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Wednesday, July 9th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Psalms 18:28

You light a lamp for me. The Lord , my God, lights up my darkness.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blessing;   Faith;   Thompson Chain Reference - Candle;   Enlightenment;   Light-Darkness;   Spiritual;   The Topic Concordance - Enlightenment;   Light;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Lamps;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Fire;   Psalms, the Book of;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Candle;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Apocalyptic Literature;   David;   English Versions;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Jonah;   Psalms;   Salvation, Saviour;   Sin;   Text, Versions, and Languages of Ot;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Psalms the book of;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Candle;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Candle;   Enlighten;  

Devotionals:

- Faith's Checkbook - Devotion for September 27;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Lord, you light my lamp;my God illuminates my darkness.
Hebrew Names Version
For you will light my lamp. The LORD, my God, will light up my darkness.
King James Version
For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
English Standard Version
For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
New Century Version
Lord , you give light to my lamp. My God brightens the darkness around me.
New English Translation
Indeed, you are my lamp, Lord . My God illuminates the darkness around me.
Amplified Bible
For You cause my lamp to be lighted and to shine; The LORD my God illumines my darkness.
New American Standard Bible
For You light my lamp; The LORD my God illumines my darkness.
World English Bible
For you will light my lamp. Yahweh, my God, will light up my darkness.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Surely thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God wil lighten my darkenes.
Legacy Standard Bible
For You light my lamp;Yahweh my God illumines my darkness.
Berean Standard Bible
For You, O LORD, light my lamp; my God enlightens my darkness.
Contemporary English Version
You, the Lord God, keep my lamp burning and turn darkness to light.
Complete Jewish Bible
People afflicted, you save; but haughty eyes, you humble.
Darby Translation
For it is thou that makest my lamp to shine: Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.
Easy-to-Read Version
Lord , you provide the flame for my lamp. You, God, turn the darkness around me into light.
George Lamsa Translation
For thou wilt light my lamp; the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
Good News Translation
O Lord , you give me light; you dispel my darkness.
Lexham English Bible
For you light my lamp; Yahweh, my God, lights up my darkness.
Literal Translation
For You will light my lamp; Jehovah my God will make my darkness light.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou lightest my cadle, o LORDE my God: thou makest my darcknesse to be light.
American Standard Version
For thou wilt light my lamp: Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness.
Bible in Basic English
You, O Lord, will be my light; by you, my God, the dark will be made bright for me.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For Thou dost save the afflicted people; but the haughty eyes Thou dost humble.
King James Version (1611)
For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkenesse.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thou also hast lyghtened my candell: God my Lorde hath made my darknesse to be lyght.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For thou, O Lord, wilt light my lamp: my God, thou wilt lighten my darkness.
English Revised Version
For thou wilt light my lamp: the LORD my God will lighten my darkness.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For thou schalt make saaf a meke puple; and thou schalt make meke the iyen of proude men.
Update Bible Version
For you will light my lamp: Yahweh my God will lighten my darkness.
Webster's Bible Translation
For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
New King James Version
For You will light my lamp; The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
New Life Bible
You make my lamp bright. The Lord my God lights my darkness.
New Revised Standard
It is you who light my lamp; the Lord , my God, lights up my darkness.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, thou, didst light up my lamp, Yahweh my God, enlightened my darkness;
Douay-Rheims Bible
(17-29) For thou lightest my lamp, O Lord: O my God, enlighten my darkness.
Revised Standard Version
Yea, thou dost light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness.
Young's Literal Translation
For Thou -- Thou lightest my lamp, Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.
THE MESSAGE
Suddenly, God , you floodlight my life; I'm blazing with glory, God's glory! I smash the bands of marauders, I vault the highest fences.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
For You light my lamp; The Lord my God illumines my darkness.

Contextual Overview

20 The Lord rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence. 21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord ; I have not turned from my God to follow evil. 22 I have followed all his regulations; I have never abandoned his decrees. 23 I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin. 24 The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence. 25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. 26 To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. 27 You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud. 28 You light a lamp for me. The Lord , my God, lights up my darkness.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thou wilt: Psalms 112:4, Job 18:6, Job 29:3

candle: or, lamp, Psalms 132:17, 2 Samuel 22:29, 1 Kings 11:36, Proverbs 20:27, Isaiah 62:1

my God: Isaiah 42:16, Matthew 4:16, Luke 1:79, 1 Peter 2:9

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 15:4 - lamp Esther 8:16 - had light Psalms 7:1 - O Psalms 13:3 - lighten Psalms 27:1 - light Psalms 34:5 - and were Psalms 97:11 - Light Psalms 118:27 - showed Psalms 119:105 - lamp John 8:12 - shall not

Cross-References

Genesis 18:3
"My lord," he said, "if it pleases you, stop here for a while.
Genesis 18:4
Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet.
Genesis 18:17
"Should I hide my plan from Abraham?" the Lord asked.
Genesis 18:19
I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised."
Genesis 18:26
And the Lord replied, "If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake."
Genesis 18:29
Then Abraham pressed his request further. "Suppose there are only forty?" And the Lord replied, "I will not destroy it for the sake of the forty."
Genesis 18:32
Finally, Abraham said, "Lord, please don't be angry with me if I speak one more time. Suppose only ten are found there?" And the Lord replied, "Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten."
Genesis 18:33
When the Lord had finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way, and Abraham returned to his tent.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For thou wilt light my candle,.... Or lamp d: in

2 Samuel 22:29, it is, "Thou [art] my lamp, O Lord"; which may either design outward prosperity, and the flourishing condition of David's kingdom; or internal spiritual light, and an increase of it, by giving fresh supplies of the oil of grace, to cause the lamp to burn more clearly; or rather the prosperous estate of Christ's kingdom; and may be the same with the lamp ordained for the Messiah, Psalms 132:17;

the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness; or "cause light to shine in my darkness" e; that is, bring me out of darkness into light; either out of adversity to prosperity, or from walking in darkness to the enjoyment of the light of his countenance; and is true of Christ, not only of the prosperity of his kingdom and interest, but of him personally; who though, when on the cross, was in darkness of soul, being forsaken by his God; yet, when raised from the dead, he was received up to heaven, and set down at the right hand of God, and was made full of joy with his countenance, Acts 2:28.

d נרי "lucernam meam", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, &c. e So Gussetius, Comment. Ebr. p. 495.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For thou wilt light my candle - Margin, lamp. The word lamp best expresses the idea. In the Scriptures light is an image of prosperity, success, happiness, holiness, as darkness is the image of the opposite. See the notes at Job 29:2-3; compare also Job 18:6; Job 21:17; Proverbs 20:27; Proverbs 24:20; Psalms 119:105; Psalms 132:17; Isaiah 62:1. The meaning here is, that the psalmist felt assured that God would give him prosperity, as if his lamp were kept constantly burning in his dwelling.

The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness - Will shed light on my path, which would otherwise be dark: will impart light to my understanding; will put peace and joy in my heart; will crown me with his favor. Compare the note at Psalms 4:6.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 18:28. For thou wilt light my candle — Thou wilt restore me to prosperity, and give me a happy issue out of all my afflictions. By the lamp of David the Messiah may be meant: thou wilt not suffer my family to become extinct, nor the kingdom which thou hast promised me utterly to fail.


 
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