H6205 H6205
Thick darkness or heavy cloud, especially the dense obscurity enveloping God's theophanic presence.
The ʿărāphel is the deep, impenetrable darkness that surrounds God when he draws near—the heavy cloud shrouding Sinai (Exod 20:21; Deut 4:11; 5:22), the thick darkness Solomon declares God has chosen to dwell in (1 Kgs 8:12), and the murk beneath Yahweh's feet in the great theophany psalms (2 Sam 22:10; Ps 18:9). It is distinct from ordinary cloud (ʿānān) yet paired with it, suggesting a denser, more terrifying stratum. Job 38:9 poetically wraps the primeval sea in ʿărāphel as a swaddling cloth. Prophets extend the image to judgment and calamity: Jeremiah warns of stumbling on dark mountains (Jer 13:16), and Zephaniah names the Day of the Lord a day of cloud and ʿărāphel (Zeph 1:15).
Senses
1. thick darkness, dark cloud — Dense, heavy darkness or thick cloud mass, used primarily of the mysterious obscurity attending God's self-revelation and secondarily as a figure of doom and distress. At Sinai the ʿărāphel is the innermost layer of darkness surrounding the divine presence, distinct from the accompanying cloud and fire (Deut 4:11; 5:22). Solomon invokes it at the temple dedication (1 Kgs 8:12), and the psalmist sees it beneath God's feet in storm-theophany (Ps 18:9). Prophetic usage extends the motif to eschatological gloom (Ezek 34:12; Zeph 1:15; Isa 60:2). 15×
AR["الضَّبَابِ", "ضَبَابٍ", "ظَلَامًا-دَامِسًا", "فِي-الضَّبَابِ", "فِي-الـ-ضَّبَابِ", "وَ-ضَبابٍ", "وَ-ضَبَابٌ", "وَ-ضَبَابٍ", "وَالضَّبَابَ", "وَالضَّبَابِ", "وَضَبَابٌ", "وَضَبَابٍ"]·ben["-এবং-ঘন-মেঘ", "-ঘন-অন্ধকারে", "অন্ধকারের", "আর-ঘন-অন্ধকারকে", "আর-ঘন-অন্ধকারের।", "এবং-কুয়াশার", "এবং-ঘন-অন্ধকার", "এবং-ঘন-অন্ধকারের", "ও-ঘন-মেঘের", "ঘন-অন্ধকারের-জন্য", "ঘন-মেঘের", "মেঘে"]·DE["[בערפל]", "[וערפל]", "[לערפל]", "[ערפל]", "der-dick-Finsternis", "in-der-thick-Finsternis", "und-der-dick-Finsternis", "und-dick-Finsternis", "und-thick-Finsternis"]·EN["and-the-thick-darkness", "and-thick-darkness", "in-the-thick-darkness", "the-thick-darkness", "thick-darkness", "to-thick-darkness"]·FR["[בערפל]", "[וערפל]", "[לערפל]", "dans-le-épais-ténèbres", "et-le-thick-ténèbres", "et-obscurité", "et-thick-ténèbres", "et-ténèbres", "et-épais-ténèbres", "et-וערפל", "le-épais-ténèbres", "ערפל"]·heb["ב-ה-ערפל", "ה-ערפל", "ו-ה-ערפל", "ו-ערפל", "ל-ערפל", "ערפל"]·HI["अंधकार-घने", "और-अंधकार", "और-अंधेरा", "और-घटा", "और-घना-अंधकार", "और-घना-कोहरा", "और-घने-कोहरे-का", "और-घोर-अन्धकार", "और-धुंध", "काले-बादल-के", "घने-अंधेरे-को", "घने-अन्धकार-में", "में-घने-अन्धकार"]·ID["dan-awan-tebal,", "dan-kegelapan