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Job 18:18 — Word Study

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WLCיֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ מֵא֣וֹר אֶל־ חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וּֽמִתֵּבֵ֥ל יְנִדֻּֽהוּ׃

BSAHe is drivenHâdaph [thrust away, expelled] from lightʼôwr [natural and spiritual illumination] intoʼêl darknesschôshek [physical and spiritual gloom, misery] and is chasednâdad [forced to wander, expelled] from the inhabited worldtêbêl [the earth and its inhabitants, the global community]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 18
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 18 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (ye.ni.Du.hu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 18:18quick helps
In a sentenceJob illustrates the fate of the wicked, describing their expulsion from light and community.
Who is speakingJob, expressing the consequences faced by those who oppose God.
Where we areIn a poetic discourse on the fate of the wicked, contrasting their end with the life of the righteous.
The hard wordיֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ
Take awayThe wicked are cast out from light and community, facing isolation.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Job 18:18

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Fate of the Wickedgenerated

17The memory of him perishes from the earth, and he has no name in the land.
18He is driven from light into darkness and is chased from the inhabited world.
19He has no offspring or posterity among his people, no survivor where he once lived.
20Those in the west are appalled at his fate, while those in the east tremble in horror.

Job 18:18 reveals the dire consequences for the wicked, emphasizing their removal from both light and community. This verse is part of a larger discourse where Job describes the downfall of those who oppose God, contrasting their fate with that of the righteous. The surrounding verses further illustrate the themes of memory, legacy, and the reaction of others to their demise, as seen in Job 18:17 and Job 18:19.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Job 3:20Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul,
2Job 10:22to a land of utter darkness, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”
3Job 11:14if you put away the iniquity in your hand, and allow no injustice to dwell in your tents,
4Isaiah 8:21–22They will roam the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged; and looking upward, they will curse their king and their God.
5Jude 1:13They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ, Yeh.de.fu.hugenerated

The verb יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ (yeh.de.fu.hu) is a third person masculine plural form of the verb הָדַף (Hadaph), meaning 'to thrust' or 'to drive away'. It indicates an action of being forcefully expelled or removed, suggesting a strong sense of rejection.

This form implies that the subject is being acted upon by a collective group, emphasizing the communal aspect of the expulsion from light and society. The use of this verb paints a vivid picture of the fate awaiting the wicked, thrust out from the presence of light and community.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The structure of the verse centers around two finite verbs: יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ and יְנִדֻּֽהוּ, both expressing actions taken against the subject. The first verb describes the act of being driven from light into darkness, while the second indicates being chased from the inhabited world.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the actions of being thrust away and chased, highlighting the severity of the fate that befalls the wicked.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ is rendered as αὐτὸν (auton), meaning 'him'. This choice reflects a direct translation that maintains the subject's identity while omitting the forceful connotation of being thrust away.

The Greek translation does not carry the same weight of expulsion as the Hebrew, indicating a potential interpretative shift in understanding the nature of the subject's removal from light.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 18:18 describes the fate of the wicked, who are driven from light into darkness and chased from the inhabited world. This verse highlights the consequences of opposing God, illustrating a complete removal from community and illumination.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to be driven from light into darkness?

This phrase signifies a transition from a state of clarity and life to one of confusion and despair, often associated with judgment.

Why is the world described as inhabited?

The term emphasizes the social and communal aspects of life that the wicked are expelled from, highlighting their isolation.

How does this verse relate to the overall message of Job?

It underscores the themes of justice and retribution, illustrating the consequences of wickedness in contrast to the fate of the righteous.

What can we learn from the fate of the wicked?

The verse serves as a warning about the consequences of turning away from God and the importance of living in accordance with His ways.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I see the consequences of wickedness in the world around me?
  2. How can I ensure that I remain in the light and not fall into darkness?
  3. What steps can I take to foster community and support among those around me?
  4. How does understanding the fate of the wicked shape my view of justice and mercy?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Early commentary on this verse highlights the consequences faced by the wicked, as seen in the work of Gregory the Dialogist, who discusses their expulsion from light.

Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XIV c. 540–604
He shall drive him from light into darkness. He is led 'from light to darkness,' when for honour in the present life, he is condemned to eternal punishments. And hence it is more plainly added, And translate him out of the world.
Early Church Fathers on Job 18 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 18:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

He shall be driven from light into darkness,.... Either from the light of outward prosperity, formerly enjoyed by him, into the darkness of adversity; or rather from the light of the living, the

Read John Gill on Job 18 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world. Light ... darkness - existence-nonexistence.

