Lexical Summary machshak: Darkness Original Word: מַחְשָׁךְ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance darkness, place From chashak; darkness; concretely, a dark place -- dark(-ness, place). see HEBREW chashak NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom chashak Definition dark place NASB Translation dark place (1), dark places (4), darkness (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs מַחְשַׁךְ noun masculine dark place (poetry) — absolute ׳מ Isaiah 29:15; Isaiah 42:16; מַחְשָׁ֑ךְ Psalm 88:19; plural מַחֲשַׁכִּים Psalm 88:7; Psalm 143:3 = Lamentations 3:6 construct מַחֲשַׁכֵּי Psalm 74:20; — dark place: a. = hiding-place אֿרץ׳מח Psalm 74:20. b. dark region, in which men may lose their way Isaiah 42:16. c. = grave, or שׁאול Psalm 88:19 (see Che); of dark place of God's wrath (like She' ô l) Psalm 88:7; compare Psalm 143:3 = Lamentations 3:6. d. = secret place, secrecy (of plots) Isaiah 29:15. Topical Lexicon Overview מַחְשָׁךְ denotes a place or condition of deep darkness, gloom, or obscurity. Its seven occurrences cluster in poetry and prophecy, invariably describing either physical confinement away from light, the moral concealment of sin, or the emotional pall of affliction. Each context reinforces the biblical theme that darkness is no match for the covenant-keeping God who sees, judges, and ultimately dispels it. Occurrences in Scripture • Psalms 74:20 sets the tone of covenant lament: “Consider Your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land”. Here מַחְשָׁךְ portrays hidden strongholds where oppression breeds, calling God to act for His name’s sake. Association with Suffering and Lament In Psalms and Lamentations, מַחְשָׁךְ captures the felt absence of God. Worshipers employ the term to voice honest anguish without surrendering covenant hope. Their laments legitimize modern believers’ own cries, teaching that faith and sorrow coexist until deliverance dawns. Link to Divine Judgment and Moral Obscurity Isaiah exposes political and spiritual subterfuge cloaked in darkness. By naming the secrecy of rebellion, מַחְשָׁךְ becomes a forensic term: light symbolizes God’s revelation; darkness, self-deception and judgment. The prophet warns that hidden sin will be unmasked, a principle echoed in John 3:19–21. Promise of Deliverance and Light Isaiah 42:16 anchors the word in eschatological hope. God pledges to guide the blind, converting darkness into light. This anticipates Jesus Christ, “the light of the world” (John 8:12), who leads out of deeper darkness—the blindness of sin—into the light of life. Historical and Cultural Background Ancient Near Eastern literature often associated darkness with chaos and the realm of the dead. Scripture appropriates the imagery but reorients it: darkness is neither autonomous nor eternal; it lies under God’s sovereign authority (Genesis 1:2-4, Exodus 10:21-23). מַחְשָׁךְ, therefore, is not merely an ominous setting; it highlights the Lord’s power to create, limit, and dispel darkness at will. Intercanonical Echoes and New Testament Fulfillment Old Testament usage prepares for New Testament disclosures. Christ’s crucifixion takes place amid literal darkness (Matthew 27:45), signifying sin’s weight; His resurrection inaugurates the triumph announced in Isaiah 42:16. Believers are thus transferred “from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13). Pastoral and Devotional Applications 1. Lament as Worship: Psalms employing מַחְשָׁךְ authorize believers to voice despair without forfeiting trust. Homiletical and Teaching Highlights • Contrast the “dark places of the land” (Psalms 74:20) with Christ’s charge to be “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). מַחְשָׁךְ, though a word of gloom, ultimately magnifies the God who sees in secret, rules in justice, and calls His people out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). Forms and Transliterations בְ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים בְּ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּ֥ים בְמַחְשָׁךְ֙ במחשך במחשכים מַחְשָֽׁךְ׃ מַחְשָׁ֨ךְ מַחֲשַׁכֵּי־ מחשך מחשך׃ מחשכי־ bə·ma·ḥă·šak·kîm ḇə·ma·ḥă·šak·kîm ḇə·maḥ·šāḵ bemachashakKim bəmaḥăšakkîm ḇəmaḥăšakkîm ḇəmaḥšāḵ ma·ḥă·šak·kê- machashakkei machShach maḥ·šāḵ maḥăšakkê- maḥšāḵ vemachashakKim vemachshoChLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 74:20 HEB: כִּ֥י מָלְא֥וּ מַחֲשַׁכֵּי־ אֶ֝֗רֶץ נְא֣וֹת NAS: the covenant; For the dark places of the land KJV: unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth INT: for are full the dark of the land of the habitations Psalm 88:6 Psalm 88:18 Psalm 143:3 Isaiah 29:15 Isaiah 42:16 Lamentations 3:6 7 Occurrences |
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