Lexical Summary
qadar: To be dark, to mourn, to grow dark
Original Word:קָדַר
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:qadar
Pronunciation:kah-dar'
Phonetic Spelling:(kaw-dar')
KJV: be black(-ish), be (make) dark(-en), X heavily, (cause to) mourn
NASB:mourning, mourn, darken, grow dark, become dark, dark, grew black
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to be ashy, i.e. dark-colored
2. (by implication) to mourn (in sackcloth or sordid garments)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
be blackish, be make darken, heavily, cause to mourn
A primitive root; to be ashy, i.e. Dark-colored; by implication, to mourn (in sackcloth or sordid garments) -- be black(-ish), be (make) dark(-en), X heavily, (cause to) mourn.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto be dark
NASB Translationbecome dark (1), dark (1), darken (2), grew black (1), grow dark (2), mourn (3), mourning (6), sit (1), turbid (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(
dull-coloured, compare Arabic
be dirty (on
= see Nö
ZMG xl (1886), 729); Late Hebrew Hiph`il (of face)
shew gloom;
Jbe dark); —
Perfect consecutiveMicah 3:6; 1singularJeremiah 8:21, etc.;ParticiplePsalm 35:14 +; pluralJob 5:11;Job 6:16; —be dark, of skyJeremiah 4:28 (leaden-coloured, as with clouds, see Hithpa`el), of sun and moonJoel 2:10; Joel 4:15; figurative of lack of revelation from ,Micah 3:6; of turbid streamJob 6:16; figurative of mourning (probablybe squalid, of neglected person and dress of mourner, compare2 Samuel 19:25)Jeremiah 8:21;Jeremiah 14:2 (, metaphor of gates);Job 5:11;Job 30:28 (),Psalm 35:14;Psalm 38:7;Psalm 42:10;Psalm 43:2.
darken: Perfect1singular consecutiveEzekiel 32:7 (object stars), compareImperfect1singular suffixEzekiel 32:8.
cause to mournEzekiel 31:15.
Perfect3plural1 Kings 18:45and the heavens grew dark with clouds.
Topical Lexicon
Underlying Motifs of קָדַרThe verb denotes the movement from brightness to gloom, whether in the sky, the human countenance, or the national mood. Consequently, its appearances pivot on two chief ideas: literal darkening and figurative mourning. Scripture weaves these strands together, portraying darkness as both a physical phenomenon and a moral-spiritual condition that calls people back to God.
Meteorological Darkening
The first occurrence,1 Kings 18:45, captures the sudden shift on Mount Carmel: “Meanwhile, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain.” Here קָדַר marks the rapid buildup of thunderheads that confirm Elijah’s prophetic word and Yahweh’s supremacy over Baal. The darkening sky, far from random weather, testifies to covenant faithfulness—rain returns when Israel repents.
Personal Grief and Lament
Job employs the verb to voice inner turmoil. InJob 30:28 he confesses, “I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.” The outer pallor mirrors an eclipsed spirit. David echoes the same tone: “I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning” (Psalm 38:6). These texts teach that sorrow is not denied in the life of the faithful; it is articulated before God, who alone turns mourning to joy (Psalm 30:11).
National Anguish
Jeremiah repeatedly adopts קָדַר to convey Judah’s calamity. “Because of the brokenness of the daughter of my people, I am crushed; I mourn” (Jeremiah 8:21). Again, “Judah mourns; her gates languish” (Jeremiah 14:2). The darkened gates symbolize civic paralysis under divine discipline. By giving poetic expression to national grief, the prophet urges repentance and reliance on covenant mercy.
Cosmic Portents of Judgment
Prophetic books widen the canvas. Joel foresees a universal disturbance: “The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness” (Joel 3:15; cf. 2:10). Ezekiel pronounces a like verdict on Egypt: “I will cover the heavens and darken their stars” (Ezekiel 32:7-8). קָדַר underscores that no empire is beyond God’s reach; celestial dimming mirrors terrestrial downfall, prefiguring the eschatological Day of the Lord.
Imagery of Cut-Off Revelation
Micah 3:6 warns corrupt prophets, “Therefore night will come upon you without vision, and darkness without divination.” The verb here transfers from weather to revelation: when leaders reject truth, God withholds light. The moral order itself darkens, leaving society disoriented.
Pastoral and Homiletical Implications
1. Honest Lament. The term validates seasons of heaviness. Believers need not feign cheer; they may, like Job and David, bring darkened spirits into God’s presence.
2. Call to Repentance. National usages show that collective sin invites collective gloom. Preaching on קָדַר invites congregations to examine societal idols and seek revival.
3. Eschatological Hope. While קָדַר signals judgment, it also anticipates dawn. The same prophets who foretell darkening promise outpourings of the Spirit (Joel 2:28-32). The pattern culminates at Calvary, where midday darkness precedes resurrection light (Matthew 27:45; 28:1).
Practical Ministry Applications
• Funeral and memorial services: Psalms 38:6 and 42:9 offer language for godly grief without despair.
• Counseling the depressed: Job’s imagery legitimizes emotional pain while orienting the sufferer toward God’s vindication.
• Teaching on prophecy: Joel and Ezekiel provide frameworks for explaining cosmic signs in apocalyptic passages, bridging Old and New Testament expectation.
Theological Synthesis
Across narrative, poetry, and prophecy, קָדַר presents darkness as a measured act of God—sometimes chastening, sometimes protective, always purposeful. Every shadow in Scripture finally serves the movement toward redemption, ensuring that “the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining” (1 John 2:8).
Forms and Transliterations
אַקְדִּירֵ֖ם אקדירם הִֽתְקַדְּרוּ֙ הַקֹּדְרִ֥ים הקדרים התקדרו וְ֝קֹדְרִ֗ים וְהִקְדַּרְתִּ֖י וְקָדְר֥וּ וְקָדַ֥ר וָאַקְדִּ֤ר ואקדר והקדרתי וקדר וקדרו וקדרים קָדְר֣וּ קָדַ֕רְתִּי קָדָ֑רוּ קָדָ֔רוּ קֹדֵ֣ר קֹדֵ֥ר קדר קדרו קדרתי ’aq·dî·rêm ’aqdîrêm akdiRem hakkodeRim haq·qō·ḏə·rîm haqqōḏərîm hiṯ·qad·də·rū hitkaddeRu hiṯqaddərū kaDarti kaDaru kadeRu koDer qā·ḏā·rū qā·ḏar·tî qā·ḏə·rū qāḏartî qāḏārū qāḏərū qō·ḏêr qōḏêr vaakDir vehikdarTi vekaDar vekadeRu vekodeRim wā’aqdir wā·’aq·dir wə·hiq·dar·tî wə·qā·ḏar wə·qā·ḏə·rū wə·qō·ḏə·rîm wəhiqdartî wəqāḏar wəqāḏərū wəqōḏərîm
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