Lexical Summary ophel: Mound, hill, fortress, stronghold Original Word: אֹפֶל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance darkness, obscurity, privily From the same as 'aphel; dusk -- darkness, obscurity, privily. see HEBREW 'aphel NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition darkness, gloom NASB Translation darkness (6), gloom (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs אֹ֫פֶל noun masculine Job 3:6 darkness, gloom (only in poetry) -׳א always absolute — 1 darkness,, of night Psalm 91:6 (opposed to צָֽהֳרַיִם deep in the earth,׳אֶבֶן א Job 28:3 ("" חשֶׁח צַלְמָוֶת); darkness, gloom of underworld Job 10:22 (twice in verse) ("" אֶרֶץ חשֶׁח עֵיפָפָה׳א צַלְמָוֶת); personified Job 3:6 that night — let darkness take it ׳יִקָּחֵהוּ א; figurative of spiritual darkness Isaiah 29:18 ("" חשֵׁח); of secrecy, treachery Psalm 11:2. 2 especially figurative of calamity, Job 23:17 ("" חשׁ ך q. v.), Job 30:26 (opposed to אוֺר ). Topical Lexicon Semantic Range and Imagery אֹפֶל evokes a palpable, oppressive darkness—“gloom,” “deep shadow,” or “thick darkness.” Unlike ordinary nightfall, it portrays a darkness that stifles movement, perception, and hope. In narrative contexts it is physical; in wisdom and prophetic texts it becomes existential and spiritual, symbolizing ignorance, danger, judgment, and separation from God. Occurrences in Scripture • Job 3:6 – Job calls for the day of his birth to be swallowed by “thick darkness,” wishing that his existence be erased in impenetrable gloom. Theological Themes 1. Judgment and Death – אֹפֶל frequently borders Sheol imagery (Job 10:22), underscoring the terror of life cut off from God. Historical and Cultural Context Ancient Near Eastern cosmology often portrayed chaos and the underworld as regions of pitch darkness. Hebrew poetry adopts the same motifs but roots them in covenant theology: darkness is not merely ominous space; it exists under Yahweh’s sovereign rule. Mining references reveal advanced Bronze Age technology and remind readers of humanity’s age-old quest to master darkness—physical and metaphysical. Ministry and Homiletical Insights • Counseling the Suffering – Job’s laments validate anguished believers who feel smothered by gloom; yet his refusal to curse God models persevering faith. Christological Fulfillment The darkness at Calvary (Mark 15:33) gathers every strand of אֹפֶל: judgment, sorrow, and apparent defeat. Yet the resurrection explodes that gloom forever. Believers now “proclaim Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). Practical Application • Personal Devotion – Memorize Psalm 91:5–6 and pray it when anxiety over unseen dangers arises. Summary אֹפֶל confronts readers with the stark reality of life apart from God’s light. Scripture never sanitizes the gloom, yet consistently declares that the Lord penetrates, governs, and ultimately dispels it. The believer therefore walks neither in denial nor in despair, but in confident expectation that “the night is nearly over; the day has drawn near” (Romans 13:12). Forms and Transliterations אֹ֗פֶל אֹ֝֗פֶל אֹ֣פֶל אֹ֥פֶל אֹֽפֶל׃ אפל אפל׃ בָּאֹ֣פֶל באפל וּמֵאֹ֣פֶל ומאפל ’ō·p̄el ’ōp̄el bā’ōp̄el bā·’ō·p̄el baOfel Ofel ū·mê·’ō·p̄el ūmê’ōp̄el umeOfelLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 3:6 HEB: הַהוּא֮ יִקָּחֵ֪ה֫וּ אֹ֥פֶל אַל־ יִ֭חַדְּ NAS: [As for] that night, let darkness seize KJV: As [for] that night, let darkness seize INT: he seize darkness nay rejoice Job 10:22 Job 10:22 Job 23:17 Job 28:3 Job 30:26 Psalm 11:2 Psalm 91:6 Isaiah 29:18 9 Occurrences |
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