3991. maapheleyah

Lexicon

maapheleyah: Gloom, Darkness

Original Word: מַאֲפֵלְיָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: ma'phelyah
Pronunciation: mah-af-el-yah
Phonetic Spelling: (mah-af-ay-leh-yaw')
Definition: Gloom, Darkness
Meaning: opaqueness

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

opaqueness

Prol. Feminine of ma'aphel; opaqueness:

see HEBREW ma'aphel

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from the same as ophel
Definition
deep darkness
NASB Translation
thick darkness (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

מַאְמֵּלְיָה noun feminine deep darkness (= מַאֲפֵל יָהּ according to Thes MV compare Songs 8:6 שַׁלְהֶבֶתְיָה; but Ew^{§ 165 b} & on Jeremiah 2:31 reads מַאְמִּלִיָה feminine of [מאפלי], derived from Hiph`il Participle; compare Sta^{§ 302 b} מַאְמְּלִיָּה; Jäger^{BAS 471} thinks this יָה an enclitic particle of emphasis, & compare Assyrian) — only ׳אֶרֶץ מ Jeremiah 2:31 figurative of ׳י in dealing with his people ("" מִרְבָּר).

אֶפְלָל see below פלל . p. 813.

אפן (meaning dubious, perhaps turn, compare פנה)

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the root אָפֵל (afel), meaning "dark" or "gloomy."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • While there is no direct Greek equivalent for מַאֲפֵלְיָה, similar concepts of darkness and gloom can be found in the Greek New Testament. For example, the Greek word σκότος (skotos, Strong's Greek 4655) is often used to denote darkness, both literal and metaphorical, in the New Testament. Another related term is ζόφος (zophos, Strong's Greek 2217), which refers to gloom or the blackness of darkness, often used in eschatological contexts.

Usage: The term מַאֲפֵלְיָה is used in the Hebrew Bible to describe a state of deep darkness or gloom, often in a metaphorical sense to convey spiritual or moral obscurity.

Context: • מַאֲפֵלְיָה appears in the Hebrew Bible to depict a profound darkness, often associated with divine judgment or the absence of God's presence. It conveys a sense of impenetrable gloom, where light is absent, and understanding is obscured. This term is used to describe both physical darkness and metaphorical darkness, such as ignorance or moral depravity.
• In the context of biblical literature, מַאֲפֵלְיָה is often employed to illustrate the severity of God's judgment or the dire consequences of turning away from divine guidance. It serves as a powerful image of the chaos and confusion that ensue when God's light is withdrawn.
• The concept of darkness in the Bible is frequently juxtaposed with light, symbolizing the contrast between evil and good, ignorance and knowledge, or separation from God and communion with Him. מַאֲפֵלְיָה, therefore, is not merely a physical description but a theological statement about the human condition without divine intervention.

Forms and Transliterations

מַאְפֵּ֖לְיָ֑ה מאפליה ma’·pê·lə·yāh ma’pêləyāh maPeleYah

Englishman's Concordance

Jeremiah 2:31
HEB: אִ֛ם אֶ֥רֶץ מַאְפֵּ֖לְיָ֑ה מַדּ֜וּעַ אָמְר֤וּ
NAS: a land of thick darkness? Why
KJV: a land of darkness? wherefore say
INT: Or A land of thick how say

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 3991
1 Occurrence

ma’·pê·lə·yāh — 1 Occ.