B-Hebrew: The Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

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

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

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

Isaac Fried, Boston University