Menu

Psalms 18:9 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוַיֵּ֣ט שָׁ֭מַיִם וַיֵּרַ֑ד וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל תַּ֣חַת רַגְלָֽיו׃

BSAto ascendʻâlâh smokeʻâshân faceʼaph fireʼêsh lippeh to eatʼâkal coalgechel to burnbâʻar frommin

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 18
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 9 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 (rag.Lav) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 18:9quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse describes God's powerful descent from the heavens, accompanied by dark clouds.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, reflecting on God's might and intervention.
Where we areThis verse is part of a poetic description of God's theophany, illustrating His grandeur.
The hard wordעֲרָפֶל
Take awayGod's authority is evident as He descends with dark clouds beneath His feet.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectאֵשׁ verbעָשָׁן 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 — Psalms 18:9

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 Lord's Theophanygenerated

8Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; glowing coals blazed forth.
9He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.
10He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind.
11He made darkness His hiding place, and storm clouds a canopy around Him.

Psalms 18:9 depicts a dramatic scene where God intervenes in the world, parting the heavens and coming down with dark clouds. This imagery emphasizes His power and authority, as well as His willingness to engage with creation. The surrounding verses describe the intensity of His presence, showcasing a divine response to human need.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 68:4Sing to God! Sing praises to His name. Exalt Him who rides on the clouds — His name is the LORD— and rejoice before Him.
2Psalm 144:5–15Part Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
3Deuteronomy 33:26“There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to your aid, and the clouds in His majesty.
42 Samuel 22:10He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.
5Isaiah 51:6Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth below; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and its people will die like gnats. But My salvation will last forever, and My righteousness will never fail.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 13 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word וַיֵּ֣ט, vai.Yetgenerated

The verb וַיֵּ֣ט (vai.Yet) is a sequential imperfect form, indicating an action that unfolds over time. It conveys the idea of bending or stretching out, which in this context illustrates God's movement as He 'bends' the heavens to descend to earth.

This word evokes a sense of divine intervention and physical movement, emphasizing God's active role in the world. The lexicons note that it can also imply moral deflection, but here it focuses on the physical act of God reaching down.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

Translations generally agree on the rendering of וַיֵּ֣ט as 'He parted' or 'He bent down'.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse consists of two main clauses: וַיֵּ֣ט and וַיֵּרַ֑ד, both of which are finite verbs that describe God's actions. The structure emphasizes the sequence of actions — first God parts the heavens, then He comes down.

The use of prepositional phrases like תַּ֣חַת adds detail about the context of His descent, indicating that the clouds are beneath His feet, which underscores His authority.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates וַיֵּ֣ט as καπνὸς (kapnos), meaning 'smoke'. This choice suggests a metaphorical understanding of God's presence, focusing on the visual and sensory aspects of His descent.

The choice of עֲרָפֶל as πῦρ (pur), meaning 'fire', further emphasizes the intensity and power of God's presence, aligning with the theme of divine majesty.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalms 18:9 describes how God came down from the heavens, bringing dark clouds with Him. This imagery highlights God's power and authority as He intervenes in the world.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that God parted the heavens?

This phrase indicates God's active intervention in the world, showing His power to change the natural order.

Why does the verse mention dark clouds?

Dark clouds symbolize God's presence and the seriousness of His intervention, often associated with divine judgment or majesty.

How does this verse relate to other biblical descriptions of God?

Similar imagery appears throughout the Bible, portraying God as a powerful figure who engages with creation, such as in Isaiah 64:1.

What is the significance of the phrase 'beneath His feet'?

This phrase emphasizes God's authority over creation, suggesting that even the clouds are subject to Him.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does this verse teach us about God's nature and His involvement in our lives?
  2. How can we recognize God's presence in our own experiences?
  3. In what ways does this imagery of God descending with clouds resonate with other biblical themes?
  4. How can we apply the understanding of God's authority in our daily lives?

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

Early Church Fathers comment on this verse to illustrate God's humility and willingness to engage with humanity.

