| Fri, 03 May 2024 14:38:03 -0500 Yom Shishi, Chodesh Sheni 24, 6024 — יום ששי חדש שני כד ו׳כד |
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צַלְמָוֶת
Great Darkness |
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17 verses in the Tanakh contain the Hebrew word
צַלְמָוֶת (pronounced Tzal-mah-vet).
In each of those verses, the Hebrew word
צַלְמָוֶת
is usually translated, into English, as "Shadow of Death".
However, according to Ernest Klein, in his great reference book, "A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for Readers of English," צַלְמָוֶת (Tzal-mah-vet) means "Great Darkness". "Shadow of Death" would be the translation if the word was a compound word separated by a (־) which is pronounced "mah-qef". This is because צַלְ (Tzal), by itself, means "shadow"; and מָוֶת (Mah-vet), by itself, means "death"! THAT RESULTING COMPOUND WORD WOULD BE: צַלְ־מָוֶת. You may note that in the 17 verses below there IS NOT a ( ־ "maqqef") within the word צַלְמָוֶת which is, therefore, properly translated as "great darkness". |
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Job 38:17 |
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| הֲנִגְל֣וּ לְ֭ךָ שַׁעֲרֵי־מָ֑וֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵ֖י צַלְמָ֣וֶת תִּרְאֶֽה׃ | יז | 17 | Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee? Or hast thou seen the gates of great darkness? |
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Among those verses containing
צַלְמָוֶת,
Job 38:17 is a good illustration of the use of the
־ (maqqef) in another word, which is a compound word with a combining maqqef.
In that verse there is a compound word, שַׁעֲרֵי־מָ֑וֶת, translated as "gates of death"! This is an appropriate use of a maqqef and since it is in the same verse as a צַלְמָוֶת, it is easy to see the distinction, whether you insist in keeping previously understood translations of "shadow of death", especially in such iconic passages as Psalms 23:4, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want ..." (see passage below)! |
| If that is not enough to help understand why I have made these changes, here is the definition of צַלְמָוֶת as given in Ernest Klein's aforementioned resource: |
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צַלְמָֽוֶת m.n. great darkness. [According to the traditional pronunciation the word is regarded as compounded of צֵל and מָוֶת, hence lit. means ‘shadow of death’. However, most modern scholars read צַלְמוּת and derive the word from צלם ᴵᴵ.]
צלם ᴵᴵ to be dark. [Arab. ẓalima, Ethiop. ṣalma (= was dark). Base of צַלְמוֹן, possibly also of צַלְמָוֶת.] צַלְמוֹן m.n. MH darkness (in the Bible occurring only as the name of a mountain, Jud. 9:41, and Ps. 68:15). [Formed from צלם ᴵᴵ with ◌וֹן, suff. Forming abstract nouns.] |
| צַלְמָוֶת Great Darkness | |||
| Job 3:5 | |||
| יִגְאָלֻ֡הוּ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְ֭צַלְמָוֶת תִּשְׁכָּן־עָלָ֣יו עֲנָנָ֑ה יְ֝בַעֲתֻ֗הוּ כִּֽמְרִ֥ירֵי יֽוֹם׃ | ה | 5 | Let darkness and great darkness claim it for their own; let a cloud dwell upon it; let all that maketh black the day terrify it. |
| Job 10:21 | |||
| בְּטֶ֣רֶם אֵ֭לֵךְ וְלֹ֣א אָשׁ֑וּב אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃ | כא | 21 | Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and of great darkness; |
| Job 10:22 | |||
| אֶ֤רֶץ עֵיפָ֨תָה ׀ כְּמ֥וֹ אֹ֗פֶל צַ֭לְמָוֶת וְלֹ֥א סְדָרִ֗ים וַתֹּ֥פַע כְּמוֹ־אֹֽפֶל׃ פ | כב | 22 | A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself; a land of great darkness, without any order, and where the light is as darkness. |
| Job 12:22 | |||
| מְגַלֶּ֣ה עֲ֭מֻקוֹת מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵ֖א לָא֣וֹר צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ | כב | 22 | He uncovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light great darkness. |
| Job 16:16 | |||
| פָּנַ֣י חֳ֭מַרְמְרוּ חמרמרה מִנִּי־בֶ֑כִי וְעַ֖ל עַפְעַפַּ֣י צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ | יו | 16 | My face is reddened with weeping, and on my eyelids is great darkness; |
