choshech · darkness

What it means

choshech (חֹשֶׁךְ) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “darkness”.

Lack of light. Figuratively it can point to misfortune, ignorance or death.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. The absence of light, night.
2. Distress, ignorance or death.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Darkness: the lack of light; figuratively, misfortune, ignorance or death. BDB: darkness; by implication, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow. It comes from חָשַׁךְ, “be dark”.

• “Darkness {was} over the surface of the deep” Genesis 1:2Genesis 1:4
• The darkness over Egypt Exodus 10:21
• “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” Isaiah 9:2
• “Even darkness is not dark to you”; YHWH creates darkness Psalms 139:12Isaiah 45:7
• The day of YHWH, “darkness, and not light” Amos 5:18

How we translate it

“Darkness” 77 times and “dark” 3: one English word covers it, also in the prophets on the day of YHWH (Amos 5:18; Joel 2:2; Zephaniah 1:15). In Exodus 10:21, “a darkness that can be felt”.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• darkness ×77
• dark ×3

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×4
• Exodus×4
• Deuteronomy×2
• Joshua×1
• 1 Samuel×1
• 2 Samuel×2
• Job×23
• Psalms×11
• Proverbs×2
• Ecclesiastes×6
• Isaiah×14
• Lamentations×1
• Ezekiel×2
• Joel×2
• Amos×2
• Micah×1
• Nahum×1
• Zephaniah×1

• Genesis 1:2

  Now the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the spirit of Elohim was hovering over the surface of the waters.

• Genesis 1:4

  And Elohim saw the light, that it was good; and Elohim separated the light from the darkness.

• Genesis 1:5

  And Elohim called the light “Day,” and the darkness he called “Night.” And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

• Genesis 1:18

  and to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And Elohim saw that it was good.

• Exodus 10:21

  YHWH said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt.”

• Exodus 10:22

  So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days.

• Exodus 14:20

  and it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness, and it lit up the night; and the one did not come near the other all night.

• Deuteronomy 4:11

  You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire to the heart of the heavens: darkness, cloud, and thick cloud.

• Deuteronomy 5:23

  When you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders,

• Joshua 2:5

  When the gate was about to be shut at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.”

• 1 Samuel 2:9

  The feet of his faithful ones he guards, but the wicked are silenced in darkness; for not by strength does a man prevail.

• 2 Samuel 22:12

  He made darkness around him his booths, a mass of waters, thick clouds.

• 2 Samuel 22:29

  For you are my lamp, YHWH, and YHWH lights up my darkness.

• Job 3:4

  That day, let it be darkness; may Eloah above not seek it, nor brightness shine on it.

• Job 3:5

  May darkness and the shadow of death claim it; may a cloud settle on it; may the darkenings of the day terrify it.

• Job 5:14

  By day they meet darkness, and as at night they grope at noon.

• Job 10:21

  before I go, and do not return, to the land of darkness and shadow of death,

• Job 12:22

  He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death.

• Job 12:25

  They grope in darkness and without light, and he makes them wander like a drunkard.

• Job 15:22

  He does not believe that he will return from darkness, and he is stalked by the sword.

• Job 15:23

  He wanders for bread: ‘Where is it?’; he knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

• Job 15:30

  He will not depart from darkness; the flame will dry up his shoot, and he will depart by the breath of his mouth.

• Job 17:12

  Night they turn into day: ‘Light is near,’ they say, in the face of darkness.

• Job 17:13

  If I hope for Sheol as my house, in darkness I spread out my bed;

• Job 18:18

  They drive him from light into darkness, and from the world they chase him away.

• Job 19:8

  He has fenced in my path, and I do not pass; and on my paths he sets darkness.

• Job 20:26

  All darkness is hidden for his treasures; a fire not blown will devour him; it will go ill with the survivor in his tent.

• Job 22:11

  or darkness, so that you cannot see, and an abundance of waters covers you.

• Job 23:17

  For I have not vanished before darkness, though gloom covers my face.

• Job 24:16

  They dig through houses in the dark; by day they shut themselves in; they do not know the light.

• Job 26:10

  A limit he has drawn in a circle on the face of the waters, to the limit of light with darkness.

• Job 28:3

  He sets an end to darkness, and to every limit he searches out the stone of gloom and of the shadow of death.

• Job 29:3

  when he made shine his lamp over my head, and by his light I walked through darkness;

• Job 34:22

  There is no darkness, and no shadow of death where those who work wickedness may hide.

• Job 37:19

  Make known to us what we should say to him; we cannot set words in order because of the darkness.

• Job 38:19

  Where is the way to where light dwells? And darkness, where is its place,

• Psalms 18:11

  He made darkness his hiding place, his booth around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds.

• Psalms 18:28

  For you light my lamp, YHWH; my Elohim lights up my darkness.

• Psalms 35:6

  May their way be darkness and slippery places, and the angel of YHWH pursuing them.

• Psalms 88:12

  Will your wonder be known in the darkness, and your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

And 40 more times.