Hosek/Choshek (Darkness)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. 23 No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. Exodus 10: 21-23

Darkness is Strong’s Word# H2822

חֹשֶׁךְ

chôshek

kho-shek'

From H2821; the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness: - dark (-ness), night, obscurity.

This is the same word that “was upon the face of the waters” of Creation. 

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Genesis 1:2

This is the darkness that Egypt got struck with for 3 days, a direct assault on the sun-god head of the Egyptian pantheon of gods who was said to rise again every daybreak, thus ensuring chaos would not return to the world. 

Chosek is made of the Hebrew letters: chet, shin, kaf.

Chet: a shelter, a secret place, sanctuary, private inner room, separated usually in order to protect. Also means cut off. 

Shin: Manifest presence of God; fiery consuming passion; crushed, pressed down and destroyed.

Kof: Palm of the hand; either covers or uncovers; open and allow or closed and forbid. 

Choshek is the cut off place of crushing, where there is no escape. 

In the culture of the Hebrews, choshek was used as the opposite of “light.” It carries the sense of blindness, misery, falsehood, and ignorance. It leads to death and destruction. It is not the word for “night” which is a neutral word without the negative connotations of choshek.

Thankfully, God said, “Light Be” (Genesis 1:3) and sent us His Light of the World. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5

Where God is, even the place of crushing is Tov (good); even that has a purpose which is for our best growth. Where God is, even darkness has a redemptive quality to it. Flea from those places of darkness where God is not. Do not be afraid of the darkness where God is. There, stand firm on His faithfulness to complete a good work in your in those places of darkness, despite those places of darkness, even because of those places of darkness where He is.