קָדַר

qâdar /kaw-dar'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto be ashy, i.e. darkcolored; by implication, to mourn (in sackcloth or sordid garments)
KJV usagebe black(-ish), be (make) dark(-en), (cause to) mourn.
Idioms & phrasesidiom heavily
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Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word qâdar, represented by H6937, conveys a state of being dark or ashy. It is a primitive root that appears 18 times in 17 unique verses. Its definition encompasses being dark-colored but also extends by implication to mourning, often in sackcloth or sordid garments. This creates a powerful link between literal darkness and the figurative darkness of grief, being black, or being made dark.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, H6937 is used to describe both cosmic and personal states of darkness. It frequently depicts the darkening of the heavens as a sign of divine action or judgment, as when the heavens are made black Jeremiah 4:28 or when the sun and moon shall be dark Joel 2:10. The word is also used to express profound human sorrow and mourning. The psalmist asks why he must go mourning due to oppression Psalms 43:2, and Jeremiah declares, "I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me" in response to the hurt of his people Jeremiah 8:21.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the concepts of darkness and mourning associated with H6937:

  • H56 ʼâbal (to bewail; lament, mourn): This word for mourning is directly paired with H6937 to link the sorrow of the earth with the darkness of the sky Jeremiah 4:28.
  • H2821 châshak (to be dark...; transitively, to darken): This verb for becoming dark is used alongside H6937 to intensify the description of a day of judgment for prophets, when the day itself will be dark over them Micah 3:6.
  • H7817 shâchach (to sink or depress...; bend, bow (down)...): This describes the physical posture of grief. It is used to show a person who is bowed down greatly while going mourning all day long Psalms 38:6.
  • H2822 chôshek (the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness): This noun for darkness is the result of God making the "bright lights of heaven" dark H6937, thereby setting darkness upon the land Ezekiel 32:8.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H6937 is demonstrated in its dual application to creation and human experience.

  • Cosmic Signs of Judgment: The darkening of the sun H8121, moon H3394, and stars H3556 is a powerful prophetic motif. God makes the heavens black Jeremiah 4:28 or the stars dark Joel 2:10 to signify a time of immense upheaval and divine judgment.
  • The Outward Expression of Grief: The word connects deep internal sorrow with a visible, physical state. A person can "go mourning" Psalms 42:9 or "be black" Jeremiah 8:21 from grief, linking a darkened disposition to the hurt H7667 and astonishment H8047 caused by affliction.
  • Divine Sovereignty: The use of H6937 often highlights God's authority. He causes Lebanon to mourn Ezekiel 31:15, makes the heavens black 1 Kings 18:45, and makes the stars dark Ezekiel 32:7, showing His control over both nature and the emotional state of humanity.

Summary

In summary, H6937 is more than a simple term for darkness. It functions as a bridge between the literal and the figurative, describing both the physical darkening of the celestial bodies and the deep, visible mourning of the human soul. Whether depicting a sky made black by clouds and wind 1 Kings 18:45 or a person going mourning in distress Job 30:28, qâdar powerfully illustrates how the Bible links the condition of the created world to the spiritual and emotional state of humanity under God.

Grammatical Forms

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 17 occurrences, inflected in 10 grammatical forms.

  • Qal Participle Singular Masculine Absolute 5×
  • Qal Perfect 3rd Plural common gender 3×
  • Qal Participle Plural Masculine Absolute 2×
  • Hiphil Consecutive Imperfect 1st Singular common gender 1×
  • Hiphil Consecutive Perfect 1st Singular common gender 1×
  • Hiphil Imperfect 1st Singular common gender 1×
  • Hithpael Perfect 3rd Plural common gender 1×
  • Qal Consecutive Perfect 3rd Plural common gender 1×
  • Qal Consecutive Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
  • Qal Perfect 1st Singular common gender 1×
Singular
One.
Plural
More than one.
Masculine
Masculine 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.
Hithpael
Reflexive-intensive — the subject acts upon itself.
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

Biblical Distribution

Appears in 17 verses across 7 books. Most frequent in Psalms (4 verses).

1
1 Kings
3
Job
4
Psalms
3
Jeremiah
3
Ezekiel
2
Joel
1
Micah

Verse Explorer

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