H2821 H2821
To be or become dark; of sky, sun, or stars losing light; of eyes growing dim; causatively, to bring darkness.
This verb paints the full spectrum of darkness in Scripture, from the literal blackout of the Egyptian plague (Exod 10:15) to the cosmic dimming of sun, moon, and stars on the Day of the Lord (Eccl 12:2). The Hifil causative adds theological agency: God darkens the skies (Amos 5:8) or sends darkness upon Egypt (Ps 105:28). Two specialized extensions appear in Lamentations: eyes growing dim from grief (Lam 5:17) and skin turning dark from famine (Lam 4:8). Spanish distinguishes 'oscurecer' for environmental darkening from the more visceral bodily senses, while German 'Finsternis' captures the numinous dread that darkness carries throughout the prophets.
4. become dark (of skin) — A rare Qal extension describing skin or bodily appearance turning dark or blackened, found at Lam 4:8 where the once-radiant Nazirites are now darker than soot. Spanish 'mas oscuro' (darker) and French 'tenebres' (darkness) both render the comparative, pointing to a visible transformation caused by famine and suffering. This sense extends the root's semantic range from cosmic and environmental darkness to the human body itself, completing a full trajectory from sky to skin. 1×
AR["اسْوَدَّ"]·ben["অন্ধকার-হয়ে-গেছে"]·DE["Finsternis"]·EN["Darker"]·FR["ténèbres"]·heb["חשך"]·HI["काला-हो-गया"]·ID["Lebih-gelap"]·IT["tenebre"]·jav["Peteng"]·KO["검어졌네"]·PT["Escureceu"]·RU["Потемнел"]·ES["Más-oscuro"]·SW["Sasa-ni-nyeusi"]·TR["Karardı"]·urd["کالی-ہو-گئی"]
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
1. become dark (light fails) — The basic Qal intransitive sense: of the sky, sun, moon, stars, or day becoming dark or losing light. This covers both natural darkness (Exod 10:15, the locust plague blocking the sun) and eschatological cosmic darkening (Isa 13:10, Eccl 12:2). Job 3:9 curses the day of his birth, wishing its morning stars would grow dark. Spanish 'oscurecerse' and French 'obscurcir' consistently render this environmental sense, while German sometimes uses the noun 'Finsternis' (darkness) to capture the resulting state. 10×
AR["أَظلَمَ","أَظْلَمَتِ","تِحْشَكْ","لتُظْلِمْ","لِتُظْلِمْ","وَ-أَظْلَمَتِ","وَ-ظُلْمَةٌ","وِ-حَشْكُو","يُظْلِمُ"]·ben["অন্ধকার","অন্ধকার-হয়","অন্ধকার-হয়েছে","অন্ধকার-হোক","এবং-অন্ধকার","এবং-অন্ধকার-হয়","এবং-অন্ধকার-হল"]·DE["Finsternis","[וחשכה]","[וחשכו]","[חשך]","[יחשכו]","[תחשך]","lass-sein-darkened","und-war-dark"]·EN["and-darkness","and-grow-dark","and-was-dark","grows-dark","is-dark","is-darkened","let-be-dark","let-be-darkened"]·FR["et-obscurcir","et-était-dark","obscurcir","ténèbres"]·heb["ו-חשכה","ו-חשכו","חשך","יחשכו","תחשך","תחשכנה"]·HI["अंधेरा-हो","अंधेरा-होगा","अंधेरी-हो-गई","अंधेरे-हों","उसके-तम्बू-में","और-अंधेरा","और-अंधेरी-हो-गई","और-अंधेरी-हों"]·ID["Biarlah-gelap","dan-kegelapan","dan-menjadi-gelap","gelap","menjadi-gelap"]·IT["[וחשכה]","[חשך]","e-fu-dark","e-oscurare","oscurare","oscuro'","tenebre"]·jav["Dadosa-peteng","dados-peteng","lan-dados-peteng","lan-peteng","mugi-peteng","peteng"]·KO["그리고-어두워졌다","그리고-어둠-이","어두워졌나니","어두워졌다","어두워졌도다","어두워지게-하소서","어두워진다","어두워질-것이다","어둡게-되기를"]·PT["Escureçam-se","e-escureceu","e-escuridão","e-se-escurecem","escurecerá","escureceu","escureceu-se","escureçam","se-escureça"]·RU["да-померкнут","да-помрачатся","и-померкнут","и-потемнела","и-тьма","померк","померкнет","потемнеет","потемнело"]·ES["Oscurézcanse","Sean-oscurecidos","oscurecerá","oscurecida","se-oscurece","se-oscureció","se-oscurezca","y-oscuridad","y-se-oscureció","y-se-oscurezcan"]·SW["Yatiwe-giza","imekuwa-giza","imetiwa-giza","itakuwa-giza","itatiwa-giza","kutia-giza","na-akataka","na-giza","na-wametia-giza","na-zitiwe-giza"]·TR["karansın","kararar","karardi","kararin","kararık-oldu","kararılsın","kararıyor","ve-karanlık","ve-karardı","ve-kararin"]·urd["اندھیرا-ہو","اندھیرا-ہو-جائے-گا","اندھیرا-ہوگا","اندھیری ہو جائے","اندھیری-ہو-گئی","اندھیری-ہوں","اندھیرے-ہوں","اور-اندھیرا","اور-اندھیری-ہو-گئی","اور-دھندلا-ہوں"]
