In biblical literature, the term "blackened" is often used metaphorically to describe a state of mourning, judgment, or spiritual darkness. The imagery of blackness or being blackened can be found throughout the Scriptures, symbolizing various aspects of human experience and divine interaction.

Mourning and Sorrow

The concept of blackened as a representation of mourning is evident in the cultural practices of the ancient Near East, where wearing sackcloth and ashes was a common expression of grief. In the book of Lamentations, the prophet Jeremiah uses vivid imagery to describe the desolation of Jerusalem: "Their appearance is blacker than soot; they go unrecognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick" (Lamentations 4:8). Here, the blackened appearance signifies profound sorrow and the devastating effects of suffering.

Judgment and Sin

Blackness is also associated with divine judgment and the consequences of sin. In the prophetic literature, darkness often accompanies the pronouncement of God's judgment. The prophet Joel speaks of the Day of the Lord as a time of darkness and gloom: "The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness" (Joel 2:10). This imagery of cosmic blackening underscores the severity of God's judgment upon a sinful world.

Spiritual Darkness

In the New Testament, blackness can symbolize spiritual darkness and separation from God. The Apostle Paul contrasts the light of Christ with the darkness of the world, urging believers to live as children of light: "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8). The transformation from darkness to light reflects the redemptive work of Christ, who delivers believers from the blackened state of sin.

Symbolism in Prophetic Visions

The book of Revelation contains apocalyptic visions where blackness serves as a symbol of impending doom and divine wrath. In Revelation 6:12, the opening of the sixth seal brings about a great earthquake, and the sun becomes "black as sackcloth made of goat hair" . This imagery conveys the cataclysmic nature of God's final judgment upon the earth.

Cultural and Historical Context

Understanding the use of blackened imagery in the Bible requires an appreciation of the cultural and historical context. In ancient times, blackness was often associated with death, decay, and the absence of life-giving light. The biblical authors employed this imagery to communicate profound spiritual truths about the human condition and God's redemptive plan.

Conclusion

The metaphor of blackened in the Bible serves as a powerful reminder of the realities of mourning, judgment, and spiritual darkness. Through the redemptive work of Christ, believers are called to move from darkness into the light, experiencing the hope and restoration that comes from a relationship with God.(imp. & p. p.) of Blacken.

On the Effects of the Redemption
... To restore its beauty I must clean and polish it. Thus the soul blackened
by sin must be cleaned by God's grace. If the soul is ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 10 on the effects.htm

The Master's Touch.
... of fine old antiques and curios. The auctioneer brought out an old blackened,
dirty-looking violin. He said, "Ladies and gentlemen ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on service/the masters touch.htm

Whether Backbiting is Suitably Defined as the Blackening of ...
... If, therefore, a person's good name is blackened by backbiting, this cannot
be done by secret words, but by words uttered openly. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether backbiting is suitably defined.htm

The Prince Returns
... All night the man on the sheepskins spoke to the blackened thatch above him of
the siege of Jerusalem and the treachery of Julian of Ephesus. ...
/.../miller/the city of delight/chapter xii the prince returns.htm

1872 the Need of a Home Further West --Burning of the Marchmont ...
... all gone. Books, papers, clothes, everything; but there in the blackened
ruin lay distinctly the charred frame of little Robbie. Mr ...
//christianbookshelf.org/lowe/gods answers/chapter iv 1872 the need.htm

1877-1879. "They Helped Every one his Neighbour" --Miss Child, a ...
... Immediately afterwards people came shrieking up the companion ways, many, of
them cut, bruised, and blackened. The scene was indescribable. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/lowe/gods answers/chapter vii 1877-1879 they helped.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... During the earlier ages, the river filled all this intermediate space, and the sides
of the hills, polished, worn, blackened to their very summits, still bear ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

The Procession of Sorrow
... of any man. See, it has been blackened with bruises, and stained with the
shameful spittle of them that derided him. Your heir of ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 9 1863/the procession of sorrow.htm

The End of Cambyses.
... Among the other acts of profligate wickedness which have blackened indelibly and
forever Cambyses's name, he married two of his own sisters, and brought one of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/chapter ii the end of.htm

The Eccentricity of Religion
... Gethsemane, Calvary. Yet these were but the more marked shades in the darkness
which blackened the whole path of the Man of Sorrows. But ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/drummond/the ideal life/the eccentricity of religion.htm

Blackened (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Blackened (1 Occurrence). Job 30:28 I go about blackened,
but not by the sun; I stand up, I cry in the congregation. (DBY RSV NIV). ...
/b/blackened.htm - 6k

Tanner (3 Occurrences)
... After drying, the leather is blackened on one side by rubbing on a solution made
by boiling vinegar with old nails or pieces of copper, and the skin is finally ...
/t/tanner.htm - 11k

Parched (37 Occurrences)
... By the time most of the sheaths are blackened the grain is toasted, and, after rubbing
off the husks between the hands, is ready to eat (Leviticus 2:14). ...
/p/parched.htm - 20k

Blackberry (2 Occurrences)

/b/blackberry.htm - 7k

Bottle (28 Occurrences)
... A bottle blackened or shrivelled by smoke is referred to in Psalm 119:83 as an image
to which the psalmist likens himself. Noah Webster's Dictionary. ...
/b/bottle.htm - 23k

Blacker (1 Occurrence)

/b/blacker.htm - 6k

Colour (22 Occurrences)
... the influence of the sun's rays. "Black" in Job 30:30 means dirty, blackened
by sorrow and disease. The word is applied to a mourner's ...
/c/colour.htm - 21k

Tiberius (1 Occurrence)
... His character has been blackened most by Tacitus and Suetonius. But on nearer
criticism Tiberius's character will appear in better light. ...
/t/tiberius.htm - 15k

Lampstand (38 Occurrences)
... oil for lighting. The writer has seen lamps of the Jewish and Roman period
with surface blackened with recent usage. Olive oil was ...
/l/lampstand.htm - 24k

Lamp (45 Occurrences)
... oil for lighting. The writer has seen lamps of the Jewish and Roman period
with surface blackened with recent usage. Olive oil was ...
/l/lamp.htm - 28k

Blackened: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus