Luke 1:79 (DRB)

Passage

To enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death: to direct our feet into the way of peace.

Nearby Context

Luke 1:77 To give knowledge of salvation to his people, unto the remission of their sins.

Luke 1:78 Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, in which the Orient from on high hath visited us:

Luke 1:79 To enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death: to direct our feet into the way of peace.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "light", "darkness", "enlighten", "shadow", "death", "direct", "feet", and "peace". It is saying that the contrast between light and darkness marks a real divide in how people respond to God's work.

The nearby context moves from verse 78's "Through the bowels of the mercy of..." into verse 80's "And the child grew and was strengthened...", so "light" and "darkness" 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 "light" and "darkness" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.