Obscurity (Hastings' Dictionary)

After the Lat. obscuritas and the Fr. obscurité, ‘obscurity’ is used literally in AV for darkness, gloom. There is no difference recog- nized between the two words ‘darkness’ and ‘obscurity.’ Obscurity is the tr. of b»x 'dphel, in Is 298, and of an hoshek, in Is 58” 599. When both words occur, RV translates ’éphel by ‘obscurity’ and hoshek by ‘darkness.’ The use of ‘gloom’ (instead of AV ‘dimness’) for mi'aph or ma'‘tph (Is 83 9} Frokeney prevented the employment of that word.

Obscurity also occurs in Ad. Est 118 (Gr. γνόφος, RV ‘gloomineas’). This literal use of the word is rare in English. The adj. oceurs only in P1 20” ‘his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness,’ Heb. vn pwxa (Kéré for pe'x2, which means ‘in the pupil [of the eye] of darkness’: cf. 7° ‘in the Blase and dark night,’ lit. ‘in the pupil of the night and of darkness,’ the pupil being the darkest part of the eye), RV ‘in the blackest darkness.’ See APPLE OF THE EYE. J. HAsTINGs.