Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 4:16

16 The People which sate in darkness, saw great light, and to them which sate in the Region, and shadow of death, light is sprang up.

The Text in Isaiah, 9.1.2. where the words are, Nevertheless the Dimness shall not be such as was in her Vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the Land of Zebulon, and the Land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the Sea beyond Iordan, in Galilee of the Nations. The People that walked in Darkness, have seen a great Light, they that dwell in the Land of the shadow of Death, upon them hath a Light shined. The Iews make a great many Objections against the Application of this Text unto Christ (as indeed they do against the Application of all Texts cited out of the Old Testament by the Evangelists) Christians believing that the Evangelists being Holy Men, who wrote not from a private Spirit, private Interpretations, have not any reason to regard what their Interest leadeth them to Object: But even Christian Interpreters are divided in their Sentiments whether these words are said to be fulfilled, in this Motion of Christ unto Galilee, in a Literal, or Typical, or a more improper and Analogical Sense, nor is it any great matter with which of them we agree, for my own part, I see no reason, why, v. 2. should not be Litterally understood of, and applyed unto Christ. There is nothing more ordinary in the Prophets, than after a threatning of Judgment, and Captivity unto the People to Comfort such as feared God amongst them with Promises of the Messiah, and the spiritual Salvation which was to be brought in; The Land of Zebulon, and Naphtali, suffered much by Benhadad, 1 Kin. 15.20. and more by Tiglath-Pilezer, 2 Kin. 15.29. before the General Captivity of the ten Tribes, 2 Kin. 17.6. The Lord by the Prophet, ch. 8. had been threatning this general Captivity, possibly the Prophet might say, the Affliction of those parts, should not be so great as the second mentioned, 2 Kin. 15.20. because by the story it seems they were generally carried into Captivity, before the more general Destruction of the other Tribes there, saith he. This Darkness shall be abundantly hereafter compensated, by the coming of the Messiah, and Preaching amongst this People; who living at a great distance from Ierusalem; never had such a Light as some other parts of Iudea, and first drank of the Cup of Gods wrath in their Captivity. It was called Galilee of the Gentiles, because it was near to the Men of Tyre, who were Gentiles, and had doubtless, in it a greater mixture o[illegible: 1 letter] Gentiles, than any other part of Canaan, ever since Solomon gave Hiram twenty Cities in this Galilee, 1 Kin. 9.11.