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קָדַר

𐤒𐤃𐤓

qâdar

H6937 verb

SILEX Entry

Root קדר to become dark, to be somber, to grow gloomy

Definition

To become dark or somber in appearance or mood; to grow dark, especially of sky or countenance; by extension, to experience or express mourning, sadness, or gloom. The verb is used primarily to describe a change to a darker state (literal or metaphorical), either through loss of light or the adoption of visible signs of mourning.

Semantic Range

to become dark (of sky, face, look), to mourn, to be downcast, to adopt outward signs of grief, to be somber or gloomy, to cloud over (literal or metaphorical)

Root / Etymology

From the root קדר, the core sense is to become dark or to grow faint in brightness. The verb form is stative/intransitive, describing a process of 'growing dark' or becoming sullied, which is metaphorically extended to emotional and ritual states associated with mourning in Israelite culture.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical texts, קָדַר is used both literally, for the darkening of the sky (e.g., in descriptions of weather or divine portent), and metaphorically, for expressions of mourning or deep sorrow, notably involving changes in personal appearance or mood. In Israelite society, mourning customs often included wearing sackcloth or soiled garments, reflected in the term's semantic connection between darkness and mourning. The association is not only visual (dark garments) but also emotional (darkened spirit). English translations such as 'to mourn' or 'to be black' can obscure the full semantic range, which connects physical darkness and spiritual sorrow. Related verbs such as אָבַל (to mourn) focus specifically on the act of mourning, whereas קָדַר emphasizes the outward or atmospheric change. In later periods, the term's mourning sense continues in post-biblical Hebrew, but the idiom may widen or lose visual specificity.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to be ashy, i.e. darkcolored; by implication, to mourn (in sackcloth or sordid garments); be black(-ish), be (make) dark(-en), [idiom] heavily, (cause to) mourn.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קדר (q-d-r) — to become dark, to be somber, to grow gloomy

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6938 קֵדָר to Qedar
H6939 קִדְרוֹן Kidron Ravine
H6940 קַדְרוּת gloomy darkness
H6941 קְדֹרַנִּית in mourning-blackness

Word Forms

12 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6937-07 קֹדֵ֥ר qoder HVqrmsa do I go mourning darkening one 5
H6937-05 קָדָ֔רוּ qadaru HVqp3cp grow dark they grew dark 2
H6937-01 אַקְדִּירֵ֖/ם aqedirem HVhi1cs/Sp3mp I will darken them I will darken them 1
H6937-02 הַ/קֹּדְרִ֥ים haqoderim HTd/Vqrmpa darkened by the ones growing dark 1
H6937-06 קָדְר֣וּ qaderu HVqp3cp they-are-black they grew dark 1
H6937-10 וְ/קָדַ֥ר veqadar HC/Vqq3ms and shall be dark and he grew dark 1
H6937-03 הִֽתְקַדְּרוּ֙ hiteqaderu HVtp3cp grew black they darkened themselves 1
H6937-12 וְ֝/קֹדְרִ֗ים veqoderim HC/Vqrmpa and those who mourn and darkening ones 1
H6937-08 וָ/אַקְדִּ֤ר vaaqedir HC/Vhw1cs and I made mourn and I caused to grow dark 1
H6937-04 קָדַ֕רְתִּי qadareti HVqp1cs I mourn I grew dark 1

Occurrences in Scripture

17 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6937-03 1 Kings 18:45 הִֽתְקַדְּרוּ֙ hiteqaderu HVtp3cp grew black they darkened themselves
H6937-11 Jeremiah 4:28 וְ/קָדְר֥וּ veqaderu HC/Vqq3cp and be dark and they grew dark
H6937-04 Jeremiah 8:21 קָדַ֕רְתִּי qadareti HVqp1cs I mourn I grew dark
H6937-06 Jeremiah 14:2 קָדְר֣וּ qaderu HVqp3cp they-are-black they grew dark
H6937-08 Ezekiel 31:15 וָ/אַקְדִּ֤ר vaaqedir HC/Vhw1cs and I made mourn and I caused to grow dark
H6937-09 Ezekiel 32:7 וְ/הִקְדַּרְתִּ֖י vehiqedareti HC/Vhq1cs and-I-will-darken I will cause to grow dark
H6937-01 Ezekiel 32:8 אַקְדִּירֵ֖/ם aqedirem HVhi1cs/Sp3mp I will darken them I will darken them
H6937-05 Joel 2:10 קָדָ֔רוּ qadaru HVqp3cp grow dark they grew dark
H6937-05 Joel 4:15 קָדָ֑רוּ qadaru HVqp3cp have-darkened they grew dark
H6937-10 Micah 3:6 וְ/קָדַ֥ר veqadar HC/Vqq3ms and shall be dark and he grew dark
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