חָשַׁךְ
to be dark
‘to be dark’ is one of 7 main senses fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Verb
- An action or state-of-being word.
Stem
- Qal
- The basic, simple active stem — the plain form of the verb (“he wrote”). Here: ‘be’
- Hiphil
- The causative active stem (“he caused / brought about”). Here: ‘make dark’
Form
- Perfect
- A completed action or state — Hebrew marks aspect (completeness) more than strict tense (“he wrote”).
- Imperfect
- An incomplete, ongoing, or future action (“he will / would write”).
- Sequential Perfect
- A perfect with prefixed waw continuing a preceding imperfect or command (waw-consecutive perfect).
- Sequential Imperfect
- An imperfect with prefixed waw — the standard past-narrative form (waw-consecutive imperfect).
- Participle Active
- A verbal adjective expressing ongoing or characteristic action (“writing / one who writes”).
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
Person
- 3rd Person
- The one spoken about (“he / she / it / they”).
- 1st Person
- The speaker (“I / we”).
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
- Common
- Either gender — not distinguished for this form.
- Feminine
- Grammatically feminine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
Every verse where H2821 appears in the Book of Ecclesiastes — 2 distinct verses. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Ecclesiastes
- Ecclesiastes 12:2 תֶחְשַׁ֤ךְ Qal impf 3fs Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, And the clouds return after the rain;
- Ecclesiastes 12:3 וְ/חָשְׁכ֥וּ conj + Qal wpf 3cp In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, And the strong men shall bow themselves, And the grinders cease because they are few, And those who look out of the windows are darkened,
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
At its core, חשך (châshak) means “to be dark.” First canonically at Exodus 10:15, it enters the text early. It appears 18 verses across 10 books of the Hebrew Bible, among its uncommon vocabulary. The verb spans 2 stems, from Qal to Hiphil. It shares a root with חשוך, חשך and חשך. Dig into 18-verse concordance and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H2821 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 18
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 18 distinct verses.
- 10 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 10 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #1,612
- by frequency
- Top 2500 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 1,612 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 18 occurrences in the concordance →
Most concentrated in
- Job 3 verses 17%
- Psalms 3 verses 17%
- Ecclesiastes 2 verses 11%
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 18 distinct verses.
- Writings (Ketuvim) 10 verses · 56%
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 7 verses · 39%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 1 verse · 6%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
- King James Version: Be darkened 2×, Shall be dark 2×, Shall be darkened 2×
- American Standard Version: Shall be darkened 2×
- Berean Standard Bible: Be darkened 1×, Became dark 1×, Dark 1×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: Will be dark 3×, And 2×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H2821 across 18 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 12 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 1 further occurrence.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H2821 across 18 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 16 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H2821 across 17 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H2821 across 25 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 20 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
8 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
Hebrew verbs can shift meaning by stem (binyan): Qal is the basic action, Niphal is often passive or reflexive, Piel often intensifies or makes it factitive, and Hiphil is typically causative. The senses below are grouped under the stem BDB assigns to each.
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 8 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
Qal
- Pf. ח׳ Is 5:30 + 4 times; וְחָֽשְׁכָה consec. Mi 3:6 (but v. infr.); חָֽשְׁכוּ La 5:17; וְחָֽשְׁכוּ consec. Ec 12:3; Impf. 3 fs. תֶּחְשַׁךְ Ec 12:2; וַתֶּחְשַׁךְ Ex 10:15; 3 mpl. יֶחְשְׁכוּ Jb 3:9; 3 fpl. תֶּחְשַׁכְנָה ψ 69:24;— e.g. Isaiah 5:30
- 1. be, grow dark, אוֹר Is 5:30, cf. (fig.) Jb 18:6; הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ Is 13:16 (fig.); היום Ez 30:18 (where read חשׁך, for MT Baer חשׂך); Jb 3:9 (subj. כוכבים), cf. Ec 12:2 (subj. השׁמשׁ, האור, הירח, הכוכבים); impers. Mi 3:6 (si vera l.; but read prob. וַחֲשֵׁכָה, corresponding with לַיְלָה preceding). e.g. Isaiah 5:30
- 2. have a dark colour: ח׳ מִשְּׁחוֹר תָּֽאֳרָם La 4:8 darker than blackness is their visage; of the earth הָאָרֶץ Ex 10:15. e.g. Lamentations 4:8
- 3. grow dim La 5:17 (subj. עינינו), cf. ψ 69:24 (fig.), Ec 12:3 subj. הָרֹאוֹת i.e. the eyes e.g. Lamentations 5:17
Hiphil
- Pf. הֶחְשִׁיךְ Am 5:8, וְהַחֲשַׁכְתִּ֫י Am 8:9; Impf. יַחֲשִׁיךְ ψ 139:12; יַחְשִׁךְ Je 13:16; וַיַּחְשִׁךְ ψ 105:28; Pt. מַחְשִׁיךְ Jb 38:2;— e.g. Amos 5:8
- 1. make dark, יום לילה הח׳ Am 5:8; abs. cause darkness Je 13:16 ψ 105:28, cf. Am 8:9 (לארץ). e.g. Amos 5:8
- 2. = hide, conceal, sq. מִמֶּךָּ ψ 139:12. e.g. Psalms 139:12
- 3. fig. obscure, confuse Jb 38:2 (obj. עֵצָה). e.g. Job 38:2
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
vb. be, grow dark (NH id.; Aramaic חֲשַׁךְ, ܚܫܶܟ; Arabic حَسِكَ bear rancour, v. LagBN 30)—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Origin: a primitive root
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
חָשַׂךְ
- , v. חָסַךְ
חֲשַׂךְ
- (v. חָסַךְ) to spare, withhold. Targ. Prov. XIII, 24 חָשֵׂךְ, חָשֵׂיךְ (part.). Ib. XVII, 27.
