עֲלָטָה
𐤏𐤋𐤈𐤄
ʻălâṭâh
H5939 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A period of deepening darkness, specifically occurring at dusk or twilight when daylight is waning and night approaches. The term designates the atmospheric conditions of diminished visibility at the end of the day but before full night.
Semantic Range
gathering dusk, deep twilight, enveloping darkness at evening, the gloom or dimness at day's end
Root / Etymology
Derived from an unused root עלט, likely meaning 'to cover' or 'to envelop'; the feminine noun form accentuates a state or quality, here signifying the covering or enveloping darkness associated with twilight. Actual use of the root in the Hebrew Bible is unattested.
Historical & Contextual Notes
עֲלָטָה appears infrequently, primarily in poetic or descriptive passages to evoke the visual and emotional quality of deepening evening or gathering darkness (e.g., Proverbs 7:9; Jeremiah 2:31). Unlike נֶשֶׁף (nesheph), which may describe both dawn and dusk and emphasizes the liminal quality of twilight, עֲלָטָה more precisely refers to the intensifying darkness characteristic of the latter part of twilight, often with a sense of enveloping or oppressive gloom. The term does not carry inherently negative religious or cultural connotations but is used to mark the transition to night. English translations as 'darkness,' 'twilight,' or 'dusk' are broadly accurate, though 'deep dusk' or 'evening gloom' more fully captures the evocative quality. In later Jewish usage, related terms may acquire ritual significance in defining times for prayer or the onset of Sabbath, but such usage postdates biblical occurrences. The word does not indicate a specific time by clock but rather a phase in the daily cycle recognized by observable atmospheric change.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine from an unused root meaning to cover; dusk; dark, twilight.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עלט (ʿ-l-ṭ) — covering, enveloping, cloaking
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5939-01 |
בָּ/עֲלָטָ֣ה | baalatah | HRd/Ncfsa |
in the darkness | enveloping twilight | 3 |
H5939-02 |
וַ/עֲלָטָ֖ה | vaalatah | HC/Ncfsa |
and thick darkness | enveloping dusk | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5939-02 |
Genesis 15:17 | וַ/עֲלָטָ֖ה | vaalatah | HC/Ncfsa |
and thick darkness | enveloping dusk |
H5939-01 |
Ezekiel 12:6 | בָּ/עֲלָטָ֣ה | baalatah | HRd/Ncfsa |
in the darkness | enveloping twilight |
H5939-01 |
Ezekiel 12:7 | בָּ/עֲלָטָ֥ה | baalatah | HRd/Ncfsa |
in the dusk | enveloping twilight |
H5939-01 |
Ezekiel 12:12 | בָּ/עֲלָטָ֣ה | baalatah | HRd/Ncfsa |
in-the-darkness | enveloping twilight |