»Das Volk, das in der Dunkelheit geht, hat ein großes Licht gesehen« (Jes 9,1)

Lichtmotivik als Thema Biblischer Theologie

Abstract

This article examines the motif of light as a central theme of biblical theology through selected texts from Isaiah (Isa 8:23–9:6; 42:1–4, 6–7; 49:1–6; 60:1–3, 19–20) and their reception in the New Testament (Luke 1:78–79; 2:29–32; Matt 4:12–16). Beginning with Isaiah 9, it traces how light imagery functions as a symbol of divine salvation, justice, peace, and presence. The study follows the development of this motif in the Servant Songs, where the Servant is commissioned as a »light for the nations,« and in Isaiah 60, where Zion itself becomes a source of light for the peoples. The New Testament reinterprets these traditions within a christological framework, presenting Jesus as the manifestation of divine light. Overall, the analysis highlights both continuity and reinterpretation, emphasizing the dynamic relationship between the two Testaments.