UBS Greek Dictionary Article

Form 1

Part of speech: noun, n.

Inflections: σκότος; -ους

Related lemmas: σκοτίζομαι

Sense 1: darkness

Semantic entry: 14.53

Semantic domains: Physical Events and States

Subdomains: Darkness

Definition: a condition resulting from the partial or complete absence of light (see 14.36: φέγγος / 14.36: φῶς)

Notes: In a number of languages it is impossible to speak of ‘darkness’ as being an agent in the sense of RV LUK 23:44 · LV LUK 23:44 · Read together LUK 23:44 ‘darkness covered the whole country.’ Accordingly, one must say ‘throughout the whole country it was dark’ or ‘it darkened over the whole country.’ In some languages darkness may be characterized as being a quality of the night, for example, ‘it was like night.’

MAT 27:45: RV MAT 27:45 · LV MAT 27:45 · Read together MAT 27:45

Show passage in OET

OET-RV MAT 27:45

45 Around noon, the whole country became dark for three hours

OET-LV MAT 27:45

45 And from the_sixth hour, darkness became over all the land until the_ ninth _hour.

MRK 15:33: RV MRK 15:33 · LV MRK 15:33 · Read together MRK 15:33

Show passage in OET

OET-RV MRK 15:33

33 At noon, it got dark everywhere, until around 3pm,

OET-LV MRK 15:33

33 And having _become the_ sixth _hour, darkness became over all the land, until the_ ninth _hour.

All 13 recorded passages for this sense

MAT: RV MAT 27:45 · LV MAT 27:45 · Read together MAT 27:45

MRK: RV MRK 15:33 · LV MRK 15:33 · Read together MRK 15:33

LUK: RV LUK 1:79 · RV LUK 11:35 · RV LUK 22:53 · RV LUK 23:44 · LV LUK 1:79 · LV LUK 11:35 · LV LUK 22:53 · LV LUK 23:44 · Read together LUK 1:79 · Read together LUK 11:35 · Read together LUK 22:53 · Read together LUK 23:44

ACT: RV ACT 2:20 · RV ACT 13:11 · LV ACT 2:20 · LV ACT 13:11 · Read together ACT 2:20 · Read together ACT 13:11

CO1: RV CO1 4:5 · LV CO1 4:5 · Read together CO1 4:5

CO2: RV CO2 4:6 · LV CO2 4:6 · Read together CO2 4:6

TH1: RV TH1 5:4–5 · LV TH1 5:4–5 · Read together TH1 5:4–5

JN1: RV JN1 1:6 · LV JN1 1:6 · Read together JN1 1:6

Sense 2: evil world, realm of evil, darkness

Semantic entry: 88.125

Semantic domains: Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior

Subdomains: Bad, Evil, Harmful, Damaging

Definition: (figurative extension of meaning of σκότος[a] ‘darkness,’ 14.53: γνόφος / 14.53: σκοτία / 14.53: σκότος) the realm of sin and evil

Notes: It is possible that in RV COL 1:13 · LV COL 1:13 · Read together COL 1:13 σκότος[b] is a figurative reference to the Devil or Satan, since ἐκ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ σκότους is in a parallel relationship with τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς ἀγάπης αὐτοῦ.

MAT 4:16: RV MAT 4:16 · LV MAT 4:16 · Read together MAT 4:16

Show passage in OET

OET-RV MAT 4:16

16 The people sitting in darkness
⇔ saw a powerful light,
⇔ and those sitting in a land under the shadow of death
⇔ had a light rise over them.’

OET-LV MAT 4:16

16 The people which sitting in darkness saw a_ great _light, and to _the ones sitting in a_land and shadow of _death, a_light rose on _them.

MAT 6:23: RV MAT 6:23 · LV MAT 6:23 · Read together MAT 6:23

Show passage in OET

OET-RV MAT 6:23

23 But if your eyes are evil, your entire body will be dark.

OET-LV MAT 6:23

23 But if the eye of _you may _be evil, all the body of _you will _be dark.
Therefore if the light which in you is darkness, how _great is the darkness.

All 16 recorded passages for this sense

MAT: RV MAT 4:16 · RV MAT 6:23 · LV MAT 4:16 · LV MAT 6:23 · Read together MAT 4:16 · Read together MAT 6:23

JHN: RV JHN 3:19 · LV JHN 3:19 · Read together JHN 3:19

ACT: RV ACT 26:18 · LV ACT 26:18 · Read together ACT 26:18

ROM: RV ROM 2:19 · RV ROM 13:12 · LV ROM 2:19 · LV ROM 13:12 · Read together ROM 2:19 · Read together ROM 13:12

CO1: RV CO1 4:5 · LV CO1 4:5 · Read together CO1 4:5

CO2: RV CO2 6:14 · LV CO2 6:14 · Read together CO2 6:14

EPH: RV EPH 5:8 · RV EPH 5:11 · RV EPH 6:12 · LV EPH 5:8 · LV EPH 5:11 · LV EPH 6:12 · Read together EPH 5:8 · Read together EPH 5:11 · Read together EPH 6:12

COL: RV COL 1:13 · LV COL 1:13 · Read together COL 1:13

TH1: RV TH1 5:4 · LV TH1 5:4 · Read together TH1 5:4

PE1: RV PE1 2:9 · LV PE1 2:9 · Read together PE1 2:9

PE2: RV PE2 2:17 · LV PE2 2:17 · Read together PE2 2:17

JN1: RV JN1 1:6 · LV JN1 1:6 · Read together JN1 1:6

Sense 3: gloomy hell, black darkness

Semantic entry: 1.24

Semantic domains: Geographical Objects and Features

Subdomains: Regions Below the Surface of the Earth

Definition: (an idiom, literally: the gloom of darkness) the dark, gloomy nature of hell as a place of punishment

Collocations: ὁ ζόφος τοῦ σκότους

JDE 1:13: RV JDE 1:13 · LV JDE 1:13 · Read together JDE 1:13

Show passage in OET

OET-RV JDE 1:13

13 like wild waves in the ocean that foam in their own shame or like unreliable wandering stars that are already doomed to the darkest darkness in the next age.

OET-LV JDE 1:13

13 wild waves of_the_sea foaming _out the shame of _themselves, wandering stars, to _whom the darkness of_ the _darkness has _been _kept to the_age.

Sense 4: outer darkness, darkness outside

Semantic entry: 1.23

Semantic domains: Geographical Objects and Features

Subdomains: Regions Below the Surface of the Earth

Definition: (an idiom, literally: the outer darkness) a place or region which is both dark and removed (presumably from the abode of the righteous) and serving as the abode of evil spirits and devils

Notes: In a number of languages this expression in RV MAT 8:12 · LV MAT 8:12 · Read together MAT 8:12 must be rendered as ‘they will be thrown outside where it is dark.’

Collocations: τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον

MAT 8:12: RV MAT 8:12 · LV MAT 8:12 · Read together MAT 8:12

Show passage in OET

OET-RV MAT 8:12