---
title: חָשַׁךְ — be or grow dark · The Tanakh dictionary
description: חָשַׁךְ (2821), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 18 times: be or grow dark. BDB 1906: vb. be, grow dark. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# חָשַׁךְ

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«חָשַׁךְ» in the Tanakh dictionary: **be or grow dark** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 18 times · **Key:** 2821 · **BDB:** חָשַׁךְ

### Glosses

I.will.make.dark (1); \[is\].making.dark (1); he.made.dark (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

be or grow dark [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2821/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. be, grow dark [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2821/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. be, grow dark (NH id.; Aramaic חֲשַׁךְ, ܚܫܶܟ; Arabic حَسِكَ bear rancour, v. LagBN 30)— 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;— 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). have a dark colour: ח׳ מִשְּׁחוֹר תָּֽאֳרָם La 4:8 darker than blackness is their visage; of the earth הָאָרֶץ Ex 10:15. grow dim La 5:17 (subj. עינינו), cf. ψ 69:24 (fig.), Ec 12:3 subj. הָרֹאוֹת i.e. the eyes 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;— make dark, יום לילה הח׳ Am 5:8; abs. cause darkness Je 13:16 ψ 105:28, cf. Am 8:9 (לארץ). = hide, conceal, sq. מִמֶּךָּ ψ 139:12. fig. obscure, confuse Jb 38:2 (obj. עֵצָה).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 17 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (4 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 words shared with the BDB entry, 2 with the glosses (4 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «חָשַׁךְ» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2821/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Job 38:2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.38.2/)

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מִ֤י זֶ֨ה ׀ מַחְשִׁ֖יךְ עֵצָ֥ה בְמִלִּ֗ין בְּֽלִי־דָֽעַת׃

*Word for word:* who? this \[is\].making.dark counsel by words not knowledge

*JPS 1917:* Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

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[Psalms 69:24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.69.24/)

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תֶּחְשַׁ֣כְנָה עֵ֭ינֵיהֶם מֵרְא֑וֹת וּ֝מָתְנֵ֗יהֶם תָּמִ֥יד הַמְעַֽד׃

*Word for word:* may.they.grow.dim eyes their from seeing and loins their continually make.to.shake

*JPS 1917:* Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to totter.

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