dark , dark´nes ( חשׁך , ḥōshekh ; σκότος , skótos ):
1. Darkness and Light in Palestine
The day and night, light and darkness, are notable antitheses in Palestine. There the day does not slowly fade away into the night after a period of twilight, but before sunset there is the brightness of day, and when the sun has disappeared everything has changed and night is at hand. From sunset until the darkness of night is less than an hour.
2. Symbolic Uses
In the Bible the main use of darkness is in contrast to light. Light is the symbol of God's purity, wisdom and glory. Darkness is the opposite. Miraculous occurrence of darkness in the land of Egypt for three days is recorded in Exodus 10:21 , Exodus 10:22 , and at the death of Christ (Matthew 27:45 ). See PLAGUES; ECLIPSE .
The figurative uses of darkness are many and various. It is used as a symbol ( a ) of moral depravity and its punishment. The wicked walk and work in darkness (Psalm 82:5; Proverbs 2:13; John 3:19; Romans 13:12 ), and their reward is to "sit in darkness" (Psalm 107:10 ) or to be "cast forth into the outer darkness" (Matthew 8:12 ); (b ) of things mysterious or inexplicable (1 Kings 8:12; Psalm 97:2 ); (c ) of trouble and affliction (2 Samuel 22:29; Job 5:14; Proverbs 20:20; Isaiah 9:2; compare Genesis 15:12 ); (d ) of punishment (Lamentations 3:2; Ezekiel 32:8; Zephaniah 1:15 ); (e ) of death (1 Samuel 2:9; Job 10:21 f; Ecclesiastes 11:8 ); (f ) of nothingness (Job 3:4-6 ); (g ) of human ignorance (Job 19:8; 1 John 2:11 ).
"A dark (the Revised Version, margin "squalid") place" (2 Peter 1:19 ) refers especially to the state of things described in 2 Pet 2.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
WikipediaThe ISBE is a classic Bible reference compiled from nearly 10,000 entries written by over 200 different Bible scholars and teachers. In addition to the encyclopedia articles, all of the major words of the Bible are represented and defined.
The historical, cultural, and linguistic information in the ISBE can be of great value in Bible study and research.
But as with any writings of men, the careful student of the Bible must always compare them with Scripture. As you use this helpful study resource, remember that only God's word is pure.
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