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 18 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

He shall be driven, Heb. they shall drive him, i.e. his enemies, or those whom he hath oppressed; or they whom God shall appoint to do it, whether angels or men. Or it is an impersonal speech, and to be rendered passively, as it is also 16:9. From light into darkness; from a splendid and prosperous life to disgrace and misery, and to the grave, the land of darkness and forgetfulness, as the following words explain it.

Read Matthew Poole on Job 18 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 18:18 He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.Ver. 18. He shall be driven out of light into darkness] Heb. They shall drive him; sc. the devils shall drive him out of the light of life into outer darkness, as they did that rich wretch, Luke 12:20; confer Matthew 8:12; Matthew 25:30. The Dutch translation readeth it, Men shall drive him. Others understand it to be his troubles and sorrows. And chased out of the world] As Tarquin was by Collatine, as Phocas was by Heraclius; kicked off the stage of the world, as one phraseth it; or, as Job saith of some wicked, buried before half dead, Job 27:15. "Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out…

Read John Trapp on Job 18 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 18. He shall be driven from light] He shall be taken off by a violent death. And chased out of the world.] The wicked is DRIVEN AWAY in his iniquity. This shows his reluctance to depart from life.

Read AdamClarke on Job 18 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

5–21. The disastrous end of the wicked, in the moral order of the world, is certain The last verse naturally led over to this idea, which is the theme of the speech. The idea is set out in a great variety of graphic figures, and the speech is studded with sententious and proverbial sayings in the manner of the speaker’s first discourse (ch. 8). The history of the wicked man’s downfall is followed through all its stages:— Job 18:5-7. The principle—the sinner’s light goes out. Job 18:8-11. The progress of his downfall. Job 18:12-14. The final scenes. Job 18:15-17. The extinction of his race and name. Job 18:18-21. Men’s horror of his fate and memory. –7. The principle—the sinner’s light goes…

Read Cambridge on Job 18 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He shall be driven from light into darkness - Margin, “They shall drive him.” The meaning is, that he should be driven from a state of prosperity to one of calamity.

Read Albert Barnes on Job 18 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

18. Chased out of the world — He shall not be conducted out of life, as Plato expresses it, with funereal pomp, by a numerous train of mourning citizens and relations, but shall be cast out of human

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 18 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

He is driven from light into darkness and is chased from the inhabited world.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

He will be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

He is driven from light into darkness and is chased from the inhabited world.

NETBNew English Translation2006

He is driven from light into darkness and is banished from the world.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

He shall be driven from light into darkness, And chased out of the world.

RVARevised Version, American1894

He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

They shall driue him out of the light vnto darkenesse, and chase him out of the world.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

He is driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

They thrust him from light unto darkness, And from the habitable earth cast him out.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

They thrust him from light to darkness, || And cast him out from the habitable earth.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Men will thrust him out from light into darkness, and out of the world will they drive him.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

He will be driven from light into darkness and be chased out of this world.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

He shall drive him out of light into darkness, and shall remove him out of the world.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

They are thrown out of light into darkness, driven from the world.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

He is sent away from the light into the dark; he is forced out of the world.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clauseverbיֶ֭הְדְּפֻpeopleobjectהוּdrive.himprepositional phrase · prepositionalprepositional phraseמֵfromא֣וֹרlightprepositional phraseאֶלintoחֹ֑שֶׁךְdarknessוּֽandclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִfrom.[the]תֵּבֵ֥לworldverbיְנִדֻּֽtheyobjectהוּchase.him.away

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text reads: יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ מֵא֣וֹר אֶל־ חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וּֽמִתֵּבֵ֥ל יְנִדֻּֽהוּ׃. The Septuagint matches 4 of the 6 words, indicating a close alignment with the Hebrew text, though its word order differs.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ מֵא֣וֹר אֶל־ חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וּֽמִתֵּבֵ֥ל יְנִדֻּֽהוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּαὐτὸνמֵא֣וֹרφωτὸςאֶל־εἰςחֹ֑שֶׁךְσκότος

4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Job 18:18הָדַףpeople drivpeople drive hiהָדַףאוֹרfrom lightfrom lightאוֹראֶלintointoאֶלחֹ֫שֶׁךְdarknessdarknessחֹ֫שֶׁךְתֵּבֵלand from [tand from [the] תֵּבֵלנָדַדthey chase they chase awayנָדַדאוֹרto lightto lightאוֹרחָשַׁךְto darkento darkenחָשַׁךְיָבַלto conductto conductיָבַלשָׁלַךְto throwto throwשָׁלַךְאוֹororאוֹחֹ֫שֶׁךְdarknessdarknessחֹ֫שֶׁךְיָרֵחַmoonmoonיָרֵחַפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫האֲפֵלָהdarknessdarknessאֲפֵלָהצַלְמָ֫וֶתshadowshadowצַלְמָ֫וֶתמְלֹאfullnessfullnessמְלֹאבַּלnotnotבַּלקֵןnestnestקֵןעוֹףbirdbirdעוֹף
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Job 18:18

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

people drive him from light into darkness and from [the] world they chase away him
יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּYeh.de.fu.hu people drive him H1920 Verb qal imperfect third person masculine plural · suffix
11× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To thrust means to push away or down, as seen in the Bible when driving out or expelling someone, like in the book of Leviticus.
Amplified meaning
thrust away, expelled
Tyndale gloss
to thrust
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הָדַף (Hadaph) is a Hebrew verb meaning to thrust, push, or drive away. It encompasses actions like casting out or expelling, and can also imply deposing someone. The entries consistently highlight its use in the context of physical force or removal.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[הָדַף] vb. thrust, push, drive

Qal

thrust, push

thrust out, drive out

= depose

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1920 [הָדַף] thrust, push, drive

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1920 Hadaph haw-daf'

a prim root; to push away or down:--cast away (out), drive,

expel, thrust (away).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָדַף (ha.daph) — to thrust.

1) to thrust, push, drive, cast away, cast out, expel, thrust away

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to thrust, push

1a2) to drive out, thrust out

1a3) to depose

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp | Suff — Verb qal imperfect third person masculine plural · suffix
HVqi3mp/Sp3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
people drive him from light into darkness and from [the] world they chase away him
מֵא֣וֹרme.'or from light H216 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
121× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Light, including natural light from the sun or stars, and also spiritual light from God. It can refer to happiness, prosperity, or understanding. In the Bible, God is often described as the source of light and life.
Amplified meaning
natural and spiritual illumination
Tyndale gloss
light
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אוֹר (or) means 'light' and encompasses various forms of illumination, including daylight, dawn, and the light of heavenly bodies like the sun and stars. It can also refer to metaphorical concepts such as the light of life, prosperity, and instruction, as well as Yahweh as a source of light.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אוֹר 121 n.m. light

light as diffused in nature, light of day

morning light, dawn

light of the heavenly luminaries

daylight

lightning

light of lamp

light of life

light of prosperity

light of instruction

light of face

Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H216 אוֹר light . light as diffused in nature, light of day

. morning light, dawn

. light of the heavenly luminaries

. daylight

. lightning

. light of lamp

. light of life

. light of prosperity

. light of instruction

. light of face

. Yahweh

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

216 'owr ore

from 215; illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every

sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.):--bright, clear,

+ day, light (-ning), morning, sun.

see HEBREW for 0215

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אוֹר (or) — light.

1) light

1a) light of day

1b) light of heavenly luminaries (moon, sun, stars)

1c) day-break, dawn, morning light

1d) daylight

1e) lightning

1f) light of lamp

1g) light of life

1h) light of prosperity

1i) light of instruction

1j) light of face (fig.)

1k) Jehovah as Israel's light

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
HR/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

lit ('or, ma'or; phos; many other words):

1. Origin of Light

2. A Comprehensive Term

(1) Natural Light

(2) Artificial Light

(3) Miraculous Light

(4) Mental, Moral, Spiritual Light

3. An Attribute of Holiness

(1) God

(2) Christ

(3) Christians

(4) The Church

4. Symbolism

5. Expressive Terms

1. Origin of Light:

The creation of light was the initial step in the creation of life. "Let there be light" (Ge 1:3) was the first word of God spoken after His creative Spirit "moved" upon the primary material out of which He created the heavens and the earth, and which lay, until the utterance of that word, in the chaos of darkness and desolation. Something akin, possibly, to the all-pervasive electro-magnetic activity of the aurora borealis penetrated the chaotic night of the world. The ultimate focusing of light (on the 4th day of creation,

Light

The offspring of the divine command (Gen. 1:3). “All the more joyous emotions of the mind, all the pleasing sensations of the frame, all the happy hours of domestic intercourse were habitually described among the Hebrews under imagery derived from light” (1 Kings 11:36; Isa. 58:8; Esther 8:16; Ps. 97:11). Light came also naturally to typify true religion and the felicity it imparts (Ps. 119:105; Isa. 8:20; Matt. 4:16, etc.), and the glorious inheritance…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

One of the most wonderful, cheering, and useful of all the works of God; called into being on the first of the six days of creation, by his voice: "Let there be light;" and there was light. No object better illustrates whatever is pure, glorious, spiritual, joyful, and beneficent. Hence the beauty and force of the expressions, "God is light," 1Jo 1:5, and "the Father of lights," Jas 1:17; Christ is the "Sun of righteousness," and "the light of the world," Joh 1:9 8:12. So also the word of God is "a light," Ps 119:105; truth and Christians are lights, Joh 3:19 12:36; prosperity is "light," Es 8:16; and heaven is full of…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Created Ge 1:3-5; Isa 45:7; 2Co 4:6

→ Miraculous Mt 17:2; Ac 9:3

→ FIGURATIVE AND SYMBOLICAL 1Ki 11:36; Ps 27:1; 119:105,130; Pr 6:23; Ec 2:13; Isa 8:20; 49:6; 58:8; 60:19,20; Mt 4:16; 5:14,16; Lu 2:32; 11:34; 16:8;

people drive him from light into darkness and from [the] world they chase away him
אֶל־'el- into H413 Preposition
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
people drive him from light into darkness and from [the] world they chase away him
חֹ֑שֶׁךְCho.shekh darkness H2822 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
80× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to darkness, both physical and spiritual. It can also mean misery, destruction, or wickedness. In the Bible, it is often used to describe a state of being without light or hope.
Amplified meaning
physical and spiritual gloom, misery
Tyndale gloss
darkness
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֹ֫שֶׁךְ (choshek) refers to darkness or obscurity, both in a literal sense and in various figurative contexts such as distress, ignorance, and evil. It can also denote secret or hiding places. The word is built from a root meaning 'dark' and encompasses a range of meanings related to judgment and confusion.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֹ֫שֶׁךְ n.m. darkness, obscurity

darkness (opp. אוֹר)

= secret place(s); = hiding-place

fig.

= distress

= dread, terror, symbol. of judgment

= mourning

= perplexity; confusion

= ignorance

= evil, sin

= obscurity

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2822 חֹ֫שֶׁךְ darkness, obscurity . darkness (opp. אוֹר)

. = secret place(s); = hiding-place

. fig. . = distress

. = dread, terror, symbol. of judgment

. = mourning

. = perplexity; confusion

. = ignorance

. = evil, sin

. = obscurity

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2822 choshek kho-shek'

from 2821; the dark; hence (literally) darkness;

figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow,

wickedness:--dark(-ness), night, obscurity.

see HEBREW for 02821

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֹ֫שֶׁךְ (cho.shekh) — darkness.

1) darkness, obscurity

1a) darkness

1b) secret place

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Darkness

The plague (the ninth) of darkness in Egypt (Ex. 10:21) is described as darkness “which may be felt.” It covered “all the land of Egypt,” so that “they saw not one another.” It did not extend to the land of Goshen (ver. 23).

When Jesus hung upon the cross (Matt. 27:45; Luke 23:44), from the “sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.”

On Mount Sinai, Moses (Ex. 20:21) “drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.” This was the “thick cloud upon the mount” in which Jehovah was when he spake unto Moses there. The Lord dwelt in the cloud upon the mercy-seat (1 Kings…

is spoken of as encompassing the actual presence of God, as that out of which he speaks, --the envelope, as it were, of divine glory. (Exodus 20:21; 1 Kings 8:12) The plague of darkness in Egypt was miraculous. The darkness "over all the land," (Matthew 27:45) attending the crucifixion has been attributed to an eclipse, but was undoubtedly miraculous, as no eclipse of the sun could have taken place at that time, the moon being at the full at the time of the passover. Darkness is also, as in the expression "land of darkness," used for the state of the dead, (Job 10:21,22) and frequently, figuratively, for ignorance and unbelief, as the privation of spiritual light. (

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The absence of natural light, Ge 1:2, and hence figuratively a state of misery and adversity, Job 18:6 Ps 107:10 Isa 8:22 9:1; also the absence of the sun and stars, and hence the fall of chief men and national convulsions, Isa 13:10 Ac 2:20. "Works of darkness," are the impure mysteries practiced in heathen worship, Eph 5:11. "Outer darkness" illustrates the gloom of those on whom the gates of heaven are closed, Mt 8:12. The darkness in Egypt,

→ Over the face of the earth Ge 1:2; Job 38:9; Jer 4:23

→ Called NIGHT Ge 1:5

→ God creates Isa 45:7

→ Miraculous

In Egypt Ex 10:21,22; Ps 105:28

At Mount Sinai Ex 20:21; Heb 12:18

At the crucifixion Mt 27:45; Mr 15:33

→ FIGURATIVE

people drive him from light into darkness and from [the] world they chase away him
וּֽמִתֵּבֵ֥לu.mi.te.Vel and from [the] world H8398 Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
36× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for world, it refers to the earth and its inhabitants. In the Bible, it's used to describe the world God created, like in Psalm 24, which says the earth belongs to God.
Amplified meaning
the earth and its inhabitants, the global community
Tyndale gloss
world
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

תֵּבֵל (tebel) means 'world' and is derived from a root meaning 'to be moist.' It refers to the earth as a habitable place, encompassing both the globe and its inhabitants, and can specifically denote regions like Babylonia and Palestine. The entries consistently highlight its connection to the concept of a productive, inhabited land.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

תֵּבֵל n.f. world (perh. orig. as productive)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8398 תֵּבֵל world

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8398 tebel tay-bale'

from 2986; the earth (as moist and therefore inhabited); by

extension, the globe; by implication, its inhabitants;

specifically, a partic. land, as Babylonia,

Palestine:--habitable part, world.

see HEBREW for 02986

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תֵּבֵל (te.vel) — world.

world

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Prep | N-fs — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
HC/R/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The earth on which we dwell, 1Sa 2:8; its inhabitants, Joh 3:16, or a large number of them, Joh 12:19. In several places it is equivalent to "land," meaning the Roman Empire, or Judea and its vicinity, Lu 2:1 4:3 Ac 11:28. It also denotes the objects and interests of time and sense, Ga 6:14 1Jo 2:15.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ See EARTH

people drive him from light into darkness and from [the] world they chase away him
יְנִדֻּֽהוּ׃ye.ni.Du.hu they chase away him H5074 Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine plural · suffix
28× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to wander or flee, and is used in the Bible to describe people moving from place to place, like the Israelites in the wilderness in Exodus 14:3. It can also mean to chase someone away or to flutter like a bird.
Amplified meaning
forced to wander, expelled
Tyndale gloss
to wander
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָדַד (nadad) is a Hebrew verb that encompasses meanings related to movement, such as retreating, fleeing, departing, straying, and wandering. It can also refer to the fluttering of wings. The word has various forms, including Qal, Poal, Hiphil, Hophil, and Hithpolel, indicating different nuances of fleeing or being chased. Its Aramaic equivalent is נְדַד (H5075), meaning 'to flee.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָדַד] vb. retreat, flee, depart, stray, wander, flutter

Qal

retreat, flee

flee, depart

wander, stray

trans. flutter wings

Po‛ēl the sun hath arisen and it (the locust swarm) fleeth away

Hiph. chase away

Hoph. be chased away

Hithpo‛l. flee away

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5074 [נָדַד] retreat, flee, depart, stray, wander, flutter

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5074 nadad naw-dad'

a primitive root; properly, to wave to and fro (rarely to

flap up and down); figuratively, to rove, flee, or

(causatively) to drive away:--chase (away), X could not,

depart, flee (X apace, away), (re-)move, thrust away, wander

(abroad, -er, -ing).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָדַד (na.dad) — to wander.

1) to retreat, flee, depart, move, wander abroad, stray, flutter

1a)(Qal)

1a1) to retreat, flee

1a2) to flee, depart

1a3) to wander, stray

1a4) to flutter (of birds)

1b) (Poal) to flee away, be chased

1c) (Hiphil) to chase away

1d) (Hophal) to be chased away

1e) (Hithpolel) to flee away

Aramaic equivalent: ne.dad (נְדַד "to flee" H5075)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3mp | Suff — Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine plural · suffix
HVhi3mp/Sp3ms
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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