---
title: מַחְשָׁךְ — dark place · The Tanakh dictionary
description: מַחְשָׁךְ (4285), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 7 times: dark place. BDB 1906: n.m. dark place. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# מַחְשָׁךְ

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«מַחְשָׁךְ» in the Tanakh dictionary: **dark place** — 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:** 7 times · **Key:** 4285 · **BDB:** מַחְשָׁךְ

### Glosses

dark.places (3); \[is\].a.dark.place (1); \[the\].dark.place (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

dark place [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4285/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. dark place [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4285/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.m. dark place (poet.)—abs. מ׳ Is 29:15; 42:16; מַחְשָׁ֑ךְ ψ 88:19; pl. מַחֲשַׁכִּים 88:7; 143:3 = La 3:6; cstr. מַחֲשַׁכֵּי ψ 74:20;—dark place: = hiding-place מח׳־ארץ 74:20. dark region, in which men may lose their way Is 42:16. = grave, or שׁאול ψ 88:19 (v. Che); of dark place of God’s wrath (like Sheʾôl) 88:7; cf. 143:3 = La 3:6. = secret place, secrecy (of plots) Is 29:15.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 7 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (2 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 words shared with the BDB entry, 2 with the glosses (1 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «מַחְשָׁךְ» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4285/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Lamentations 3:6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/LAM.3.6/)

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בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּ֥ים הוֹשִׁיבַ֖נִי כְּמֵתֵ֥י עוֹלָֽם׃ס

*Word for word:* in dark.places he has.caused.me.to.dwell like dead.\[people\] of.antiquity

*JPS 1917:* He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.

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[Psalms 88:7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.88.7/)

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שַׁ֭תַּנִי בְּב֣וֹר תַּחְתִּיּ֑וֹת בְּ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים בִּמְצֹלֽוֹת׃

*Word for word:* you have.put.me in a.pit of.lowest.parts in.\[the\] dark.places in.\[the\] depths

*JPS 1917:* Thou hast laid me in the nethermost pit, in dark places, in the deeps.

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