Symbolism: Darkness and light are obviously physical properties of night and day, but they are also symbols. Ludlow comments:
“[Isaiah] does not establish, however, whether the “darkness” and “light” refer to physical, social, or spiritual conditions. At least three explanations are possible:
1. The darkness represents Assyria; the light is the king who protects his people from Assyria. Since Hezekiah is victorious over the Assyrians, he is the natural candidate for this rescuing role (Isa. 38–39). This viewpoint is favored among Jewish scholars.
2. The darkness represents wickedness and the Lord’s judgments; the light is the Israelites’ recognition of earlier sins and their attempt at religious reforms. Both Hezekiah and Isaiah were very much involved in these reforms, especially after the Assyrian attack and captivity of Israel humbled the remaining Israelites, and the death of Ahaz gave Hezekiah full political power. This figurative interpretation is advocated by some Jewish and Christian commentators.
3. The darkness represents a period of wickedness and apostasy; the light is Jesus Christ, who comes to the earth to personally teach his gospel. This identification is, of course, preferred by many Christian scholars (Matt. 4:12–16).
Literature: Verse 1 brought the image of darkness into a new context. Verse 2 contrasts light and dark twice, a poetic device that emphasizes the contrast and underlines the hopefulness of the light redeeming from darkness.
The first image is of those who “walked in darkness,” a metaphor with two meanings. The first meaning clarifies that those walking are the same as those afflicted by the physical darkness created by the invasion (2 Ne. 18:7–9, 22). The second meaning is that, by walking in darkness, they are no longer in Yahweh’s path.
The second image is those under “the shadow of death.” On the literal level, the Assyrian invasion has brought death and destruction. Metaphorically, this shadow represents spiritual death. Thus, Isaiah has intentionally written a prophecy capable of both literal and metaphoric fulfillment. As a result, this passage was not only meaningful at the time it was given but can still speak eloquently to modern people.