- to deduct. Y. Pes. IV, end, 31ᶜ מַחְשַׂכְנָא (not מחשב׳), v. גּוֹדְלָנָא.
חָשַׁךְ
- [to be pressed, thick,] to be dark. Sabb. 34ᵃ; 51ᵃ משחָשְׁכָה; ib. IV, 2 משתֶּחְשַׁךְ when it darkens (at nightfall, v. חֲשֵׁיכָה). Snh. 22ᵃ עולם ח׳ בעדו the world around him is dark; Ab. Zar. 8ᵃ (some ed. חָשׁוּךְ). Ber. 16ᵇ אל יֶחְשְׁכוּ וכ׳ let not our eyes be obscured; a. fr. V. חָשׁוּךְ.
- 1. to be overtaken by (the Sabbath) nightfall. Sabb. XXIV, 1 מי שה׳ בדרך he who is on the road at nightfall (on Friday).
- 2. to wait for the nightfall, to make preparations to be ready for work on the exit of the Sabbath, v. חֲשִׁיכָה. Ib. XXIII, 3 אין מַחְשִׁיכִין על וכ׳ you must not, during the day, walk to the extreme end of the Sabbath limit to await the night there for the purpose of hiring workmen etc.; אבל מַחְשִׁיךְ הוא וכ׳ but one may do so for the purpose of going at nightfall to watch his field, and then he may also take his fruits home. Ib. להַחְשִׁיךְ עליו to await the night at the Sabbath limit for the purpose of doing it. Ib. 4; a. fr.
- 3. to darken, obscure. Cant. R. to I, 1 (ref. to חשכים, Prov. XXII, 29) that is Potifar שה׳ הקב"ה וכ׳ whose eyes the Lord darkened etc. Ex. R. s. 51 (ref. to חשכה, Gen. XV, 12) that is Media שהֶחְשִׁיכָה וכ׳ who made Israel’s eyes dim (with tears) by her decrees. Pesik. R. s. 47 (ref. to Job XXXVIII, 2) הֶחְשַׁכְתָּ וכ׳ (not החשב׳) thou hast obscured the council which I held in heavens (when the Lord vouched for Job’s integrity); a. fr. e.g. Proverbs 22:29
- 4. to become dark. Midr. Till. to Ps. XVIII, 12 (ref. to the versions חשכת, Ps. l. c., and חשרת II Sam. XXII, 12) when the clouds are laden with the waters, הן מַחְשִׁיכִין מן המים וכ׳ they receive a dark color from the waters, and afterwards they drop them as through a sieve. e.g. 2 Samuel 22:12
חֲשַׁךְ
- Targ. Job. XVIII, 6. Targ. Ex. X, 15; a. fr.—Taan. 10ᵃ חֲשׁוּךְ ענני וכ׳ when the clouds are dark, they contain much water.
- 1. to darken, obscure. Targ. Ps. CV, 28; a. e.
- 2. to do something at night, to be late. Tam. 27ᵇ חַשֵּׁיךְ תקין נפשך וכ׳ at bed-time attend to thy body, and in the morning etc. Ber. 8ᵃ מקדמי ומְחַשְּׁכֵי וכ׳ they go to Synagogue early and late. Ib. קדימו וחַשִּׁיכוּ ועיילו וכ׳ (Ms. M. ואַחְשִׁיכוּ, Af., v. Rabb. D. S. a. l.) go ye early and late to etc. Targ. Y. Deut. XXVIII, 65, v. מַחַשְׁכָן.
- 1. to obscure. Targ. Job XXXVIII, 2; a. e.
- 2. to do something late. Targ. I Sam. XVII, 16.—Ber. l. c., v. supra.
- to grow dark. Targ. Ps. LXIX, 24; a. e.—Snh. 96ᵃ עד דאתא איח׳ by the time he came it had grown dark.
חֲשַׁךְ ²
- (cmp. חסך) to be reduced, lean. Targ. Ps. XXXI, 11 (h. text עששו, v. Rashi a. l.)
- same. Targ. Job XXXIII, 21 Ms. (ed. שפיין).
חשֶׁךְ
- darkness. Ex. R. s. 14. Ḥag. 12ᵃ; a. v. fr.—הָרֵי ח׳ Dark Mountains, behind which the Amazons live (Amazonici Mountes, v. Sm. Class. Dict. s. v.). Lev. R. s. 27; Pesik. Shor, p. 74ᵃ; Tam. 32ᵃ. [The Jewish legend relating the meeting of Alexander the Great with the Amazons seems to point to Africa, v. קרטגינא).
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 17 distinct written forms H2821 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that stem’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H2821, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derived from this word
- חשוך chăshôwk H2816 darkness
- חשך chôshek H2822 darkness
- חשך châshôk H2823 obscure
- חשכה cheshkâh H2824 darkness
- חשכה chăshêkâh H2825 darkness
- מחשך machshâk H4285 darkness
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 7 — not the complete family. They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 17 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 18 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Exodus 10:15
- Job 3:9
- Psalms 105:28
- Ecclesiastes 12:2
- Isaiah 5:30
- Jeremiah 13:16
- Lamentations 4:8
- Ezekiel 30:18
- Amos 5:8
- Micah 3:6
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
