קדר qādar – to be dark
Semantic Fields:
Colours
Author(s):
John E. Hartley
First published: 2026-05-20
Citation: John E. Hartley, קדר qādar – to be dark,
Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database (sahd-online.com), 2026
Introduction
Grammatical type: verb.
Occurrences: 17x HB (0/10/7); 1x Sir; 0x Qum; 0x Inscr. (Total: 18).
- Nebiim: 1 Kgs 18:45; Jer 4:28; 8:21; 14:2; Ezek 31:15; 32:7, 8; Joel 2:10; 4:15; Mic 3:6;
- Ketubim: Ps 35:14; 38:7; 42:10; 43:2; Job 5:11; 6:16; 30:28;
- Sira: 25:17C Hiph.
A.1 For MT אור יקרות in Zech 14:6 Rudolph suggests the reading אור קדר, ‘fading light’ (Rudolph 1976:232). Schmoldt correctly points out that if this proposed reading was adopted, it would stand in contradiction to the theme of continuous light in v. 7 (Schmoldt 1989:1177).
7. Conclusion
A.1 קדר describes something as ‘dark or becoming dark’. The landscape becomes dark whenever light from the heavenly light-giving bodies is prevented from reaching the earth as by a heavy cloud cover. This lexeme is especially used for the ‘darkness’ that will come over the earth when all these light-giving bodies fail to shine. The idiom הלך קדר stands for a mourner’s despondent posture. It may reference either the dark expression on a person’s face, making one’s face dark with ashes, or going about dishevelled and wearing grimy clothing. Over time the idiom came to be used metaphorically to describe a person who is sullen, despondent, or in mourning. The depth of sorrow expressed by קדר is illustrated by its use to describe one’s mourning the death of a friend or close relative (Ps 35:14) and in the psalmist’s lamenting his being shamed and depressed by God’s apparent indignation towards him (Ps 38:7). The part. is used substantively for ‘mourners’ and by metonymy for ‘the destitute’.
For this entry, see further John E. Hartley, The Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Colour Lexemes (2010), 43-52 (Printed publications).
Bibliography
For the abbreviations see the List of Abbreviations.