pekat", "dan-kegelapan-pekat", "dan-kegelapan-tebal", "dan-kegelapan-tebal.", "dan-kekelaman", "di-dalam-kegelapan-pekat", "di-kegelapan-tebal", "kegelapan-pekat", "kegelapan-tebal", "menjadi-kegelapan-pekat"]·IT["[בערפל]", "[וערפל]", "[לערפל]", "e-e-thick-tenebre", "e-il-thick-tenebre", "e-oscurita'", "e-oscurità", "e-spesso-tenebre", "e-thick-tenebre", "il-thick-tenebre", "in-il-spesso-tenebre", "thick-tenebre"]·jav["ing-pepeteng-kandel", "kanggé-pepeteng-kandel", "lan-mendhung-peteng", "lan-pedhut", "lan-pedhut-kandel", "lan-pepeteng", "lan-pepeteng-kandel", "lan-peteng", "pepeteng", "pepeteng-kandel", "saha-pepeteng", "wonten-ing-pepeteng"]·KO["-에-짙은-어둠", "그-캠컴한-어둠", "그리고-그-짙은-어둠", "그리고-밀운-의", "그리고-어둠의", "그리고-짙은-구름이", "그리고-짙은-어둠", "그리고-칠흑-이", "그리고-칠흡-이", "그리고-침칠한-어둠을", "그리고-흑암-의", "에서-그-흑암", "칠흙을", "칽칽한-어둡-으로"]·PT["a-escuridão", "e-a-trevas", "e-densa-escuridão", "e-escuridão", "e-negrume", "e-negrura", "e-nuvem-densa", "e-trevas", "escuridão", "na-escuridão", "na-escuridão-densa", "por-trevas-espessas."]·RU["в-мгле", "во-мраке", "и-мрак", "и-мрака", "и-мрачный", "и-тумана", "мрак", "мраку", "тьмой"]·ES["en-la-oscuridad", "en-la-oscuridad-densa", "la-densa-nube", "la-oscuridad", "para-oscuridad", "y-densa-oscuridad", "y-la-densa-oscuridad", "y-oscuridad", "y-oscuridad."]·SW["giza-kuu", "giza-nene", "katika-giza-nene", "na-giza-nene", "na-giza-totoro", "na-ukungu-mzito"]·TR["karanlıkta", "karanlığa", "karanlığa-", "karanlığın", "koyu-bulutta", "ve-karanlık", "ve-karanlığın", "ve-koyu-bulut", "ve-koyu-karanlık", "ve-koyu-karanlığın", "ve-yogun-karanlik", "ve-yoğun-karanlığı"]·urd["اندھیرا", "اندھیرے-کے", "اور-اندھیرے", "اور-تاریکی", "اور-تاریکی-گھنی", "اور-کالی-گھٹا-کا", "اور-گھنے اندھیرے", "اور-گھنے-اندھیرے", "اور-گھنے-اندھیرے-کا", "اور-گھٹا", "تاریکی-میں", "گھنے-اندھیرے-میں"]
Exod 20:21, Deut 4:11, Deut 5:22, 2 Sam 22:10, 1 Kgs 8:12, 2 Chr 6:1, Job 22:13, Job 38:9, Ps 18:9, Ps 97:2, Isa 60:2, Jer 13:16 (+3 more)
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
† עֲרָפֶל n.m. cloud, heavy cloud (perhaps from above √ + ל afform; NH = BH; Syriac ܥܰܪܦܶܠܴܐ; 𝔗 עֲרָפֵילָא; Mand. ארפילא NöM 126, 128; on vocaliz. v. BaNB 160 and against him SchwallyZAW x (1890), 178 who proposes עַרְפֶּל);—ע׳ in which God dwells Ex 20:18 (Gi; van d. H. v 21), 1 K 8:12 = 2 Ch 6:1; + עָנָן Dt 4:11 (also חֹשֶׁךְ), 5:19 (22) ψ 97:2; Jb 22:13 v בַּעַד; ע׳ תַּחַת רַגְלָיו 2 S 22:10…