What does עֲרָפֶל (ʿărāpel) mean in the Bible?
עֲרָפֶל (ʿărāpel): Thick, oppressive darkness or cloud-cover; often marks divine presence or judgment in theophany and covenant contexts
Hebrew · H6205
עֲרָפֶל
Gloom (as of a lowering sky)
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עֲרָפֶל H6205
Pronunciation ʿărāpel
What does עֲרָפֶל (ʿărāpel) mean in the Bible?
עֲרָפֶל (ʿărāpel): Thick, oppressive darkness or cloud-cover; often marks divine presence or judgment in theophany and covenant contexts
Full entry for עֲרָפֶל (H6205) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6205?
The BSB source-word alignment has 15 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and blackness (2), and darkness (2), and thick darkness (2), in the thick cloud (2), thick darkness (2).
Where does עֲרָפֶל (ʿărāpel) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 20:21. Its strongest book concentrations include Deuteronomy (2), Job (2), Psalms (2), 1 Kings (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It and blackness 2× Joel 2:2, Zephaniah 1:15
and darkness 2× Psalms 97:2, Ezekiel 34:12
and thick darkness 2× Job 38:9, Isaiah 60:2
in the thick cloud 2× 1 Kings 8:12, 2 Chronicles 6:1
thick darkness 2× Job 22:13, Jeremiah 13:16
with dark clouds 2× 2 Samuel 22:10, Psalms 18:9
and deep 1× Deuteronomy 4:11
and the deep darkness 1× Deuteronomy 5:22
the thick darkness 1× Exodus 20:21
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 20:21 הָֽעֲרָפֶ֔ל to the thick darkness Article | Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 4:11 וַעֲרָפֶֽל׃ to and deep Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 5:22 וְהָֽעֲרָפֶ֔ל to and the deep darkness Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular 2 Samuel 22:10 וַעֲרָפֶ֖ל to with dark clouds Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 1 Kings 8:12 בָּעֲרָפֶֽל׃ to in the thick cloud Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular 2 Chronicles 6:1 בָּעֲרָפֶֽל׃ to in the thick cloud Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Job 22:13 עֲרָפֶ֣ל to thick darkness Noun - masculine singular Job 38:9 וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל to and thick darkness Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Psalms 18:9 וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל to with dark clouds Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Psalms 97:2 וַעֲרָפֶ֣ל to and darkness Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 20:21
Aligned rows 15
Books represented 12
Exodus 1 Deuteronomy 2 2 Samuel 1 1 Kings 1 2 Chronicles 1 Job 2 Psalms 2 Isaiah 1 Jeremiah 1 Ezekiel 1 Joel 1 Zephaniah 1
Source forms
וַעֲרָפֶֽל׃ 3x wa·‘ă·rā·p̄el Deuteronomy 4:11, Ezekiel 34:12, Zephaniah 1:15
בָּעֲרָפֶֽל׃ 2x bā·‘ă·rā·p̄el 1 Kings 8:12, 2 Chronicles 6:1
וַעֲרָפֶ֖ל 2x wa·‘ă·rā·p̄el 2 Samuel 22:10, Isaiah 60:2
וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל 2x wa·‘ă·rā·p̄el Job 38:9, Psalms 18:9
הָֽעֲרָפֶ֔ל 1x hā·‘ă·rā·p̄el Exodus 20:21
וְהָֽעֲרָפֶ֔ל 1x wə·hā·‘ă·rā·p̄el Deuteronomy 5:22
וַעֲרָפֶ֣ל 1x wa·‘ă·rā·p̄el Psalms 97:2
וַעֲרָפֶ֔ל 1x wa·‘ă·rā·p̄el Joel 2:2
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 9x Deuteronomy 4:11, 2 Samuel 22:10, Job 38:9, Psalms 18:9
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular 2x 1 Kings 8:12, 2 Chronicles 6:1
Article | Noun - masculine singular 1x Exodus 20:21
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular 1x Deuteronomy 5:22
Noun - masculine singular 1x Job 22:13
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular 1x Jeremiah 13:16
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Thick, oppressive darkness or cloud-cover; often marks divine presence or judgment in theophany and covenant contexts
Source Gloss
gloom (as of a lowering sky)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Thick, oppressive darkness or cloud-cover; often marks divine presence or judgment in theophany and covenant contexts
gloom (as of a lowering sky) BDB: cloud Usage: (gross, thick) dark (cloud, -ness).
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
עֲרָפֶל is built from this root:
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain