חָשַׁךְ (cha.shakh)
cha.shakh
to darken
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 16 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb chashakh describes the process of becoming dark or growing dim. It appears sixteen times in the Old Testament, primarily in poetic books like Job, Psalms, and Lamentations. The word captures both physical darkness, such as night falling, and a more abstract sense of obscurity or hiding. In its basic form, it simply means to lose light, but it often carries a heavier emotional weight.
Translators usually render chashakh as "darken" or "grow dark," though the context determines whether the darkness is literal or metaphorical. For instance, in Lamentations 3:2, the poet describes his eyes growing dim from weeping, using the word to convey physical exhaustion and sorrow. In Job, it often illustrates the feeling of being hidden by God or lost in confusion, rather than just the absence of sunlight.
The term also has a causative form where one entity makes another dark or hides something. This usage highlights how darkness in Scripture is not merely a lack of light but an active state of concealment or distress. The word helps readers understand how ancient writers viewed darkness as a tangible force that could obscure vision, hide truth, or reflect deep inner turmoil.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When life feels overwhelming, the image of darkness in Scripture often mirrors our own exhaustion or confusion. The Hebrew word chashakh captures this reality, describing a state where light fades and vision becomes unclear. It is not merely an absence of sun, but a tangible feeling of being hidden or obscured. In moments of deep sorrow, like the weeping described in Lamentations, this word helps us name the weight we carry without pretending it is easy.
Yet, even in these dim times, the biblical narrative offers a steady anchor. The Psalms remind us that darkness does not hide us from God’s sight; rather, He sees us clearly when we feel most unseen. This truth invites us to bring our confusion and fatigue to Him honestly. We do not need to pretend everything is bright when it is not. Instead, we can trust that His presence remains constant, even when our own strength runs out.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 16 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they have grown dim1×
- let them grow dark1×
- it will become dark1×
- it will be dark1×
- it is dark1×
- it is [too] dark1×
- it has become dark1×
- it grows dark1×
- he will bring darkness1×
- he makes dark1×
- and/ they will grow dim1×
- and/ it will grow dark1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חָשַׁ֤ךְ2×
- תֶחְשַׁ֤ךְ1×
- מַחְשִׁ֖יךְ1×
- יַחְשִׁ֪יךְ1×
- יַחְשִׁ֔ךְ1×
- יֶחְשְׁכוּ֮1×
- חָשַׁ֣ךְ1×
- חָשַׁ֖ךְ1×
- חָשְׁכ֥וּ1×
- וַ/תֶּחְשַׁ֣ךְ1×
- וַ/יַּחְשִׁ֑ךְ1×
- וְ/חָשְׁכָ֥ה1×
Key Verses
-
Lamentations 5:17
For this our heart is faint. For these things our eyes are dim:
This verse uses the word to describe eyes growing dim from grief, validating the physical and emotional toll of sorrow.
-
Psalms 139:12
even the darkness doesn’t hide from you, but the night shines as the day. The darkness is like light to you.
Here the term contrasts human feelings of obscurity with God’s perfect knowledge, showing that darkness cannot separate us from His care.
-
Job 38:2
“Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
God uses this word metaphorically to describe how human words can obscure truth and confuse divine counsel.