Matt 11:5
72%
5the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good tidings preached to them.
John 3:19
72%
19And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.
John 1:9
71%
9There was the true light, [even the light] which lighteth every man, coming into the world.
John 8:12
71%
12Again therefore Jesus spake unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not {G3361} walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Luke 11:35-36
2 verses
71%
35Look therefore whether the light that is in thee be not darkness.
36If therefore thy whole body be full of light, having no {G5100} part dark, it shall be wholly full of light, as when the lamp with its bright shining doth give thee light.
Luke 4:17-18
2 verses
71%
17And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And he opened the book, and found the place where it was written,
18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor: He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised,
2 Cor 4:6
71%
6Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Matt 5:16
71%
16Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Job 10:22
71%
22The land dark as midnight, [The land] of the shadow of death, without any order, And where the light is as midnight.
Luke 11:33
71%
33No man, when he hath lighted a lamp, putteth it in a cellar, neither under the bushel, but on the stand, that they which enter in may see the light.
Ps 107:10
71%
10Such as sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Being bound in affliction and iron,
Matt 5:14
70%
14Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.
Mark 1:14
70%
14Now after John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of {G932} God,
Jer 13:16
70%
16Give glory to Jehovah your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.
Eph 5:14
70%
14Wherefore [he] saith, Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine upon thee.
Isa 8:22
69%
22and they shall look unto the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and into thick darkness [they shall be] driven away.
Mark 1:9
69%
9And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in the Jordan.
Matt 4:25
69%
25And there followed him great multitudes from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judaea and [from] beyond the Jordan.
Luke 3:4
69%
4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight.
Isa 42:7
69%
7to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the {H3608} prison-house.
Ps 112:4
69%
4Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: [He is] gracious, and merciful, and righteous.
Luke 17:24
69%
24for as the lightning, when it lighteneth out of the one part under the heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall the Son of man be in his day.
Mark 4:21
69%
21And he said unto them, Is the lamp brought to be put under the bushel, or under the bed, [and] not to be put on the stand?
Ps 107:14
69%
14He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And brake their bonds in sunder.
Acts 13:24
69%
24when John had first preached before {G4383} his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
Isa 29:18
69%
18And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.
Col 1:13
68%
13who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love;