JeromeHOMILY ON Psalms 114(116a) c. 347–420
Because we are little and lowly and unable to lift ourselves up to him, the Lord stoops down to us and in his compassionate kindness deigns to hear us.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 18 →
Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 18 354–430
"And He bowed the heaven, and came down" [Psalms 18:9]. And He humbled the just One, that He might descend to men's infirmity.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 18 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 18:9 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

He bowed the heavens also, and came down,.... To execute wrath and vengeance on wicked men; which is always the sense of these phrases when they go together; see Psalms 144:6; The Targum is, "he

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

He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. He bowed the heavens also, and came down.

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

He bowed the heavens, by producing thick and dark clouds, by which the heavens seem to come down to the earth. Came down; not by change of place, but by the manifestation of his presence and power on my behalf.

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

Psalms 18:9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness [was] under his feet.Ver. 9. He bowed the heavens] i.e. Velociter venit, saith R. David, he came speedily to destroy mine enemies. And darkness was under his feet] He came invisible.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 18 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) Darkness.—Better, black cloud. The dark masses of rain-cloud are now gathered, and bend to the earth under the majestic tread of God. (Comp. Nahum 1:3, “and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” (Comp. Psalms 144:5.)

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 18 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 9. He bowed the heavens also, and came down] - He made the heavens bend under him when he descended to take vengeance on his enemies. The psalmist seems here to express the appearance of the Divine majesty in a glorious cloud, descending from heaven, which underneath was substantially dark, but above, bright, and shining with exceeding lustre; and which, by its gradual approach to the earth, would appear as though the heavens themselves were bending down and approaching towards us.

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

9. The dark canopy of storm clouds, which is the pavement under His feet (Nahum 1:3), lowers as He descends to judgment. God is said to come down when He manifests His power in the world (Genesis 11:7; Genesis 18:21; Isaiah 64:1). The darkness, or better as R.V., thick darkness, in which He conceals Himself from human view, symbolises the mystery and awfulness of His Advent (Exodus 19:16; Exodus 20:21, 1 Kings 8:12; Psalms 97:2).

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

He bowed the heavens also - He seemed to bend down the heavens - to bring them nearer to the earth.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 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 parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.

NETBNew English Translation2006

He made the sky sink as he descended; a thick cloud was under his feet.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

He bowed the heavens also, and came down; And thick darkness was under his feet.

RVARevised Version, American1894

He bowed the heavens also, and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

He bowed the heauens also and came downe, and darkenes was vnder his feete.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And he bowed the heavens, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And He inclineth the heavens, and cometh down, And thick darkness [is] under His feet.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And He inclines the heavens, and comes down, || And thick darkness [is] under His feet.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(18:10) And he bent the heavens, and came down: and thick darkness was under his feet:

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

He opened the heavens and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

The justices of the Lord are right, rejoicing hearts: the commandment of the Lord is lightsome, enlightening the eyes.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

He parted the heavens and came down, with dark clouds beneath his feet.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

The heavens were bent, so that he might come down; and it was dark under his feet.

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.

וַandclauseverbיֵּ֣טhe.bent.downobjectשָׁ֭מַיִם[the].heavensוַandclauseverbיֵּרַ֑דhe.came.downוַ֝andclausesubjectעֲרָפֶ֗לthick.darknessprepositional phrase · predicateתַּ֣חַת[was].undernoun phraseרַגְלָֽיfeetוhis

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 וַיֵּ֣ט שָׁ֭מַיִם וַיֵּרַ֑ד וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל תַּ֣חַת רַגְלָֽיו׃. The Septuagint matches this closely, showing agreement in the key elements of the verse. The Dead Sea Scrolls, while damaged, do not present variations that change the meaning significantly.

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

וַיֵּ֣ט שָׁ֭מַיִם וַיֵּרַ֑ד וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל תַּ֣חַת רַגְלָֽיו׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיֵּ֣טκαπνὸςשָׁ֭מַיִםἐνוַיֵּרַ֑דαὐτοῦוַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗לπῦρתַּ֣חַתἀπὸרַגְלָֽיו׃αὐτοῦ

6 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.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q85a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[עלה] [עשן] [באפ׳ו] [ואש] [מפי׳ו] [תאכל] [גחלים] [בערו] [ממ׳נו]

nothing on the leather here — 9 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 8Q2a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

עלה [עשן] [באפ׳ו] [ואש] [מפי׳ו] [תאכל] גחלים [בערו] [ממ׳נו]

2 words on the leather — 7 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 11Q7a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

עלה עשן [באפ׳ו] [ואש] [מפי׳ו] [תואכל] [גחלים] [בערו] [ממ׳נו]

1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 7 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 5/6hev1ba copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[עלה] [עשן] [באפ׳ו] [ואש] [מפי׳ו] תאכל [גחלים] [בערו] [ממ׳נו]

1 word on the leather — 8 supplied entire by an editor.

