4285. machshak
Strong's Lexicon
machshak: Darkness

Original Word: מַחְשָׁךְ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: machshak
Pronunciation: makh-shak'
Phonetic Spelling: (makh-shawk')
Definition: Darkness
Meaning: darkness, a dark place

Word Origin: Derived from the root חָשַׁךְ (chashak), meaning "to be dark" or "to grow dim."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - G4655 (σκότος, skotos): Often used in the New Testament to describe both physical and spiritual darkness.

- G4653 (σκοτία, skotia): Used to denote darkness, particularly in a metaphorical sense, such as in John 1:5, "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

Usage: The term "machshak" is used in the Hebrew Bible to denote physical darkness, often in the context of obscurity or the absence of light. It can also metaphorically represent spiritual or moral darkness, indicating a state of ignorance, sin, or divine judgment.

Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Near Eastern cultures, darkness was often associated with chaos, evil, and the unknown. It was contrasted with light, which symbolized order, goodness, and divine presence. In the Hebrew Bible, darkness is frequently used to describe the conditions before God's creative acts (Genesis 1:2) and as a symbol of God's judgment or the absence of His presence.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from chashak
Definition
dark place
NASB Translation
dark place (1), dark places (4), darkness (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
מַחְשַׁךְ noun masculine dark place (poetry) — absolute ׳מ Isaiah 29:15; Isaiah 42:16; מַחְשָׁ֑ךְ Psalm 88:19; plural מַחֲשַׁכִּים Psalm 88:7; Psalm 143:3 = Lamentations 3:6 construct מַחֲשַׁכֵּי Psalm 74:20; — dark place:

a. = hiding-place אֿרץ׳מח Psalm 74:20.

b. dark region, in which men may lose their way Isaiah 42:16.

c. = grave, or שׁאול Psalm 88:19 (see Che); of dark place of God's wrath (like She' ô l) Psalm 88:7; compare Psalm 143:3 = Lamentations 3:6.

d. = secret place, secrecy (of plots) Isaiah 29:15.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
darkness, place

From chashak; darkness; concretely, a dark place -- dark(-ness, place).

see HEBREW chashak

Forms and Transliterations
בְ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים בְּ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּ֥ים בְמַחְשָׁךְ֙ במחשך במחשכים מַחְשָֽׁךְ׃ מַחְשָׁ֨ךְ מַחֲשַׁכֵּי־ מחשך מחשך׃ מחשכי־ bə·ma·ḥă·šak·kîm ḇə·ma·ḥă·šak·kîm ḇə·maḥ·šāḵ bemachashakKim bəmaḥăšakkîm ḇəmaḥăšakkîm ḇəmaḥšāḵ ma·ḥă·šak·kê- machashakkei machShach maḥ·šāḵ maḥăšakkê- maḥšāḵ vemachashakKim vemachshoCh
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Psalm 74:20
HEB: כִּ֥י מָלְא֥וּ מַחֲשַׁכֵּי־ אֶ֝֗רֶץ נְא֣וֹת
NAS: the covenant; For the dark places of the land
KJV: unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth
INT: for are full the dark of the land of the habitations

Psalm 88:6
HEB: בְּב֣וֹר תַּחְתִּיּ֑וֹת בְּ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים בִּמְצֹלֽוֹת׃
NAS: pit, In dark places, in the depths.
KJV: pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
INT: pit the lowest dark the depths

Psalm 88:18
HEB: וָרֵ֑עַ מְֽיֻדָּעַ֥י מַחְשָֽׁךְ׃
NAS: from me; My acquaintances are [in] darkness.
KJV: from me, [and] mine acquaintance into darkness.
INT: and friend my acquaintances are darkness

Psalm 143:3
HEB: חַיָּתִ֑י הוֹשִׁיבַ֥נִי בְ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים כְּמֵתֵ֥י עוֹלָֽם׃
NAS: He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long
KJV: he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long
INT: my life dwell dark been dead have long

Isaiah 29:15
HEB: עֵצָ֑ה וְהָיָ֤ה בְמַחְשָׁךְ֙ מַֽעֲשֵׂיהֶ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ
NAS: And whose deeds are [done] in a dark place, And they say,
KJV: and their works are in the dark, and they say,
INT: their plans are in A dark deeds say

Isaiah 42:16
HEB: אַדְרִיכֵ֑ם אָשִׂים֩ מַחְשָׁ֨ךְ לִפְנֵיהֶ֜ם לָא֗וֹר
NAS: them. I will make darkness into light
KJV: I will make darkness light
INT: will guide will make darkness before light

Lamentations 3:6
HEB: בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּ֥ים הוֹשִׁיבַ֖נִי כְּמֵתֵ֥י
NAS: In dark places He has made me dwell,
KJV: He hath set me in dark places, as [they that be] dead
INT: dark dwell been dead

7 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 4285
7 Occurrences


bə·ma·ḥă·šak·kîm — 2 Occ.
ma·ḥă·šak·kê- — 1 Occ.
maḥ·šāḵ — 2 Occ.
ḇə·ma·ḥă·šak·kîm — 1 Occ.
ḇə·maḥ·šāḵ — 1 Occ.















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