He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth up to light the shadow of death.
מְגַלֶּ֣ה עֲ֭מֻקוֹת מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵ֖א לָא֣וֹר צַלְמָֽוֶת׃
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
God has illuminated and disclosed to everyone the essence of sin that was previously concealed within. However, when you consider its nature, do not fall into the misconception that sin is an autonomous, sentient entity as some believe. Generally, sin arises and dissipates within the realm of human will.
Who reveals the depths from the heart of darkness and illuminates the shadows of death. For when a few sacred truths are uncovered in the hidden messages of the prophets by the faithful, it is as if the depths are drawn out from the darkness. This is why Truth herself, speaking in parables to her followers, declares, I will proclaim to you what is spoken in the light, Matthew 10:27, for when we decipher the mystical complexities of the allegories, we are, in essence, ‘declaring in the light what we have perceived in the darkness.’ The 'shadow of death' signifies the rigidity of the Old Covenant, which condemned every sinner to face the consequence of bodily death.
Yet, when our Savior tempers the harshness of the Law with His humility, He no longer determines physical death as the definitive punishment for sin but rather reveals the grave nature of spiritual death. In doing so, He has undoubtedly brought the shadow of death into illumination. The death that separates the body from the soul serves as a mere ‘shadow’ of the far worse death that separates the soul from God; hence, it ‘reveals the shadow of death’ because once the gravity of spiritual death is comprehended, the death of the body seems insignificant by comparison.
This can also be understood from another perspective. Those rightly identified as ‘princes’ are those who govern the thoughts of their hearts wisely and keep foolish impulses at bay through the power of understanding. However, it often occurs that the mind, buoyed by wisdom, ascends due to pride and subsequently falls due to the very vices it once believed it had conquered. Thus, it is aptly stated, He brings dishonor upon princes. But since there are times when individuals who have wandered into moral depravity, through sincere repentance, come together to confess their sins, it is justly said, and He lifts up the lowly. Some, illuminated by divine grace, recognize the profound dirtiness of their sinful actions and weep over the stains of their iniquities, thereby gaining strength to curb their former indulgences.
In this way, through the magnificent design of Almighty God, we learn that in this life, everything is ultimately uncertain, and no one can be assured of maintaining their purity forever, since He brings dishonor upon the mighty; similarly, no one should succumb to utter despair because of their wrongdoings, as He also exalts those who are humbled. Although these things occur, there are times when God’s hidden thoughts are made manifest, allowing human judgment to become transparent, revealing the depths from the heart of darkness.
The Lord uncovers the depths from the heart of darkness by revealing His judgments from His secret will to convey His thoughts concerning individuals. Since the Creator sees all while humanity remains unaware of His plans, the Psalmist has aptly observed, darkness is the veil over His secret place, Psalm 17:12. Yet He allows this darkness to emerge into the light by showing His intentions regarding the actions of every person. At the moment when someone, burdened by sin, begins to turn toward the truth, they may catch their first glimpse of the death that threatens to put them beyond redemption, even while they remain temporarily blind to this reality; thus, it is easily added, and brings the shadow of death into the light. The ‘shadow of death’ represents the wicked actions which take the form of the physical manifestations of our ancient adversary, of whom it is noted, and his name was Death. Rev. 6:8. Frequently, his evil temptations influence human minds, and their hidden nature often makes them more potent. Therefore, the disclosure of the shadow of death signifies that the wrongdoing perpetrated by our ancient foe is revealed in the hearts of the Saints so that it may be confronted and eliminated.
In its essence, this refers to the one who discloses hidden truths to everyone and rescues those who are in peril and facing death. He designates the shadow of death as a threat, for just as the shadow precedes the body, remaining closest to it, so too does the peril of death accompany it. Spiritually, he may be prophetically heralding the arrival of the Lord, who addressed the captives, saying, "Come out," and those enveloped in darkness, "Show yourselves" (Isaiah 49:9), and has come to illuminate those dwelling in darkness and the shadow of death (Luke 1:79).
Job expresses his frustration with his friends who assume that wisdom is solely their own and refuse to accept his perspective that virtue does not guarantee happiness in life. He emphasizes that the existence of all living beings and the destinies of humanity are under God's sovereignty. Furthermore, he points out that the elders, whose insights his friends rely upon, have crafted a song that illustrates God's providential guidance in the lives of all, including the mighty, the honorable, and the wise.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS