Words the Bible translates as darkness
English uses one word here. The Bible uses 17 words, and they do not mean the same thing. Each is listed with what it actually means, most frequent first.
- skotosσκότοςdarkness: the absence of light, used both for real physical dark and, far more often, for the realm and condition of life cut off from God
- ḥoshekhחֹשֶׁךְdarkness: the absence of light, and by extension the trouble, danger, death, and evil that come with it.
- gnophosγνόφοςdarknessnot studied yet
- skotiaσκοτίαdarkness: the absence of light, used both for literal nighttime gloom and, in John's writings above all, for the realm of evil, ignorance, and hostility to God that the coming of Christ is driving out.
- neshephנֶשֶׁףtwilight: the half-light at either edge of the night, whether the dark closing in after sunset or the grey before sunrise.
- aphelahאֲפֵלָהthick darkness: dark heavy enough that a person cannot see the way, and the disaster that such dark stands for
- ophelאֹפֶלgloom: darkness, in a rare word Hebrew poets use for the dark of the grave, of hidden violence, and of disaster
- maḥshakhמַחְשָׁךְa dark place: a region of darkness one is put into, cannot escape, or tries to hide inside
- zophosζόφοςdarknessnot studied yet
- ḥashekhahחֲשֵׁכָהdarkness felt as dread or gloom: the heavy, oppressive dark of terror, judgment, or divine hiddenness rather than plain nightfall
- alatahעֲלָטָהdarknessnot studied yet
- ephahעֵיפָהdarknessnot studied yet
- ḥashokhחֲשׁוֹךְdarknessnot studied yet
- kimrirכִּמְרִירblackness that blots out the day: a dread darkness so total it swallows daylight (a word of genuinely uncertain meaning)
- ma'aphelמַאֲפֵלdarknessnot studied yet
- mapheleyahמַאְפֵּלְיָהdarknessnot studied yet
- qadrutקַדְרוּתdarknessnot studied yet
Keep looking
Every English meaning beginning with D is on its letter page, and the whole index starts at Browse.