the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Language Studies
Hebrew Thoughts
''arâphel - עֲרָפֶל (Strong's #6205)
Dark cloud
The word עֲרָפֶל 'arâphel (Strong's #6205, x15) "dark cloud" appears to be a rare 4 consonant Hebrew word. Most, if not 99%, of Hebrew words derive from 3 letter triconsonantal roots. The famous Hebraist and lexicon author Gesenius regarded it as a blend of two words: עָרִיף 'ârîyph (Strong's #6183, x1) "cloud" and the unused root אָפַל âphal (not in Lexicon) "to be dark" from which we also get אָפֵל âphêl (Strong's #651, x1) "pitch-dark" as in Amos 5:20's day of the Lord; אפֶל ôphel (Strong's #652, x9) "darkness"; and אֲפֵלָה aphêlâh (Strong's #653, x10) "thick-darkness" used of the absence of the sun over the land of Egypt caused by God through Moses (Exodus 10:22). Thus, if Gesenius is right, the אָפַל âphal component to עֲרָפֶל 'arâphel brings with it the idea of absolute midnight-black darkness, often with negative connotaion of gloom or judgement.
The עָרִיף 'ârîyph "cloud" part of the word, itself, comes from עָרַף 'âraph (Strong's #6201, x2) "to drop, descend" and is only used in two places, exclusive to Deuteronomy. The first is the beautiful passage:
"Let my teaching drop (עָרַף 'âraph) as the rain, my speech distill (נָזַל nâzal) as the dew, As raindrops on the tender herb, And as showers on the grass." (Deuteronomy 32:2)
The second incidence uses the verb with the dew this time indicating some affinity with the first reference's dew verb, נָזַל nâzal (Strong's #5140, x16) "flow, pour, gush, drop, trickle".
"Then Israel shall dwell in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone, in a land of grain and new wine; His heavens shall also drop (עָרַף 'âraph) dew." (Deuteronomy 33:28)
Compare with the anagramatic (using the same 3 consonants) רָעַף râ'aph (Strong's #7491, x5) "to drip/drop".
The first use of עֲרָפֶל 'arâphel is within the context of the receipt of the Ten Words/Commandments in Exodus 20:21 where Moses approaches the "thick darkness" of God's presence. This is again described later as "fire, darkness, cloud, and thick darkness" (Deuteronomy 4:11; 5:22). David similarly describes God's descent with clouds, fire, cherubs and "darkness under his feet" (2 Samuel 22:10; Psalm 18:9). Solomon at the dedication of the Temple refers to God's nephological cloud-dwelling (1 Kings 8:12; 2 Chronicles 6:1)
Psalm 97:2, Ezekiel 34:12, Joel 2:2 and Zephaniah 1:15, all pair עֲנָן 'anân (Strong's #6051, x87) "clouds" with עֲרָפֶל 'arâphel placing the emphasis on darkness but linking it to obscure cloud cover. In every occurence the context is God, his presence and most often judgement.
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