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.

Psalms 18:9נָטָהand he bentand he bent dowנָטָהשָׁמַי[the] heave[the] heavensשָׁמַייָרַדand he cameand he came dowיָרַדעֲרָפֶלand thick dand thick darknעֲרָפֶלתַּחַת[was] under[was] underתַּחַתרֶ֫גֶלfeet hisfeet hisרֶ֫גֶלעָרַףto dropto dropעָרַףרָגַלto spyto spyרָגַלתּוֹחַתּוֹחַחָזָקstrongstrongחָזָקזְרוֹעַarmarmזְרוֹעַעוֹףbirdbirdעוֹףכּוֹכָבstarstarכּוֹכָבשְׁאוֹלhell: Sheohell: Sheolשְׁאוֹלבּוֹרpitpitבּוֹראֲפֵלָהdarknessdarknessאֲפֵלָהעָנָןcloudcloudעָנָןאֶ֫דֶןsocketsocketאֶ֫דֶןשֶׁ֫מֶשׁsunsunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁבֹּ֫הֶןthumb/big thumb/big toeבֹּ֫הֶןיְמָנִיrightrightיְמָנִי
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 Psalms 18:9

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.

and he bent down [the] heavens and he came down and thick darkness [was] under feet his
וַיֵּ֣טvai.Yet and he bent down H5186 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
214× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To stretch or spread out, often used to describe physical movement, but also moral deflection, as seen in the story of Israel's decline in the book of Judges.
Tyndale gloss
to stretch
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָטָה (natah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to stretch out, spread out, or extend. It encompasses a wide range of actions, including bending, inclining, and pitching a tent. The word can also imply moral deflection or turning aside. The entries suggest various applications, from physical actions to metaphorical uses, but do not indicate significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָטָה 215 vb. stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

Qal

stretch out, extend, hand, rod

stretch line and plummet

= offer

Spread out, i.e. pitch, tent

Bend, turn, incline

Niph. be stretched out

Hiph.

rarely stretch out, hand

rarely spread out cloth on rock

usu. turn, incline

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5186 נָטָה stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend .. . stretch out, extend, hand, rod

. stretch line and plummet

. = offer

. Spread out, i.e. pitch, tent

. Bend, turn, incline

. be stretched out

. . rarely stretch out, hand

. rarely spread out cloth on rock

. usu. turn, incline

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5186 natah naw-taw'

a primitive root; to stretch or spread out; by implication,

to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great

variety of application (as follows):--+ afternoon, apply, bow

(down, - ing), carry aside, decline, deliver, extend, go down,

be gone, incline, intend, lay, let down, offer, outstretched,

overthrown, pervert, pitch, prolong, put away, shew, spread

(out), stretch (forth, out), take (aside), turn (aside, away),

wrest, cause to yield.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָטָה (na.tah) — to stretch.

1) to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to stretch out, extend, stretch, offer

1a2) to spread out, pitch (tent)

1a3) to bend, turn, incline

1a3a) to turn aside, incline, decline, bend down

1a3b) to bend, bow

1a3c) to hold out, extend (fig.)

1b) (Niphal) to be stretched out

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to stretch out

1c2) to spread out

1c3) to turn, incline, influence, bend down, hold out, extend, thrust aside, thrust away

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Hc/Vqw3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
and he bent down [the] heavens and he came down and thick darkness [was] under feet his
שָׁ֭מַיִםSha.ma.yim [the] heavens H8064 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
421× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for heaven or sky, it refers to the visible universe and the abode of God. It is often used in the Bible to describe the dwelling place of celestial bodies.
Tyndale gloss
heaven
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁמַיִם (*shamayim*) is a dual noun meaning 'heavens' or 'sky.' It refers to the visible heavens where celestial bodies are found, as well as the abode of God. The dual form may suggest both the arch of the sky and the higher ether. It is noted in contexts such as Elijah's ascent in a whirlwind.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׁמַי] n.m. only pl. שָׁמַיִם 421 heavens, sky

visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are

phrases

as abode of God

Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind

הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8064 שָׁמַי only pl. שָׁמַיִם heavens, sky . . visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are

. phrases

. . as abode of God

. Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind

. הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8064 shamayim shaw-mah'-yim

dual of an unused singular shameh {shaw-meh'}; from an unused

root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps

alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well

as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies

revolve):--air, X astrologer, heaven(-s).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁמַיִם (sha.ma.yim) — heaven.

1) heaven, heavens, sky

1a) visible heavens, sky

1a1) as abode of the stars

1a2) as the visible universe, the sky, atmosphere, etc

1b) Heaven (as the abode of God)

Aramaic equivalent: sha.ma.yin (שָׁמַ֫יִן "heaven" H8065)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmpa — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hev'-'nz (shamayim; ouranoi): On the physical heavens see ASTRONOMY; WORLD. Above these, in popular conception, were the celestial heavens, the abode of God and of the hosts of angels (Ps 11:4; 103:19-21; Isa 66:1; Re 4:2; 5:11; compare Da 7:10), though it was recognized that Yahweh's presence was not confined to any region (1Ki 8:27). Later Judaism reckoned seven heavens. The apostle Paul speaks of himself as caught up into "the third heaven," which he evidently identifies with Paradise (2Co 12:2).

See HEAVENLY.

and he bent down [the] heavens and he came down and thick darkness [was] under feet his
וַיֵּרַ֑דvai.ye.Rad and he came down H3381 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
381× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To go down or descend, like going to a lower place or falling. It appears in Genesis and Exodus, describing people and things moving downwards.
Tyndale gloss
to go down
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word יָרַד (yarad) means to come or go down, covering various contexts such as descending from mountains, going to battle, or sinking in water. It can also refer to divine manifestations descending or being prostrated. The word has different forms including Qal, Hiphil, and Hophal, which indicate various nuances of bringing down or being brought down.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָרַד 380 vb. come or go down, descend

Qal 306

come or go down

go down (usu. from mountain or hill-country into plain), to battle

go down to (acc.) threshing-floor

go down (abs.) from Palestine to Egypt

from Jerusalem

from altar

go down

= sink, in water

go down to She’ôl

fig. going down (dissolving) in tears

= be prostrated

of divine manifestations: descend

of inanimate things

Hiph.

cause to come or go down

bring down

send down rain = cause to flow down

= lay prostrate to (acc.) threshing-floor

bring down to She’ôl

take down (from cart)

let down

Hoph.

be brought down

be taken down

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3381 יָרַד come or go down, descend .. . come or go down

. go down (usu. from mountain or hill-country into plain), to battle

. go down to (acc.) threshing-floor

. go down (abs.) from Palestine to Egypt

. from Jerusalem

. from altar

. go down

. = sink, in water

. go down to She’ôl

. fig. going down (dissolving) in tears

. = be prostrated

. of divine manifestations: descend

. of inanimate things

. . cause to come or go down . bring down

. send down rain = cause to flow down

. = lay prostrate to (acc.) threshing-floor

. bring down to She’ôl

. take down (from cart)

. let down

. . be brought down

. be taken down

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3381 yarad yaw-rad'

a primitive root; to descend (literally, to go downwards; or

conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary,

the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to

bring down (in all the above applications); -X abundantly,

bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down,

fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, X

indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to,

let) run down, sink, subdue, take down.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָרַד (ya.rad) — to go down.