2. cause darkness (Hifil) — The Hifil causative sense: to darken, to bring about or impose darkness. God actively darkens the light of Egypt (Ps 105:28) and turns daylight to night (Amos 5:8). At Jer 13:16, the prophet warns to give glory to God before he causes darkness on the mountains. Job 38:2 uses it rhetorically: 'Who is this that darkens counsel?' The causative adds theological agency absent from the Qal -- darkness becomes an instrument of divine purpose rather than a mere natural phenomenon. 6×
AR["أَظْلَمَ","أَنْ-يُظْلِمَ","تُظْلِمُ","وَ-أَظلَمَ","وَ-أُظْلِمُ","يُظْلِمُ"]·ben["অন্ধকার-করছে","অন্ধকার-করে","অন্ধকার-করে-সে","অন্ধকার-করেন","এবং-অন্ধকার-করল","ও-আমি-অন্ধকার-করব"]·DE["[החשיך]","[והחשכתי]","[יחשך]","[מחשיך]","ist-dunkel","und-es-Krieg-dunkel"]·EN["and-I-will-darken","and-it-was-dark","darkening","he-darkens","is-dark","it-grows-dark"]·FR["et-obscurcir","obscurcir"]·heb["החשיך","ו-החשכתי","ו-יחשיך","יחשיך","מחשיך"]·HI["अंधेरा-करता-है","अंधेरा-हो","अन्धेरा-करता","और-अंधेरा-करूँगा","और-अंधेरा-किया","बदलने-वाला"]·ID["Dia-membuat-gelap","Ia-gelapkan","dan-menjadi-gelap","gelap","menggelapkan"]·IT["[החשיך]","[והחשכתי]","e-oscuro'","oscurare","oscuro'"]·jav["ing-tengah-awan","lan-ndadosakén-peteng","ndadosaken-peteng","ngepetengaken","peteng","piyambakipun-peteng"]·KO["그가-어둡게-하시기-전에","그리고-내가-어둡게-하리라","그리고-어둡게-하셨도다","어둡게-하는-자이냐","어둡게-하신다","어둡게-하지-않도다"]·PT["e-a-escureceu","e-escurecerei","encobrem","escurecer,","escureceu","que-escurece"]·RU["и-омрачу","и-стало-темно","омрачающий","помрачает","станет-темно","утаит"]·ES["oscurece","oscurezca","y-oscureceré","y-oscureció"]·SW["anaufanya-giza","anayetia-giza","kutiwa-giza","kuwa-giza","na-ikawa-giza","na-nitaifanya-kuwa-giza"]·TR["karanlıktır","karartanı","karartıan","karartır","ve-karanlattı","ve-karartacağım"]·urd["اندھیرا کرنے والا","اندھیرا-کرتا","اندھیرا-کرے","اور-اندھیرا-ہو-گیا","اور-تاریک-کروں-گا","تاریک-کرنے-والا"]
3. grow dim (of eyes) — A specialized Qal use for eyes growing dim, attested at Lam 5:17 where eyes have grown dark from weeping over Zion's desolation. Spanish 'se han oscurecido' applies the same darkening vocabulary to human vision, yet the context makes clear this is grief-induced dimness rather than environmental darkness. The metaphor bridges physical and emotional registers: failing sight becomes an embodied expression of sorrow. 1×
AR["أَظْلَمَتْ"]·ben["অন্ধকার-হয়েছে"]·DE["[חשכו]"]·EN["have-grown-dim"]·FR["obscurcir"]·heb["חשכו"]·HI["अंधेरी-हो-गईं"]·ID["menjadi-gelap"]·IT["oscurare"]·jav["sami-peteng"]·KO["어두워졌네"]·PT["escureceram"]·RU["померкли"]·ES["se-han-oscurecido"]·SW["yamepofuka"]·TR["karardı"]·urd["اندھیری-ہو-گئیں"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† חָשַׁךְ vb. be, grow dark (NH id.; Aramaic חֲשַׁךְ, ܚܫܶܟ; Arabic حَسِكَ bear rancour, v. LagBN 30)— Qal Pf. ח׳ Is 5:30 + 4 times; וְחָֽשְׁכָה consec. Mi 3:6 (but v. infr.); חָֽשְׁכוּ La 5:17; וְחָֽשְׁכוּ consec. Ec 12:3; Impf. 3 fs. תֶּחְשַׁךְ Ec 12:2; וַתֶּחְשַׁךְ Ex 10:15; 3 mpl. יֶחְשְׁכוּ Jb 3:9; 3 fpl. תֶּחְשַׁכְנָה ψ 69:24;— 1. be, grow dark, אוֹר Is 5:30, cf. (fig.) Jb 18:6; הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ…