ζόφος G2217
Deep darkness, gloom; the murky blackness of the netherworld or divine judgment
Denotes a thick, oppressive darkness associated with dread and divine punishment. Unlike ordinary nightfall, this word evokes the primordial gloom of the underworld—Homer used it for the realm of Hades. In the New Testament it appears exclusively in contexts of eschatological judgment: chains of darkness, the blackest gloom reserved for the wicked. French 'ténèbres' and Spanish 'tinieblas' both reach for the plural to convey its overwhelming, engulfing quality. The word's poetic gravity makes it far heavier than common terms for darkness.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Nether gloom or deep darkness, especially as associated with divine judgment and the abode of the condemned. In Heb 12:18 it describes the terrifying darkness at Sinai; in 2 Pet 2:4 it names the gloomy chains where fallen angels are held; in 2 Pet 2:17 and Jude 1:13 it is the 'blackest darkness' reserved for false teachers; and Jude 1:6 parallels the angelic imprisonment. Spanish 'tinieblas' and French 'ténèbres' consistently use the plural to capture the word's oppressive, engulfing quality—this is not mere absence of light but an active, dreadful darkness with mythological and eschatological overtones. 5×
amh["ጨለማ"]·AR["الظُّلمَةِ", "دَيْجُور", "ظلام", "ظلمة", "قَتامُ"]·ben["অন্ধকার", "ঘন-অন্ধকারের"]·ces["temnota", "temnotou"]·dan["mørke"]·DE["Finsternis"]·ell["ζόφον", "ζόφος"]·EN["darkness", "gloom", "of-darkness"]·FR["ténèbre", "ténèbres"]·guj["અંધકાર", "અંધકારના"]·hat["fènwa"]·hau["duhu"]·heb["אֲפֵלָה", "אפלה", "אפלת", "חֹשֶׁךְ", "שֶׁל-אֲפֵלָה"]·HI["अन्धकार", "अन्धकार-की", "घोर-अंधेरे"]·hun["homály", "sötétségben"]·ID["kegelapan", "kekelaman,"]·IT["tenebra", "tenebre", "zophos", "zophou", "zophō"]·jav["pepeteng", "peteng"]·JA["暗闇", "暗闘"]·KO["암흑-에", "어둠", "어둠-의", "어둠의", "어둠이"]·mar["अंधार", "अंधारात"]·mya["မှောင်မိုက်"]·nld["duisternis"]·nor["mørke"]·pnb["ہنیرا", "ہنیرے"]·pol["ciemnością", "mrok"]·PT["de-trevas", "escuridão", "trevas"]·ron["întuneric", "întunericul"]·RU["мрак", "мрака", "мраком", "тьме"]·ES["de-tinieblas", "oscuridad", "tinieblas"]·SW["giza", "weusi", "ya-giza"]·swe["mörker"]·tam["இருளில்", "இருள்"]·tel["అంధకారము"]·tgl["kadiliman"]·TH["ความมืด"]·TR["karanlık", "karanlığı", "karanlığın", "zifiri-karanlığa"]·ukr["морок"]·urd["اندھیرا", "اندھیرے-کے", "تاریکی"]·VI["bóng-tối"]·yor["òkùnkùn"]·yue["幽暗", "黑暗"]·ZH["幽暗"]
Related Senses
H4325 1. water, waters (582×)H6965b 1. Qal: to rise, arise, get up (432×)H2091 1. gold (the metal) (389×)H0068 1. stone, rock (material/object) (267×)H5178a 1. bronze/copper as metal (131×)H6083 1. dust, dry earth, soil (108×)H8313 1. burn, set fire to (94×)H2734 1. anger was kindled (82×)G5204 1. water (80×)H2822 1. darkness, absence of light (80×)G5457 1. light (illumination) (71×)G0450 1. rise, stand up (physical) (69×)H6965b 2. Qal: to stand firm, endure, be valid (50×)H6999a 2. burn sacrifice on altar (Hifil) (45×)H5553 1. rock, cliff (physical feature) (43×)H6965b 4. Hifil: to establish, confirm (covenant/kingdom/word) (40×)H1197a 1. burn, be on fire (39×)H4306 1. rain, showers (38×)H1653 1. rain, precipitation (34×)G4655 1. darkness (30×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ζόφος, ὁ, nether darkness, ἱεμένων Ἔρεβόσδε ὑπὸ ζόφον NT+8th c.BC+; Ἀΐδης δ᾽ ἔλαχε ζόφον ἠερόεντα obtained the realms of gloom for his share, Refs 8th c.BC+ __2 generally, gloom, darkness, NT+8th c.BC+; χειμέριος ζ. the gloom of winter, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II the dark quarter, i.e. the West, ἤδη γὰρ φάος οἴχεθ᾽ ὑπὸ ζόφον Refs 8th c.BC+; ποτὶ ζόφον, opposed to πρὸς ἠῶ τ᾽ ἠέλιόν τε, Refs 8th c.BC+…