1) to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go or come down

1a2) to sink

1a3) to be prostrated

1a4) to come down (of revelation)

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to bring down

1b2) to send down

1b3) to take down

1b4) to lay prostrate

1b5) to let down

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be brought down

1c2) to be taken down

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Hc/Vqw3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
and he bent down [the] heavens and he came down and thick darkness [was] under feet his
וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗לva.'a.ra.Fel and thick darkness H6205 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absolute
15× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A cloud or dark cloud symbolizes gloom or thick darkness, often used to describe a heavy or ominous sky.
Tyndale gloss
cloud
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֲרָפֶל (araphel) refers to a cloud, specifically a heavy or dark cloud. It conveys a sense of gloom or thick darkness, as noted in various lexicons. The word is built from a root associated with darkness, and it emphasizes the heaviness of the cloud.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֲרָפֶל n.m. cloud, heavy cloud

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6205 עֲרָפֶל cloud, heavy cloud

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6205 `araphel ar-aw-fel'

probably from 6201; gloom (as of a lowering sky):--(gross,

thick) dark (cloud, -ness).

see HEBREW for 06201

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֲרָפֶל (a.ra.phel) — cloud.

cloud, heavy or dark cloud, darkness, gross darkness, thick darkness

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Ncmsa — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absolute
HC/Ncmsa
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

and he bent down [the] heavens and he came down and thick darkness [was] under feet his
תַּ֣חַתTa.chat [was] under H8478 Noun common · masculine singular construct
505× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means underneath or below, often used to describe physical locations or positions. It appears in various books, including Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms, to indicate something is under or beneath something else. The word has several related meanings.
Tyndale gloss
underneath: under
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

תַּחַת (tachath) refers to the concept of being underneath or below. It can function as a noun meaning 'the under part,' or as an adverb and preposition indicating position or substitution, such as 'instead of' or 'for the sake of.' The word encompasses various uses, including physical placement and metaphorical meanings related to subjection or exchange.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

תַּחַת n.[m.] the under part, hence as adv. accus. and prep. underneath, below, instead of

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8478 תַּחַת the under part, hence as adv. accus. and prep. underneath, below, instead of

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8478 tachath takh'-ath

from the same as 8430; the bottom (as depressed); only

adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix

underneath), in lieu of, etc.:--as, beneath, X flat,

in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead

of, under, X unto, X when...was mine, whereas, (where-)fore,

with.

see HEBREW for 08430

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תַּחַת (ta.chat) — underneath: under.

: under/below

1) the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas n m

1a) the under part adv accus

1b) beneath prep

1c) under, beneath

1c1) at the foot of (idiom)

1c2) sweetness, subjection, woman, being burdened or oppressed (fig)

1c3) of subjection or conquest

1d) what is under one, the place in which one stands

1d1) in one's place, the place in which one stands (idiom with reflexive pronoun)

1d2) in place of, instead of (in transferred sense)

1d3) in place of, in exchange or return for (of things mutually interchanged)

conj

1e) instead of, instead of that

1f) in return for that, because that in compounds

1g) in, under, into the place of (after verbs of motion)

1h) from under, from beneath, from under the hand of, from his place, under, beneath

תַּחַת (ta.chat) — underneath: instead.

: instead/in_place/exchange

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
and he bent down [the] heavens and he came down and thick darkness [was] under feet his
רַגְלָֽיו׃rag.Lav feet his H7272 Noun common feminine dual construct · suffix
247× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word also means a foot, like when God says he will tread on the wicked in Malachi 4:3. It's used to describe human and animal feet, as well as the base of objects like tables or idols.
Tyndale gloss
foot
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֶ֫גֶל (regel) means 'foot' and can refer to a foot or leg in various contexts, including anthropomorphic references to God and other beings. It also implies steps or paces. The word is derived from a root meaning related to walking, and it appears in multiple forms, such as feet and paces.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֶ֫גֶל 247 n.f. foot

foot

three times (feet, paces)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7272 רֶ֫גֶל foot . foot

. three times (feet, paces)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7272 regel reh'-gel

from 7270; a foot (as used in walking); by implication, a

step; by euphem. the pudenda:--X be able to endure, X

according as, X after, X coming, X follow,

((broken-))foot((-ed, -stool)), X great toe, X haunt, X

journey, leg, + piss, + possession, time.

see HEBREW for 07270

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֶ֫גֶל (re.gel) — foot.

1) foot

1a) foot, leg

1b) of God (anthropomorphic)

1c) of seraphim, cherubim, idols, animals, table

1d) according to the pace of (with prep)

1e) three times (feet, paces)

Aramaic equivalent: re.gal (רְגַל "foot" H7271)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfdc/Sp3ms — Noun common feminine dual construct · suffix
HNcfdc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

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.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate