חֲשֵׁכָה (cha.she.khah)
cha.she.khah
darkness
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun ḥăšēkâ refers to darkness, typically in its poetic or literary forms. It appears five times in the Old Testament, with significant occurrences in Psalms, Isaiah, and Genesis. This word conveys more than just the absence of light; it often carries a sense of obscurity, mystery, or judgment.
In its usage, ḥăšēkâ is frequently contrasted with light, symbolizing chaos, danger, or divine concealment. For instance, in Genesis 1:2, darkness covers the deep before God’s creative word brings order and light. In Psalms and Isaiah, it can represent both physical night and spiritual distress, as when Psalm 88 describes being surrounded by darkness akin to death itself.
Etymologically, ḥăšēkâ relates to concepts of covering or veiling, emphasizing its role in obscuring visibility. Translators often render it simply as "darkness," though the context determines whether it signifies literal night, metaphorical despair, or divine mystery. Its limited but impactful presence underscores its weight in biblical imagery.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word ḥăšēkâ describes more than just the absence of sunlight; it speaks to a state of obscurity, mystery, or even judgment. In Genesis, this deep darkness covered the chaotic earth before God spoke light into existence. This reminds us that God is not limited by our current circumstances or lack of understanding.
Sometimes we find ourselves walking in darkness with no visible path ahead, as described in Isaiah 50:10. The text invites those in such places to trust in Yahweh’s name rather than relying on their own sight. This divine presence remains constant even when the way forward is unclear.
Psalm 139 offers a comforting perspective on this reality. It declares that darkness does not hide us from God; rather, the night shines like the day for Him. You are never truly alone or unseen in your moments of confusion or fear, as His awareness covers both light and shadow equally.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- in/ darkness1×
- darkness<es>1×
- darkness1×
- as <the>/ darkness1×
- and/ darkness1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- כַּ֝/חֲשֵׁיכָ֗ה1×
- חֲשֵׁכָ֥ה1×
- חֲשֵׁכִ֗ים1×
- וַ/חֲשֵׁכָה֙1×
- בַּ/חֲשֵׁכָ֥ה1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 15:12
When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him.
This verse shows the word describing a profound, terrifying darkness that fell on Abram, highlighting its association with awe and divine encounter.
-
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 psalmist uses the term to affirm that God’s knowledge is complete, as darkness offers no concealment from His sight.
-
Isaiah 50:10
Who among you fears Yahweh and obeys the voice of his servant? He who walks in darkness and has no light, let him trust in Yahweh’s name, and rely on his God.
The prophet addresses those walking in darkness without light, urging them to trust in God’s name despite their lack of visible guidance.