Hebrew word · H5939

עֲלָטָה

ba'alatah

darkness

Thick darkness, the deep dark after dusk. The word is rare, used only here and in Ezek 12:6, 7, 12.

Appears 4 times in 4 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

thick darkness

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Genesis 15:17

Range of meaning

Thick darkness, the deep dark after dusk. The word is rare, used only here and in Ezek 12:6, 7, 12.

Against the English

Most versions say simply 'dark'. YLT 'thick darkness' keeps the rarer, heavier word. Vulgate 'caligo tenebrosa' (gloomy murk) also catches it.

Used elsewhere in the period

Ezek 12:6, 7, 12: the prophet carries his exile baggage out 'in the dark' (ba'alatah), a darkness in which he cannot see the land. This verse picks up verse 12, where 'a dread, a great darkness (chashekah)' fell on Abram.

Similar words

Where it appears

Genesis · 1

  1. Genesis 15:17 וַעֲלָטָ֖ה and darkness

    When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the halves of the carcasses.

    Here: A rare word, used only here and in Ezekiel 12. It means the deep, blank darkness after sunset, when nothing can be seen. That darkness makes the fire that follows stand out.

Ezekiel · 3

  1. Ezekiel 12:6 בָּעֲלָטָ֣ה in the darkness

    And as they watch, lift your bags to your shoulder and take them out at dusk; cover your face so that you cannot see the land. For I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”

  2. Ezekiel 12:7 בָּעֲלָטָ֥ה in the darkness

    So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my bags for exile by day, and in the evening I dug through the wall by hand. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulder as they watched.

  3. Ezekiel 12:12 בָּעֲלָטָ֣ה in the darkness

    And at dusk the prince among them will lift his bags to his shoulder and go out. They will dig through the wall to bring him out. He will cover his face so he cannot see the land.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.