Darkened
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The term "darkened" in the Bible often symbolizes a state of spiritual blindness, moral confusion, or divine judgment. It is used both literally and metaphorically to describe the absence of light, understanding, or righteousness.

1. Spiritual Blindness and Moral Confusion: In the New Testament, "darkened" is frequently used to describe the spiritual state of those who are separated from God. In Romans 1:21 , the Apostle Paul writes, "For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts." Here, "darkened" signifies a willful rejection of God's truth, leading to a clouded understanding and moral decay.

2. Divine Judgment: The concept of being darkened is also associated with God's judgment upon those who persist in sin. In Ephesians 4:18 , Paul speaks of the Gentiles, saying, "They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts." This passage highlights the consequence of persistent sin and rejection of God, resulting in a darkened understanding as a form of divine judgment.

3. Metaphorical Use in Prophecy: The imagery of darkness is often used in prophetic literature to describe times of judgment and calamity. In Isaiah 60:2 , it is written, "For behold, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you, and His glory will appear over you." Here, darkness symbolizes the pervasive sin and despair in the world, contrasted with the hope of God's redemptive light.

4. Contrast with Light: Throughout Scripture, darkness is contrasted with light, which represents truth, holiness, and the presence of God. In John 1:5 , it is stated, "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." This verse emphasizes the victory of Christ, the Light of the world, over the darkness of sin and ignorance.

5. Moral and Ethical Implications: The state of being darkened has moral and ethical implications for believers. In 1 John 2:11 , it is written, "But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness. He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes." This passage warns against the moral blindness that results from hatred and sin, urging believers to walk in the light of love and truth.

6. Call to Enlightenment: The Bible calls individuals to move from darkness to light, symbolizing a transition from ignorance and sin to knowledge and righteousness. In Ephesians 5:8 , Paul exhorts believers, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." This call to enlightenment is a central theme in the Christian journey, emphasizing the transformative power of Christ's light in overcoming spiritual darkness.

In summary, the concept of being "darkened" in the Bible serves as a powerful metaphor for spiritual blindness, moral confusion, and divine judgment, while also highlighting the hope and redemption found in the light of Christ.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(imp. & p. p.) of Darken.
Greek
4654. skotizo -- to darken
... See 4655 (). Word Origin from skotos Definition to darken NASB Word Usage darkened
(5). darken. From skotos; to obscure (literally or figuratively) -- darken. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4654.htm - 7k

4656. skotoo -- to darken
... obscurity, blindness). See 4654 (). Word Origin from skotos Definition to
darken NASB Word Usage darkened (3). to darken. From skotos ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4656.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew
2345. chum -- darkened, dark brown or black
... 2344, 2345. chum. 2346 . darkened, dark brown or black. Transliteration:
chum Phonetic Spelling: (khoom) Short Definition: black. ...
/hebrew/2345.htm - 6k

2821. chashak -- to be or grow dark
... 2820, 2821. chashak. 2822 . to be or grow dark. Transliteration: chashak Phonetic
Spelling: (khaw-shak') Short Definition: darkened. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/2821.htm - 6k

6272. atham -- perhaps to burn
... be darkened. A primitive root; probably to glow, ie (figuratively) be desolated --
be darkened. 6271, 6272. atham. 6273 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/6272.htm - 5k

6150. arab -- to become evening, grow dark
... evening (1), turns to gloom (1). be darkened, toward evening. A primitive
root (identical with arab through the idea of covering ...
/hebrew/6150.htm - 6k

Library

Whether the Demons' Intellect is Darkened by Privation of the ...
... THE PUNISHMENT OF THE DEMONS (FOUR ARTICLES) Whether the demons' intellect
is darkened by privation of the knowledge of all truth? ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the demons intellect is.htm

The Night Darkened Steadily Down Over London, -- a Chill Dreary ...
... XXXIX. The night darkened steadily down over London, " a chill dreary
night of heavy fog? The night darkened steadily down over ...
/.../corelli/the master-christian/xxxix the night darkened steadily.htm

Whether Towards the Time of the Judgment the Sun and Moon Will be ...
... OF THE SIGNS THAT WILL PRECEDE THE JUDGMENT (THREE ARTICLES) Whether towards the
time of the judgment the sun and moon will be darkened in very truth? ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether towards the time of.htm

Herein is a Mirror to be Blamed, --If Its Clearness is Darkened ...
... Hymn XVI. Herein is a mirror to be blamed,"if its clearness is
darkened"because there are spots on its substance. 1. Herein is ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/hymn xvi herein is a.htm

Our Lord's Olivet Discourse Shows that There is no Universal ...
... In verses 29 and 30 of Matt.24 we read, "Immediately after the tribulation of those
days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and ...
/.../pink/the redeemers return/3 our lords olivet discourse.htm

But as the Wills of Friends, which are not Seen, are Believed ...
... thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink; let their table become a snare before them,
and a recompense, and a stumbling-block: let their eyes be darkened that they ...
/.../augustine/concerning faith of things not seen /8 but as the wills.htm

It is Written that in Our Lord's Passion There was Darkness Over ...
... world. Again, another Prophet witnesses of the same, "The light shall be
darkened upon the earth in the day-time." Amos viii. 9. 24. ...
/.../24 it is written that.htm

