חֲשֵׁכָה

From the study of Isaiah 50:10

Range of meaning

ḥăšēkâ/ḥăšēḵîm: darkness, gloom, dark places, used literally and as a picture of distress, confusion, death-like danger and judgment. nōḡah: brightness or radiance, especially dawn light, the shine of fire, the glow of God's glory (Isa 4:5; 60:3; 62:1; 2 Sam 23:4).

Against the English

'Has no light' (most versions) is accurate but flatter than nōḡah, which is a gleam or glow, as at daybreak. 'No brightness' (YLT) is closer: not even a sign of dawn.

How it drifted

Modern readers often take 'darkness' as mainly inner: depression, doubt or a 'dark night of the soul'. Isaiah's darkness is mainly a situation of oppression, exile and danger with no visible way out. That certainly includes how it feels, but it is not limited to that.

Used elsewhere in the period

Isa 9:1 [Eng 9:2]: 'the people walking in darkness have seen a great light… light has shone (nāḡah)', which uses the same pairing of walking in darkness and nōḡah. Isa 59:9: 'we hope for brightness (nəḡōhôt) but walk in gloom'. Isa 42:7 and 49:9 picture the captives sitting in darkness.

From the study of Genesis 15:12

Range of meaning

Darkness, a feminine form of the common noun choshekh. Used literally of night-darkness (Gen 15:12; Ps 139:12), and figuratively of distress, ignorance or calamity (Isa 8:22; 50:10, 'walks in darkness and has no light'; Ps 82:5, the unjust judges 'walk about in darkness'; Mic 3:6, darkness instead of prophetic vision). Darkness is also a standard accompaniment of God's appearing (Exod 20:21; Deut 4:11; 5:23; Ps 18:11, 'he made darkness his covering').

Against the English

Most versions have 'darkness'. NIV 'thick and dreadful darkness' adds 'thick', probably to bring out 'great'. NLT 'a terrifying darkness' folds three words into two.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Septuagint reads the word as an adjective: phobos skoteinos megas, 'a great dark fear'. The Vulgate likewise has horror magnus et tenebrosus, 'a great and darksome horror'. Later Jewish interpretation (Genesis Rabbah 44:17; Targum Pseudo-Jonathan) read the darkness as the dark eras of foreign empires that Abram's descendants would suffer.

From the study of Psalm 82:5

Range of meaning

Darkness, gloom; a feminine form related to ḥōšek (the darkness of Gen 1:2). Used of literal darkness (Gen 15:12; Ps 139:12), of distress and calamity (Isa 8:22; 50:10), and of moral and spiritual blindness (Mic 3:6, of prophets who lead astray).

Against the English

English 'darkness' carries most of this, though modern readers may hear only a metaphor for confusion. For an ancient hearer darkness also suggested the formless, unordered state before God created light and order.

Used elsewhere in the period

Isa 59:9–10 ties the absence of justice to walking in gloom and groping like the blind; Prov 4:19 'the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble'.