H2825 H2825
darkness, gloom; used of supernatural, figurative, and distress-related darkness
A poetic noun for darkness that carries deeper resonance than simple absence of light. In Genesis 15:12, a 'great darkness' falls upon Abraham during the covenant ceremony -- a supernatural, terrifying gloom. The Psalms set it opposite light (Ps 139:12) and use it for moral ignorance (Ps 82:5). Isaiah employs it for the distress of those who walk without light (Isa 8:22; 50:10). Spanish 'tinieblas/oscuridad' and French 'obscurité' capture the ominous weight well.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Deep darkness or gloom, used chiefly in poetic and prophetic texts with connotations beyond mere physical dimness. It denotes supernatural dread in Abraham's covenant vision (Gen 15:12, 'a great darkness'), moral blindness among unjust judges (Ps 82:5), the equivalence of darkness and light before God (Ps 139:12), and existential distress in Isaiah (8:22; 50:10). Multilingual evidence underscores the gravity: Spanish 'tinieblas' (deeper than simple 'oscuridad'), French 'obscurité,' German 'Finsternis' -- all choosing weighty, literary terms. 5×
AR["ظَلَامٌ", "فِي-الظُّلْمَةِ", "فِي-ظُلُمَاتٍ", "كَـ-الظُّلْمَةِ", "وَ-ظُلمَةٌ"]·ben["-অন্ধকারে", "অন্ধকারময়", "অন্ধকারে", "অন্ধকারের-মতো", "এবং-অন্ধকার"]·DE["Finsternis", "[וחשכה]", "[חשכים]", "in-Finsternis", "wie-der-Finsternis"]·EN["and-darkness", "darkness", "in-darkness", "like-the-darkness"]·FR["[וחשכה]", "[חשכים]", "comme-obscurité", "dans-obscurité", "ténèbres"]·heb["ב-חשכה", "ו-חשיכה", "חשכה", "חשכים", "כ-חשיכה"]·HI["अंधेरे-की-तरह", "अंधेरे-में", "अनधेर", "और-अंधकार"]·ID["dalam-kegelapan", "dan-kegelapan", "kegelapan", "seperti-kegelapan"]·IT["[בחשכה]", "[וחשכה]", "[חשכים]", "[כחשיכה]", "tenebre"]·jav["ing-pepeteng", "kados-peteng", "lan-pepeteng", "pepeteng"]·KO["어두운", "어둠-같이", "어둠-안에서", "어둠에-", "어둠이라"]·PT["como-as-trevas", "e-escuridão", "em-trevas", "escuridão", "escuridões"]·RU["во-тьме", "и-тьма", "как-тьма", "тьма"]·ES["como-la-oscuridad", "en-oscuridades", "en-tinieblas", "oscuridad", "y-tiniebla"]·SW["giza", "gizani", "katika-giza", "na-giza"]·TR["karanliklar", "karanlık", "karanlık-gibi", "karanlıkta", "ve-karanlik"]·urd["اندھیرا", "اندھیروں-میں", "اور-اندھیرا", "بِ-اندھیرے", "تاریکی"]
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
† חֲשֵׁכָה n.f. darkness (chiefly poet.)—ח׳ Gn 15:12 + 2 times, so read also prob. Mi 3:6 (for MT חָֽשְׁכָה); חֲשֵׁיכָה ψ 139:12; cstr. חֶשְׁכַּת ψ 18:12; pl. חֲשֵׁכִים Is 50:10;—darkness, opp. light (אוֹרָה) ψ 139:12; supernat., ח׳ גדולה Gn 15:12 (JE); חֶשְׁכַּת־מַיִם ψ 18:12 in theoph. (but ‖ 2 S 22:12 חַשְׁרַת־מים a mass of water); fig. = lack of understanding ψ 82:5; = distress Is 8:22 (‖ צָרָה), 50:10.