As already mentioned, the larger literary context of Isaiah 9:1-6 is the “Book of Immanuel” in Isaiah 7-12. The more immediate literary context for Isaiah 9:1-6 is Isaiah 8:23 (ET – 9:1; cf. the citation in Matthew 4:15-16). In this verse, it is clear that God has shined his light upon “the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.” Therefore, when reading Isaiah 9:1-6, these are the people that Isaiah has in mind in Isaiah 9:1 (HT).[1] Also, even though the passages employs perfect verbs, Isaiah 8:23 (ET – 9:1) proclaims what the Lord shall do “in the latter time,” indicating that the passage is eschatological in orientation. This is a critical component involved in the Messianic understanding of this passage.
*ET = English Text
*HT = Hebrew Text (In certain places the Hebrew versification differs from the English)
[1] Like the phrase “in the last days”(2:2), the phrase “in a latter time” (8:23) also refers to the time of the Messiah’s rule.
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