Extended Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (Brown-Driver-Briggs based)
darkness
Usage: 1) darkness, gloominess, calamity 2) wickedness (fig.)
Strong's Number
H653
Language
Hebrew
Linked Usages
10
Books
7
Strong's H653 Quick Answer
Strong's H653 אֲפֵלָה (aphelah) is a Hebrew Strong's word-study entry. aphelah (af-ay-law') n-f. 1. duskiness, figuratively, misfortune 2. (concretely) concealment It has 10 linked Bible usages across 7 books. Visible English usage signals include darkness and dark. Indexed coverage on this page includes Old Testament.
- Meaning
- aphelah (af-ay-law') n-f. 1. duskiness, figuratively, misfortune 2. (concretely) concealment
- Usage
- 10 linked usages
- Books
- 7 indexed books
- Corpus
- Old Testament
- Usage Words
- darkness and dark
Meaning and Definition
aphelah (af-ay-law') n-f. 1. duskiness, figuratively, misfortune 2. (concretely) concealment [feminine of H651] KJV: dark, darkness, gloominess, X thick. Root(s): H651
Across Lexicons
How independent scholarly lexicons define Strong's H653. Each definition is shown with its source so you can compare and cite the original reference works.
How Strong's H653 Is Translated
The English word each shown verse actually uses to render aphelah, taken from the interlinear word alignment (the same word underlined in the excerpts below). Where a rendering is used more than once, the count is shown.
darkness
Exodus 10:22
9×
dark
Proverbs 7:9
How Strong's H653 Usage Compares
Indexed coverage includes Old Testament. Each section below keeps corpus counts and sample passages visible so readers can compare the word across contexts instead of reading one flat concordance list.
- The largest indexed corpus on this page is Old Testament with 10 linked usages.
- The linked rows are Old Testament Hebrew usage, grouped by book for fast canonical scanning.
Strong's H653 by Corpus
Indexed usage grouped by testament and extended corpus so readers can compare this word across the Bible, Septuagint, deuterocanonical books, and 1 Enoch where present.
Strong's H653 in the Old Testament
10 indexed usages in Old Testament.
And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
Usage Excerpts
First 10 linked usage excerpts for Strong's H653.
And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.
And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:
Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.
A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
All Indexed Usage Links
Every indexed verse link for Strong's H653, grouped by book.
Exodus 1 usage, Old Testament
Deuteronomy 1 usage, Old Testament
Proverbs 2 usages, Old Testament
Isaiah 3 usages, Old Testament
Jeremiah 1 usage, Old Testament
Joel 1 usage, Old Testament
Zephaniah 1 usage, Old Testament
Strong's H653 FAQ
What does aphelah (אֲפֵלָה) mean?
Aphelah (Strong's H653) is a Hebrew word most simply glossed "duskiness". aphelah (af-ay-law') n-f. 1. duskiness, figuratively, misfortune 2. (concretely) concealment
How many times is aphelah (אֲפֵלָה) used in the Bible?
This page currently indexes 10 linked usages for Strong's H653 across 7 books.
Where can I study aphelah (אֲפֵלָה) in context?
Use the linked verse references on this page to study Strong's H653 in context. The indexed coverage includes Old Testament.
What English words translate aphelah (אֲפֵלָה)?
The visible usage excerpts most often surface English words such as darkness and dark. These are scanning signals from the displayed verses, not replacements for the original-language definition.