2825. chashekah

Lexicon

chashekah: Darkness

Original Word: חֲשֵׁכָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: chashekah
Pronunciation: khash-ay-kaw'
Phonetic Spelling: (khash-ay-kaw')
Definition: Darkness
Meaning: darkness, misery

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

darkness

Or chashekah {khash-ay-kaw'}; from chashak; darkness; figuratively, misery -- darkness.

see HEBREW chashak

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from chashak
Definition
darkness
NASB Translation
darkness (7).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

חֲשֵׁכָה noun feminine darkness (chiefly in poetry) — ׳ח Genesis 15:12 2t., so read also probably Micah 3:6 (for ᵑ0 חָֽשְׁכָה); חֲשֵׁיכָה Psalm 139:12; construct חֶשְׁכַּת Psalm 18:12; plural חֲשֵׁכִים Isaiah 50:10; — darkness, opposed to light (אוֺרָה) Psalm 139:12; supernatural, גדולה ׳ח Genesis 15:12 (JE); חֶשְׁכַּתֿ מַיִם Psalm 18:12 in theoph. (but "" 2 Samuel 22:12 חַשְׁרַתמֿים a mass of water); figurative = lack of understanding Psalm 82:5; = distress Isaiah 8:22 ("" צָרָה), Isaiah 50:10.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the root חָשַׁךְ (chashak), meaning "to be dark."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • Strong's Greek Number 4655 (σκότος, skotos): This Greek term is often used in the New Testament to denote darkness, both in a literal and metaphorical sense, similar to חֲשֵׁכָה in the Hebrew Bible.
• Strong's Greek Number 4653 (σκοτία, skotia): Another Greek word for darkness, often used to describe spiritual or moral darkness, aligning with the metaphorical use of חֲשֵׁכָה.

In summary, חֲשֵׁכָה is a multifaceted term in the Hebrew Bible, encompassing both the physical absence of light and deeper symbolic meanings related to human experience and divine interaction.

Usage: The word חֲשֵׁכָה is used in the Hebrew Bible to describe physical darkness, as well as metaphorical darkness, which can include states of misery, ignorance, or adversity.

Context: • Physical Darkness: חֲשֵׁכָה is often used to describe the absence of light, as seen in the creation narrative where darkness covered the face of the deep (Genesis 1:2). It is also used in descriptions of night or times when light is obscured.
• Metaphorical Darkness: Beyond the literal sense, חֲשֵׁכָה is employed to convey a sense of spiritual or emotional darkness. This can include periods of suffering, ignorance, or divine judgment. For instance, in Job 3:5, Job speaks of darkness as a symbol of his profound misery and despair.
• Divine Judgment: In prophetic literature, darkness often symbolizes the judgment of God. For example, in Isaiah 8:22, the people look to the earth and see only distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, indicating a time of divine retribution.
• Contrast with Light: The concept of darkness is frequently contrasted with light, symbolizing the struggle between good and evil, knowledge and ignorance, or divine presence and absence. This duality is a recurring theme throughout the biblical text.

Forms and Transliterations

בַּחֲשֵׁכָ֥ה בחשכה וַחֲשֵׁכָה֙ וחשכה חֲשֵׁכִ֗ים חֲשֵׁכָ֥ה חשכה חשכים כַּ֝חֲשֵׁיכָ֗ה כחשיכה ba·ḥă·šê·ḵāh bachasheChah baḥăšêḵāh chasheChah chasheChim ḥă·šê·ḵāh ḥă·šê·ḵîm ḥăšêḵāh ḥăšêḵîm ka·ḥă·šê·ḵāh kachasheiChah kaḥăšêḵāh vachasheChah wa·ḥă·šê·ḵāh waḥăšêḵāh

Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 15:12
HEB: וְהִנֵּ֥ה אֵימָ֛ה חֲשֵׁכָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה נֹפֶ֥לֶת
NAS: [and] great darkness fell
KJV: of great darkness fell
INT: and behold terror darkness great fell

Psalm 82:5
HEB: וְלֹ֥א יָבִ֗ינוּ בַּחֲשֵׁכָ֥ה יִתְהַלָּ֑כוּ יִ֝מּ֗וֹטוּ
NAS: They walk about in darkness; All
KJV: they walk on in darkness: all the foundations
INT: nor understand darkness walk are shaken

Psalm 139:12
HEB: כַּיּ֣וֹם יָאִ֑יר כַּ֝חֲשֵׁיכָ֗ה כָּאוֹרָֽה׃
NAS: as the day. Darkness and light
KJV: as the day: the darkness and the light
INT: as the day bright Darkness and light

Isaiah 8:22
HEB: וְהִנֵּ֨ה צָרָ֤ה וַחֲשֵׁכָה֙ מְע֣וּף צוּקָ֔ה
NAS: distress and darkness, the gloom
KJV: and behold trouble and darkness, dimness
INT: and behold distress and darkness the gloom of anguish

Isaiah 50:10
HEB: אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ הָלַ֣ךְ חֲשֵׁכִ֗ים וְאֵ֥ין נֹ֙גַהּ֙
NAS: That walks in darkness and has no
KJV: that walketh [in] darkness, and hath no light?
INT: that walks darkness and has bright

5 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2825
5 Occurrences

ba·ḥă·šê·ḵāh — 1 Occ.
ḥă·šê·ḵāh — 1 Occ.
ḥă·šê·ḵîm — 1 Occ.
ka·ḥă·šê·ḵāh — 1 Occ.
wa·ḥă·šê·ḵāh — 1 Occ.