Lexical Summary zophos: Darkness, Gloom Original Word: ζόφος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance blackness, darkness, mist. Akin to the base of nephos; gloom (as shrouding like a cloud) -- blackness, darkness, mist. see GREEK nephos HELPS Word-studies 2217 zóphos – murky, appalling gloom, referring to darkness so dense and foreboding it is "felt"; (figuratively) apocalyptic, gloomy darkness associated with the nether world (BAGD) bringing its indescribable despair (incredible gloom). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originakin to gnophos Definition deep gloom NASB Translation black (2), darkness (2), gloom (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2217: ζόφοςζόφος, ζόφου, ὁ (akin to γνόφος, δνόφος, νέφος, κνέφας, see Alexander Buttmann (1873) Lexil. ii., p. 266 (Fishlake's translation, p. 378); cf. Curtius, p. 706), darkness, blackness: Hebrews 12:18 L T Tr WH; as in Homer Iliad 15, 191; 21, 56, etc., used of the darkness of the nether world (cf. Grimm on Wis. 17:14), 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6; ζόφος τοῦ σκότους (cf. חֹשֶׁך־אֲפֵלָה, Exodus 10:22), the blackness of (i. e. the densest) darkness, 2 Peter 2:17; Jude 1:13. (Cf. Trench, § c.) Topical Lexicon Semantic Range and ImageryThe term denotes impenetrable darkness, a palpable gloom that overwhelms the senses. In Scripture it is consistently associated with the felt presence of divine judgment, spiritual blindness, and separation from God’s light. The word does not describe ordinary nightfall but a moral and eschatological obscurity—a darkness that can be “felt” (compare Exodus 10:21). Old Testament Background Though the exact Greek term does not appear in the Hebrew canon, its conceptual parallels are found in Hebrew words such as ḥōšeḵ and ʿărāpěl, used to describe Sinai’s terrifying cloud (Deuteronomy 4:11) and the “day of the LORD” (Joel 2:2). These passages prepare the reader for the New Testament’s employment of ζόφος as the atmosphere of decisive divine intervention, whether in saving revelation or condemning judgment. New Testament Usage 1. Hebrews 12:18 pictures Mount Sinai shrouded in “darkness, gloom, and storm,” contrasting the old covenant’s fear-laden revelation with the joyous access granted at Mount Zion. ζόφος underscores the distance between an unmediated, holy God and sinful humanity. 2. 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 1:6 apply the term to rebellious angels “kept in eternal chains under darkness,” portraying a present, ongoing incarceration that anticipates final judgment. Here ζόφος functions as both prison and portent. 3. 2 Peter 2:17 and Jude 1:13 assign “blackest darkness” to false teachers. The language moves from describing a place to defining a fate. Those who peddle error are destined for the same punitive gloom reserved for fallen angels, revealing the severity with which God guards His truth. Theological Significance 1. Judgment and Holiness. ζόφος embodies the collision of God’s unapproachable holiness with unrepentant evil. It serves as a narrative cue that divine wrath is active and certain. 2. Moral Consequences. The word exposes sin’s trajectory: what begins as moral dimness ends in absolute darkness. By using the same term for angels and humans, Scripture levels all pretensions; no creature is exempt from accountability. 3. Eschatology. ζόφος has both an already and a not-yet dimension. Fallen angels reside there now; the unfaithful will join them then. This collapses temporal distance, urging present repentance in light of future realities. Christological Connections The Gospels describe a preternatural darkness at the crucifixion (Matthew 27:45). Although a different vocabulary is used, the thematic overlap is profound: Jesus entered the realm of utter darkness so that believers “may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). His atoning descent into judgment secures deliverance from ζόφος for all who trust Him. Practical Application for Ministry • Preaching: ζόφος supplies vivid imagery for communicating both the gravity of sin and the glory of salvation. It balances warnings about judgment with the hope of rescue. Exegetical Notes • The definite articles in 2 Peter and Jude (“the darkness”) suggest a known, fixed sphere, not a vague metaphor. Pastoral Warning and Encouragement Believers are not destined for ζόφος; nevertheless, false teaching and unrepentant sin court that realm. The church must therefore “walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8) and lovingly confront error. At the same time, the certainty of divine judgment grants hope: evil is not merely restrained; it is destined for irreversible darkness, while the redeemed will forever enjoy “the radiance of God’s glory” (Hebrews 1:3). Forms and Transliterations ζοφον ζόφον ζοφος ζόφος ζοφου ζόφου ζοφω ζόφῳ zopho zophō zóphoi zóphōi zophon zóphon zophos zóphos zophou zóphouLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Hebrews 12:18 N-DMSGRK: γνόφῳ καὶ ζόφῳ καὶ θυέλλῃ NAS: and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, INT: to obscurity and to darkness and to storm 2 Peter 2:4 N-GMS 2 Peter 2:17 N-NMS Jude 1:6 N-AMS Jude 1:13 N-NMS Strong's Greek 2217 |
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