H2816 H2816
darkness, the absence of light; used of the unknowable realm where God reveals hidden things
This Aramaic word for darkness appears in Daniel's night vision, where the prophet declares that God 'knows what is in the darkness' (Dan 2:22). Unlike ordinary absence of light, this darkness represents the hidden realm inaccessible to human wisdom. The context emphasizes divine sovereignty over mysteries concealed from mortals. Spanish and English glosses consistently use 'darkness' terminology, while French preserves the Hebrew form, highlighting its distinctive Aramaic character.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The Aramaic form appears in Daniel 2:22 within a doxology praising God's omniscience. Daniel affirms that God 'knows what is in the darkness,' contrasting human limitation with divine knowledge. The darkness here is not merely physical but epistemological—the realm of hidden truths that only God can penetrate. Cross-language glosses emphasize this state of obscurity. 1×
AR["فِي-الـ-ظُّلْمَةِ"]·ben["-অন্ধকারে"]·DE["[בחשוכא]"]·EN["is-in-the-darkness"]·FR["obscurité"]·heb["ב-חושך"]·HI["में-अंधकार"]·ID["dalam-kegelapan"]·IT["[בחשוכא]"]·jav["ing-pepeteng"]·KO["어둠에-있는지"]·PT["na-escuridão"]·RU["во-тьме"]·ES["en-la-oscuridad"]·SW["gizani"]·TR["karanlıkta"]·urd["میں-اندھیرے"]
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
† [חֲשׁוֹךְ] n.[m.] darkness;—emph. חֲשׁוֹכָא Dn 2:22.