Topical Encyclopedia
The term "darken" in the Bible is often used metaphorically to describe the obscuring of understanding, the concealment of truth, or the judgment of God. It can refer to both physical and spiritual conditions, symbolizing a departure from divine light and truth.
1.
Spiritual Blindness and Ignorance: In the Scriptures, to be "darkened" often implies a state of spiritual blindness or ignorance. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, speaks of those who, despite knowing God, fail to honor Him, resulting in their hearts being darkened.
Romans 1:21 states, "For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts." This passage highlights the consequence of turning away from God, leading to a loss of spiritual insight and wisdom.
2.
Judgment and Consequence: The concept of darkening is also associated with divine judgment. In the prophetic literature, darkness often symbolizes the judgment of God upon nations and individuals. For instance, in the book of Isaiah, the day of the Lord is described as a time when the sun will be darkened as a sign of God's wrath.
Isaiah 13:10 declares, "For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light."
3.
Moral and Ethical Darkness: The Bible frequently contrasts light and darkness to illustrate moral and ethical conditions. Darkness represents evil, sin, and separation from God. In
Ephesians 4:18 , Paul describes the Gentiles as being "darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts." This darkness is a result of living apart from God's truth and righteousness.
4.
The Role of Christ as Light: In contrast to darkness, Jesus Christ is portrayed as the light of the world, bringing illumination and truth.
John 1:5 states, "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." Christ's coming into the world is seen as the ultimate dispelling of spiritual darkness, offering salvation and enlightenment to all who believe.
5.
Transformation from Darkness to Light: Believers are called to move from darkness to light, symbolizing a transformation from sin to righteousness. In
Colossians 1:13 , Paul writes, "He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son." This transition is a central theme in the Christian faith, emphasizing redemption and the new life found in Christ.
The imagery of darkening in the Bible serves as a powerful reminder of the consequences of turning away from God and the hope found in embracing the light of Christ.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
v.) To make dark or black; to deprive of light; to obscure; as, a darkened room.
2. (v.) To render dim; to deprive of vision.
3. (v.) To cloud, obscure, or perplex; to render less clear or intelligible.
4. (v.) To cast a gloom upon.
5. (v.) To make foul; to sully; to tarnish.
6. (v. i.) To grow or darker.
Greek
4654. skotizo -- todarken... skotizo. 4655 . to
darken. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: skotizo Phonetic
Spelling: (skot-id-zo) Short Definition: I
darken Definition: I
darken.
...4656. skotoo -- todarken
... todarken. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: skotoo Phonetic Spelling:
(skot-o'-o) Short Definition: Idarken Definition: (lit. or met.) Idarken....
Strong's Hebrew
6004. amam -- todarken, dim... 6003, 6004. amam. 6005 . to
darken, dim. Transliteration: amam Phonetic Spelling:
(aw-mam') Short Definition: match. Word Origin a prim.
...2821. chashak -- to be or grow dark
... be black, be make dark,darken, cause darkness, be dim, hide. A primitive
root; to be dark (as withholding light); transitively, to...
3543. kahah -- to be or grow dim or faint
... to be or grow dim or faint. Transliteration: kahah Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-haw')
Short Definition:darken.darken, be dim, fail, faint, restrain, utterly...
2820. chasak -- to withhold, refrain
... 1), withheld (3), withholds (2). assuage,darken, forbear, hinder, hold back,
keep back, punish, refrain,. A primitive root; to restrain...
6937. qadar -- to be dark
... root Definition to be dark NASB Word Usage become dark (1), dark (1),darken (2),
grew black (1), grow dark (2), mourn (3), mourning (6), sit (1), turbid (1)....
Library
The Introduction, with Some General Observations from the Cohesion...
... And therefore he endeavoureth not only todarken it by error, either more gross
or more subtle, but also todarken it by mistakes and prejudices: whence it...
Psalm CXXXIX.
... Do not thou thendarken thy darkness; God darkeneth it not, but enlighteneth it
yet more; for to Him is said in another Psalm, "Thou, Lord, shalt light my...
The Earliest Calvary Picture.
... When Eden's tragedy came so early, todarken the pages of this old Book, and, far
worse, todarken the pages of human life, there is a great glimpse of this...
Putting Clouds Over the Sun
... Children maydarken the hearts and lives of their parents.... We brighten ordarken
the lives about us. We lighten or make heavier the burdens of others....
The Wilderness State
... And, First, sin of commission. This may frequently be observed todarken the soul
in a moment; especially if it be a known, a wilful, or presumptuous sin....
More than Conquerors
... us is to fancy that the mists can quench the sunlight, is to suppose that that which
lies down low in the earth can rise to poison and todarken the heavens....
Ripe for Gathering
... by the flood of Egypt.9. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God,
that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I willdarken the earth...
A Good Conscience
... while they claim for themselves clearer light and knowledge than the child, and
thereby condemn themselves rather than the child; when theydarken and defile...
The Complaint: Or, Night Thoughts.
... In silken thought, which reptile fancy spun,. Tilldarken'd reason lay quite clouded
o'er 160.... Her golden mountains, where? alldarken'd down....
Preface.
... In describing the character and the action of the personages whose histories form
the subjects of this series, the writer makes no attempt todarken the colors...
Thesaurus
Darken (3 Occurrences)... 4. (v.) To cast a gloom upon. 5. (v.) To make foul; to sully; to tarnish. 6. (vi)
To grow or darker. Multi-Version Concordance
Darken (3 Occurrences).
...Eclipse
... 3. (vt) To cause the obscuration of; todarken or hide; -- said of a heavenly
body; as, the moon eclipses the sun. 4. (vt) To obscure...
Dim (22 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To render dim, obscure, or dark; to make less bright or distinct; to take
away the luster of; todarken; to dull; to obscure; to eclipse....
Cloud (119 Occurrences)
... is clouded. 8. (vt) Todarken or obscure, as if by hiding or enveloping
with a cloud; hence, to render gloomy or sullen. 9. (vt) To...
Darkened (28 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) ofDarken. Multi-Version Concordance
Darkened (28 Occurrences). Matthew 24:29 But immediately...
Obscure (7 Occurrences)
... 6. (v.) To render obscure; todarken; to make dim; to keep in the dark; to hide;
to make less visible, intelligible, legible, glorious, beautiful, or...
Overcast (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To cast or cover over; hence, to cloud;
todarken. 2. (vt) To compute or rate too high. 3. (vt...
Gloom (29 Occurrences)
... 7. (vt) To render gloomy or dark; to obscure; todarken. 8. (vt) To fill with
gloom; to make sad, dismal, or sullen. Multi-Version Concordance...
Dark (234 Occurrences)
... 9. (n.) A dark shade or dark passage in a painting, engraving, or the like; as,
the light and darks are well contrasted. 10. (vt) Todarken to obscure. Int....
Resources
What does it mean that the Shulammite had dark skin (Song of Solomon 1:6)? | GotQuestions.orgDarken: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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