| Job 24:17 | |||
| כִּ֤י יַחְדָּ֨ו ׀ בֹּ֣קֶר לָ֣מוֹ צַלְמָ֑וֶת כִּֽי־יַ֝כִּ֗יר בַּלְה֥וֹת צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ | יז | 17 | For great darkness is to all of them as the morning; for they know the terrors of great darkness. |
| Job 28:3 | |||
| קֵ֤ץ ׀ שָׂ֤ם לַחֹ֗שֶׁךְ וּֽלְכָל־תַּ֭כְלִית ה֣וּא חוֹקֵ֑ר אֶ֖בֶן אֹ֣פֶל וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃ | ג | 3 | Man setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out to the furthest bound the stones of thick darkness and of great darkness. |
| Job 34:22 | |||
אֵֽין־חֹ֭שֶׁךְ וְאֵ֣ין צַלְמָ֑וֶת לְהִסָּ֥תֶר שָׁ֝֗ם פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃
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כב | 22 | There is no darkness, nor great darkness, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. |
| Job 38:17 | |||
| הֲנִגְל֣וּ לְ֭ךָ שַׁעֲרֵי־מָ֑וֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵ֖י צַלְמָ֣וֶת תִּרְאֶֽה׃ | יז | 17 | Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee? Or hast thou seen the gates of great darkness? |
| Psalms 23:4 | |||
| גַּ֤ם כִּֽי־אֵלֵ֨ךְ בְּגֵ֪יא צַלְמָ֡וֶת לֹא־אִ֘ירָ֤א רָ֗ע כִּי־אַתָּ֥ה עִמָּדִ֑י שִׁבְטְךָ֥ וּ֝מִשְׁעַנְתֶּ֗ךָ הֵ֣מָּה יְנַֽחֲמֻֽנִי׃ | ד | 4 | Yea, though I walk through the valley of great darkness, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me; {N} Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. |
| Psalms 44:20 | |||
| כִּ֣י דִ֭כִּיתָנוּ בִּמְק֣וֹם תַּנִּ֑ים וַתְּכַ֖ס עָלֵ֣ינוּ בְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃ | כ | 20 | Though Thou hast crushed us into a place of jackals, and covered us with great darkness. |
| Psalms 107:10 | |||
| יֹ֭שְׁבֵי חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָ֑וֶת אֲסִירֵ֖י עֳנִ֣י וּבַרְזֶֽל׃ | י | 10 | Such as sat in darkness and in great darkness, being bound in affliction and iron-- |
| Psalms 107:14 | |||
| יֽ֭וֹצִיאֵם מֵחֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָ֑וֶת וּמוֹסְר֖וֹתֵיהֶ֣ם יְנַתֵּֽק׃ | יד | 14 | He brought them out of darkness and great darkness, and broke their bands in sunder. |
| Isaiah 9:1 | |||
| הָעָם֙ הַהֹלְכִ֣ים בַּחֹ֔שֶׁךְ רָא֖וּ א֣וֹר גָּד֑וֹל יֹשְׁבֵי֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ צַלְמָ֔וֶת א֖וֹר נָגַ֥הּ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ | א | 1 | The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwelt in the land of great darkness, upon them hath the light shined. |
| Jeremiah 2:6 | |||
| וְלֹ֣א אָמְר֔וּ אַיֵּ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה הַמַּעֲלֶ֥ה אֹתָ֖נוּ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם הַמּוֹלִ֨יךְ אֹתָ֜נוּ בַּמִּדְבָּ֗ר בְּאֶ֨רֶץ עֲרָבָ֤ה וְשׁוּחָה֙ בְּאֶ֙רֶץ֙ צִיָּ֣ה וְצַלְמָ֔וֶת בְּאֶ֗רֶץ לֹֽא־עָ֤בַר בָּהּ֙ אִ֔ישׁ וְלֹֽא־יָשַׁ֥ב אָדָ֖ם שָֽׁם׃ | ו | 6 | Neither said they: 'Where is Yehovah that brought us up out of the land of Egypt; that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought and of great darkness, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?' |
| Jeremiah 13:16 | |||
| תְּנוּ֩ לַיהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֤ם כָּבוֹד֙ בְּטֶ֣רֶם יַחְשִׁ֔ךְ וּבְטֶ֛רֶם יִֽתְנַגְּפ֥וּ רַגְלֵיכֶ֖ם עַל־הָ֣רֵי נָ֑שֶׁף וְקִוִּיתֶ֤ם לְאוֹר֙ וְשָׂמָ֣הּ לְצַלְמָ֔וֶת וְשִׁ֖ית ישית לַעֲרָפֶֽל׃ | יו | 16 | Give glory to Yehovah your God, before it grow dark, and before your feet stumble upon the mountains of twilight, and, while ye look for light, He turn it into great darkness, and make it gross darkness. |
| Amos 5:8 | |||
| עֹשֵׂ֨ה כִימָ֜ה וּכְסִ֗יל וְהֹפֵ֤ךְ לַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ צַלְמָ֔וֶת וְי֖וֹם לַ֣יְלָה הֶחְשִׁ֑יךְ הַקּוֹרֵ֣א לְמֵֽי־הַיָּ֗ם וַֽיִּשְׁפְּכֵ֛ם עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאָ֖רֶץ יְהוָ֥ה שְׁמֽוֹ׃ ס | ח | 8 | Him that maketh the Pleiades and Orion, and bringeth on great darkness in the morning, and darkeneth the day into night; that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth; Yehovah is His name; |