Psalms 105:28
He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.
Original Language Analysis
שָׁ֣לַֽח
He sent
H7971
שָׁ֣לַֽח
He sent
Strong's:
H7971
Word #:
1 of 7
to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)
חֹ֭שֶׁךְ
darkness
H2822
חֹ֭שֶׁךְ
darkness
Strong's:
H2822
Word #:
2 of 7
the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness
וַיַּחְשִׁ֑ךְ
and made it dark
H2821
וַיַּחְשִׁ֑ךְ
and made it dark
Strong's:
H2821
Word #:
3 of 7
to be dark (as withholding light); transitively, to darken
וְלֹֽא
H3808
וְלֹֽא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
4 of 7
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
מָ֝ר֗וּ
and they rebelled
H4784
מָ֝ר֗וּ
and they rebelled
Strong's:
H4784
Word #:
5 of 7
to be (causatively, make) bitter (or unpleasant); (figuratively) to rebel (or resist; causatively, to provoke)
Historical Context
The plague of darkness (Exod 10:21-29) was particularly significant as it struck at Ra, the Egyptian sun god. Three days of complete darkness demonstrated Yahweh's superiority over Egypt's chief deity.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's ability to send and remove light serve as a metaphor for spiritual truth and blessing?
- What does the darkness at Christ's crucifixion reveal about the gravity of divine judgment on sin?
Analysis & Commentary
God 'sent darkness and made it dark' - the ninth plague. This reversed creation's first day when God said 'Let there be light.' Egypt experienced un-creation, demonstrating God's power to withdraw His common grace blessings. 'They rebelled not against his word' is difficult—most translations understand it as Moses and Aaron obeying, or possibly that even darkness obeyed God's command. Christ's crucifixion brought darkness over the land (Matt 27:45), symbolizing divine judgment. The Reformed understanding recognizes God's control over natural phenomena to accomplish His purposes.