ערפל ARAPEL Ex. 20:17(21)

[Isaac Fried]

We read:
וּמֹשֶׁה נִגַּשׁ אֶל הָעֲרָפֶל
KJV: "Moses drew near unto the thick darkness"
It seems to me that ערפל, 'fog, haze, murk, darkness, mist', is the compound ערף-על, 'come down upon', with ערף being a variant of ערב.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

[Isaac Fried]

Should be of interest how biblical words are extended and adapted for the exigencies of present day spoken use:
עִרְפוּל IRPUL, 'vagueness, obfuscation'.
מעוּרפל M'URPAL, 'dim'.
ערפילית ARPIYLIYT, 'nebula'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

[Isaac Fried]

We recall the עריף ARIYP of Isaiah 5:30
וְנִבַּט לָאָרֶץ וְהִנֵּה חֹשֶׁךְ צַר וָאוֹר חָשַׁךְ בַּעֲרִיפֶיהָ
NIV: "And if one looks at the land, there is only darkness and distress; even the sun will be darkened by clouds"

Also the ערף in the sense of 'cast down', as in Deut. 32:2
יַעֲרֹף כַּמָּטָר לִקְחִי תִּזַּל כַּטַּל אִמְרָתִי כִּשְׂעִירִם עֲלֵי דֶשֶׁא וְכִרְבִיבִים עֲלֵי עֵשֶׂב
NIV: "Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

[Isaac Fried]

Here are some more quadriliteral Hebrew roots ending in על
כרמל גבעל כרבל חרגל חשמל חבצל

Isaac Fried, Boston University