---
title: עֲלָטָה — thick darkness · The Tanakh dictionary
description: עֲלָטָה (5939), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 4 times: thick darkness. BDB 1906: n.f. (*. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# עֲלָטָה

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«עֲלָטָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **thick darkness** — 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:** 4 times · **Key:** 5939 · **BDB:** עֲלָטָה

### Glosses

darkness (4)

### Meaning (OSHB)

thick darkness [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/5939/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. (\* [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/5939/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. thick darkness (\*NH עֲלָטָה (rare); according to BaES 5 transp. from Arabic غَطَلَ \[be cloudy\]; غَيْطَلَةٌ darkness);—abs. ע׳, attending sunset Gn 15:17 (c. vb. masc.; AlbrZAW xv (1895). 325 KöSynt. § 350 e read הָֽיְתָה); בַּע׳ Ez 12:7 (‖ בָּעֶרֶב), v 6, 12.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 4 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (1 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (1 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «עֲלָטָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/5939/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Genesis 15:17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/GEN.15.17/)

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וַיְהִ֤י הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ בָּ֔אָה וַעֲלָטָ֖ה הָיָ֑ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה תַנּ֤וּר עָשָׁן֙ וְלַפִּ֣יד אֵ֔שׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָבַ֔ר בֵּ֖ין הַגְּזָרִ֥ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

*Word for word:* and it.was the sun it.had.gone and darkness it.was and there! a.fire.pot of.smoke and a.torch of.fire which it.passed between the pieces (the) these

*JPS 1917:* And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and there was thick darkness, behold a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces.

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[Ezekiel 12:6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/EZK.12.6/)

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לְעֵ֨ינֵיהֶ֜ם עַל־כָּתֵ֤ף תִּשָּׂא֙ בָּעֲלָטָ֣ה תוֹצִ֔יא פָּנֶ֣יךָ תְכַסֶּ֔ה וְלֹ֥א תִרְאֶ֖ה אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּֽי־מוֹפֵ֥ת נְתַתִּ֖יךָ לְבֵ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

*Word for word:* to eyes their on a.shoulder you.will.lift.\[it\].up in the darkness you.will.bring.\[it\].out face your you.will.cover and not you.will.see (et) the ground (dm) a.sign I have.made.you to the.house of.Israel

*JPS 1917:* In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulder, and carry it forth in the darkness; thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground; for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.'

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