Luke 1:79 (DBY)

Passage

to shine upon them who were sitting in darkness and in [the] shadow of death, to guide our feet into [the] way of peace.

Nearby Context

Luke 1:77 to give knowledge of deliverance to his people by [the] remission of their sins

Luke 1:78 on account of [the] bowels of mercy of our God; wherein [the] dayspring from on high has visited us,

Luke 1:79 to shine upon them who were sitting in darkness and in [the] shadow of death, to guide our feet into [the] way of peace.

Luke 1:80 And the child grew and was strengthened in spirit; and he was in the deserts until the day of his shewing to Israel.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "darkness", "shine", "upon", "sitting", "shadow", "death", "guide", and "feet". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "darkness" and "shine", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 78's "on account of the bowels of mercy..." into verse 80's "And the child grew and was strengthened...", so "darkness" and "shine" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "darkness" and "shine" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.