Talk:Arafel

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Arapel

Taken from the TWOT Hebrew Lexikon:

"Arapel: dark cloud, darkness, gross darkness, thick darkness.

The word arapel is a masculine noun employed respecting the veiled glory of Yahweh, the darkness enveloping his appearance on Mount Sinai, and the judgment he brings on sin. Suggested etymologies are from arap "to drip, drop" or Arabic ²afara "to cover". The word ²rpl "heavy cloud" occurs in Ugaritic.

Descriptions of the glory of God in the OT seem deliberately vague, perhaps to preserve the element of reverential awe respecting the wonder of beholding tokens of God, and also, perhaps, to remind one of the horror of sin in his presence. Hence, while the people stand afar off, Moses comes near to the "thick darkness" enveloping Yahweh (Exo 20:21). Indeed, the very mountain visited by God became an awesome mountain, "burning to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and thick gloom" (Deut 4:11). Similar expressions are found in Deut 5:22; 2Sam 22:10; Job 22:13; Psa 18:9; Psa 97:2. When Solomon dedicated the temple, the glory of Yahweh filled the building in cloud and thick darkness (1Kings 8:10-12; 2Chr 5:13-6:1), "as a reminder of the darkness into which Moses penetrated on Sinai".

Other uses of arapel include the poetic figure of darkness as a swaddling band for the sea (Job 38:9); and darkness as a symbol of ignorance, misery, and sin of man (Isa 60:2). The term arapel is also used as a symbol of Yahweh's judgment on sin (Jer 13:16; Ezek 34:12; Joel 2:2; Zeph 1:15). Because the same term is used of God's enveloped glory and his awesome judgments, the term is paradoxical: it bespeaks terror, wonder, fear, majesty, awe, and reverence".

Pedro Gante