Word Study for H2821 (חָשַׁךְ)

châshak /khaw-shak'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto be dark (as withholding light); transitively, to darken

KJV usagebe black, be (make) dark, darken, cause darkness, be dim, hide.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of châshak — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word châshak, represented by H2821, is a primitive root meaning to be dark. It appears 19 times across 18 unique verses in the Bible. Its definition encompasses the act of withholding light, and it is used transitively to mean darken, be black, be dim, or hide.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H2821 is frequently used to describe God's power over creation and His execution of judgment. It describes the dimming of celestial bodies, such as the sun being darkened at its going forth Isaiah 13:10 or God causing the sun to go down at noon and darkening the earth Amos 8:9. The term also depicts physical and emotional states, such as when eyes are dim with sorrow Lamentations 5:17 or a visage is blacker than coal due to famine Lamentations 4:8. Metaphorically, it is used to describe the obscuring of wisdom, as when one darkeneth counsel with words without knowledge Job 38:2. In the plague of locusts, the land was darkened Exodus 10:15.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand on the concept of darkness and its implications:

H2822 chôshek (the dark; darkness): As the noun form, this word refers not only to literal darkness but also figuratively to misery, destruction, death, ignorance, and wickedness. God sent darkness H2822 and made it dark H2821 over Egypt Psalms 105:28.
H2825 chăshêkâh (darkness): This feminine variant also means darkness and, figuratively, misery. It is used in parallel with H2822 to show that nothing is hidden from God: "the darkness H2825 and the light are both alike to thee" Psalms 139:12.
H6205 ʻărâphel (gloom; thick dark cloud): This word denotes an intense, profound darkness. God can turn light into the shadow of death and make it gross darkness Jeremiah 13:16.
H2820 châsak (to restrain, withhold): This root is noted as interchangeable with H2821. This connection highlights the idea of darkness as a deliberate withholding of light, seen when the day shall be darkened Ezekiel 30:18, where both Strong's numbers are used.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2821 is significant, often illustrating divine power and judgment.

Sovereign Judgment: The act of darkening the sun, moon, and stars is a recurring sign of God's judgment and the Day of the Lord (Isaiah 13:10, Amos 8:9). This demonstrates His ultimate authority over all creation.
Consequence of Sin: Darkness is often a direct consequence of rebellion or sin. The psalmist prays for his enemies' eyes to be darkened that they may not see Psalms 69:23. In Micah 3:6, false prophets are promised night and darkness, so they will no longer have visions.
Metaphor for Calamity: The word is used to paint a picture of deep suffering and sorrow. The darkening of the land Isaiah 5:30 or the dimming of vision Lamentations 5:17 reflects a state of national or personal despair.
Divine Omniscience: In a unique turn, H2821 is used to show that darkness cannot conceal from God. In Psalms 139:12, the psalmist declares that darkness hideth not from God, affirming His omnipresence and omniscience.

Summary

In summary, H2821 châshak conveys much more than the simple absence of light. It is an active verb describing the power to remove light, whether by God as an act of judgment over the cosmos and nations, or as a description of the physical and spiritual decay caused by sin and sorrow. From the dimming of the stars in heaven to the darkening of human understanding, châshak serves as a potent biblical symbol of judgment, calamity, and the consequence of being separated from the divine source of light.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 18 occurrences, inflected in 13 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Qal Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 5×
Hiphil Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 2×
Hiphil Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Hiphil Consecutive Perfect 1st Singular common gender 1×
Hiphil Participle Singular Masculine Absolute 1×
Hiphil Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Qal Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Singular Feminine 1×
Qal Consecutive Perfect 3rd Plural common gender 1×
Qal Consecutive Perfect 3rd Singular Feminine 1×
Qal Imperfect 3rd Plural Feminine 1×
Qal Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 1×
Qal Imperfect 3rd Singular Feminine 1×

+ 1 rarer form

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
common gender: Either gender — the form does not distinguish.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.
Qal: The simple, basic stem — plain action in the active voice.
Hiphil: The causative stem — the subject causes the action.
Consecutive Imperfect: Imperfect with vav — carries narrative forward ("and he…").
Consecutive Perfect: Perfect with vav — continues a sequence into the future.
Absolute: The independent form of a noun (not bound to another).

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 18 verses across 10 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Job and Psalms (3 verses each); never once in the other 29.

Exodus

Job

Psalms

Ecclesiastes

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Ezekiel

Amos

Micah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.