The Life of God
... First he says, 'Their understanding was darkened.' But what part of it? ... What
part of their understanding was it which was darkened? St. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/sermons for the times/sermon xv the life of.htm

The Saviour's Last Hours.
... It was about the sixth hour, says the evangelist, and there was a darkness over
all the earth until the ninth hour, and the sun was darkened. ...
/.../selected sermons of schleiermacher/xxv the saviours last hours.htm

The Story of David
... [Illustration: Saul sat day after day in his darkened tent.]. Saul, the King of
Israel, sat day after day in his darkened tent ill and full of misery. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/steedman/david the shepherd boy/the story of david.htm

Thesaurus
Darkened (28 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Darkened (28 Occurrences). ... Mark 10:22 At these words his
brow darkened, and he went away sad; for he was possessed of great wealth. ...
/d/darkened.htm - 15k

Distress (169 Occurrences)
... Matthew 24:29 "But immediately after those times of distress the sun will be darkened,
the moon will not shed her light, the stars will fall from the firmament ...
/d/distress.htm - 36k

Dark (234 Occurrences)
... Matthew 24:29 But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be
darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky ...
/d/dark.htm - 44k

Stars (64 Occurrences)
... Matthew 24:29 But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be
darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky ...
/s/stars.htm - 29k

Oppression (67 Occurrences)
... Matthew 24:29 But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be
darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky ...
/o/oppression.htm - 29k

Lightened (11 Occurrences)
... The lamp of the body is the eye, when then thine eye may be simple, thy whole body
also is lightened; and when it may be evil, thy body also is darkened; (YLT). ...
/l/lightened.htm - 9k

Tribulation (43 Occurrences)
... Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened,
and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from ...
/t/tribulation.htm - 24k

Darken (3 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (v.) To make dark or black; to deprive of light; to
obscure; as, a darkened room. 2. (v.) To render dim; to deprive of vision. ...
/d/darken.htm - 7k

Shed (73 Occurrences)
... Matthew 24:29 "But immediately after those times of distress the sun will be darkened,
the moon will not shed her light, the stars will fall from the firmament ...
/s/shed.htm - 32k

Moon (70 Occurrences)
... Matthew 24:29 But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be
darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky ...
/m/moon.htm - 36k

Resources
Is an eclipse a sign of the end times? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean that God draws us to salvation? | GotQuestions.org

How should a Christian view the intellect? | GotQuestions.org

Darkened: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Darkened (28 Occurrences)

Matthew 24:29
But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken;
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 10:22
At these words his brow darkened, and he went away sad; for he was possessed of great wealth.
(WEY)

Mark 13:24
But in those days, after that oppression, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light,
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 11:34
The lamp of the body is the eye. When your eyesight is good, your whole body also is lighted up; but when it is defective, your body is darkened.
(WEY YLT)

Luke 11:36
if then thy whole body is lightened, not having any part darkened, the whole shall be lightened, as when the lamp by the brightness may give thee light.'
(YLT)

Luke 23:45
The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
(WEB KJV WEY DBY WBS YLT)

Romans 1:21
Because, knowing God, they didn't glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Romans 11:10
Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Bow down their back always."
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Corinthians 3:14
But their thoughts have been darkened, for unto this day the same veil remains in reading the old covenant, unremoved, which in Christ is annulled.
(DBY)

Ephesians 4:18
being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts;
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Revelation 8:12
The fourth angel sounded, and one third of the sun was struck, and one third of the moon, and one third of the stars; so that one third of them would be darkened, and the day wouldn't shine for one third of it, and the night in the same way.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Revelation 9:2
He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a burning furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Revelation 16:10
The fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was darkened. They gnawed their tongues because of the pain,
(WEB WEY ASV DBY YLT NAS)

Exodus 10:15
For they covered the surface of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened, and they ate every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. There remained nothing green, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Job 3:9
Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it behold the eyelids of the morning;
(See NAS)

Job 18:6
The light shall be dark in his tent, and his lamp over him shall be put out.
(See NAS)

Job 22:11
Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee.
(See RSV)

Psalms 69:23
Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can't see. Let their backs be continually bent.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV NIV)

Ecclesiastes 12:2
Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Ecclesiastes 12:3
in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows are darkened,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS)

Song of Songs 1:6
Fear me not, because I 'am' very dark, Because the sun hath scorched me, The sons of my mother were angry with me, They made me keeper of the vineyards, My vineyard -- my own -- I have not kept.
(See NIV)

Isaiah 5:30
They will roar against them in that day like the roaring of the sea. If one looks to the land behold, darkness and distress. The light is darkened in its clouds.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 9:19
Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother.
(KJV WBS)

Isaiah 13:10
For the stars of the sky and its constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going forth, and the moon will not cause its light to shine.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NIV)

Isaiah 24:11
There is a crying in the streets because of the wine. All joy is darkened. The mirth of the land is gone.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Ezekiel 30:18
At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt: and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity.
(KJV DBY WBS)

Joel 2:10
The earth quakes before them. The heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.
(WEB ASV DBY RSV NIV)

Joel 3:15
The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Darkened

Related Terms

Darkened (28 Occurrences)

Locust (25 Occurrences)

Darkeneth (1 Occurrence)

Clouds (99 Occurrences)

Darken
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