חָשַׁךְ (b. h.; cmp. חשש) [to be pressed, thick,] to be dark. Sabb. 34ᵃ; 51ᵃ משחָשְׁכָה; ib. IV, 2 משתֶּחְשַׁךְ when it darkens (at nightfall, v. חֲשֵׁיכָה). Snh. 22ᵃ עולם ח׳ בעדו the world around him is dark; Ab. Zar. 8ᵃ (some ed. חָשׁוּךְ). Ber. 16ᵇ אל יֶחְשְׁכוּ וכ׳ let not our eyes be obscured; a. fr. V. חָשׁוּךְ.
Hif. - הֶחְשִׁיךְ 1) to be overtaken by (the Sabbath) nightfall. Sabb. XXIV, 1 מי שה׳ בדרך he who is on the road at nightfall (on Friday). —2) to wait for the nightfall, to make preparations to be ready for work on the exit of the Sabbath, v. חֲשִׁיכָה. Ib. XXIII, 3 אין מַחְשִׁיכִין על וכ׳ you must not, during the day, walk to the extreme end of the Sabbath limit to await the night there for the purpose of hiring workmen etc.; אבל מַחְשִׁיךְ הוא וכ׳ but one may do so for the purpose of going at nightfall to watch his field, and then he may also take his fruits home. Ib. להַחְשִׁיךְ עליו to await the night at the Sabbath limit for the purpose of doing it. Ib. 4; a. fr. —3) to darken, obscure. Cant. R. to I, 1 (ref. to חשכים, Prov. XXII, 29) that is Potifar שה׳ הקב"ה וכ׳ whose eyes the Lord darkened etc. Ex. R. s. 51 (ref. to חשכה, Gen. XV, 12) that is Media שהֶחְשִׁיכָה וכ׳ who made Israel’s eyes dim (with tears) by her decrees. Pesik. R. s. 47 (ref. to Job XXXVIII, 2) הֶחְשַׁכְתָּ וכ׳ (not החשב׳) thou hast obscured the council which I held in heavens (when the Lord vouched for Job’s integrity); a. fr. —4) to become dark. Midr. Till. to Ps. XVIII, 12 (ref. to the versions חשכת, Ps. l. c., and חשרת II Sam. XXII, 12) when the clouds are laden with the waters, הן מַחְשִׁיכִין מן המים וכ׳ they receive a dark color from the waters, and afterwards they drop them as through a sieve.