Original Word: נָגַהּ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: nagahh
Pronunciation: naw-gah'
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-gah')
KJV: (en-)lighten, (cause to) shine
NASB: illumines, shine, gives light, shed
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to glitter
2. causatively, to illuminate

enlighten, cause to shine

A primitive root; to glitter; causatively, to illuminate -- (en-)lighten, (cause to) shine.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to shine
NASB Translation
gives...light (1), illumines (2), shed (1), shine (2).

נָגַהּ verb shine (Assyrian nagû, shine, beam, be joyful, Dl^{HWB 446}; Ethiopic Aramaic ; Late Hebrew ᵑ7 נוֺגְהָא planet Venus) —

Qal Perfect אוֺר ׳ועלדֿרכיך נ Job 22:28; עליהם ׳אור נ Isaiah 9:1; Imperfect ולאיִֿגַּהּ שְׁבִיב אִשּׁוֺ Job 18:5.

Hiph`il Imperfect

1 enlighten ויהוה יַגִּיהַּ חָשְׁכִּי 2 Samuel 22:29 = יהוה אלהי יַגִּהַּ הּשׁכי Psalm 18:29.

2 cause to shine (of moon) וְיָרֵחַ לאֿ יַגִּיהַּ אוֺרוֺ׃ Isaiah 13:10 ("" חָשַׁך).

Semantic and Imagistic Core

The verb evokes the sudden or continual breaking in of light, whether from a lamp, celestial body, or divine presence. It often appears in contrast to darkness that symbolizes danger, ignorance, or judgment.

Canonical Distribution and Literary Setting

• 2 Samuel 22:29 and Psalm 18:28 form a paired testimony from David’s song of deliverance. The picture is domestic and personal: “For You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD lights up my darkness.” God is likened to the house-lamp that pushes back night and makes life within secure.
• Job 18:5 uses the verb negatively to describe the wicked: “Indeed, the light of the wicked is extinguished; the flame of his fire does not shine.” Their apparent brilliance is fleeting.
• Job 22:28 promises restoration: “You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you; light will shine on your ways.” Divine favor illumines the path of the repentant sufferer.
• Isaiah 9:2 positions the verb at the heart of messianic hope: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.” The shining initiates a new era of salvation.
• Isaiah 13:10 reverses the image in an oracle of judgment on Babylon: “For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light.” Cosmic lights fail when God withdraws sustaining grace.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Self-Revelation: The LORD’s character is portrayed as inherently radiant; His acts of salvation are experienced as light that dispels darkness (2 Samuel 22:29; Psalm 18:28).
2. Moral Illumination: The verb stands for the disclosure of wisdom and guidance (Job 22:28). Walking in the light means walking in God’s will.
3. Judgment and De-creation: When God withholds light (Isaiah 13:10), creation reverts toward chaos, underscoring His absolute sovereignty.
4. Messianic Fulfillment: Isaiah 9:2 anticipates the advent of Christ. In the New Testament, Jesus declares, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12), answering Isaiah’s prophetic shining.
5. Eschatological Assurance: Final redemption is pictured as unending illumination (Revelation 22:5), the ultimate realization of what the verb adumbrates.

Historical and Cultural Notes

Ancient Near Eastern households depended on single clay lamps; their small flame made the difference between safety and peril. Similarly, celestial bodies governed agriculture and navigation. The verb therefore tapped everyday dependence on light to communicate spiritual realities.

Practical Ministry Implications

• Preaching: Employ the Davidic texts to assure believers that God actively penetrates personal darkness, whether of sin, grief, or confusion.
• Counseling: Job 22:28 offers language for praying confidence into uncertain decisions: “light will shine on your ways.”
• Missions: Isaiah 9:2 motivates outreach to those “walking in darkness,” grounding evangelism in God’s promise of dawning light.
• Worship: Contrast Isaiah 13:10 with Isaiah 9:2 in liturgy to move from the gravity of judgment to the hope of salvation.

Homiletical Outline Example

1. The Lamp of Deliverance (2 Samuel 22:29)
2. The Extinguished Torch of the Wicked (Job 18:5)
3. The Dawning Light of the Messiah (Isaiah 9:2)
4. Living as Children of Light (Ephesians 5:8–9; cf. Job 22:28)

Key Takeaways

• God’s light is not merely informative but transformative, creating safety, wisdom, and joy.
• Darkness symbolizes more than ignorance; it is the realm of threat and divine displeasure.
• The Hebrew verb’s six occurrences trace a redemptive arc from individual rescue to cosmic renewal, culminating in the revelation of Jesus Christ, the everlasting Light.

יִ֝גַּ֗הּ יַגִּ֥יהַ יַגִּ֥יהַּ יגה יגיה נָ֣גַֽהּ נָגַ֥הּ נגה nā·ḡah Nagah nāḡah yag·gî·ah yag·gî·ha yagGiah yaggîah yagGiha yaggîha yig·gah yiggahInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts