King James Bible Dictionary

The plague (the ninth) of darkness in Egypt (Exodus 10:21) is described as darkness "which may be felt." It covered "all the land of Egypt," so that "they saw not one another." It did not extend to the land of Goshen (ver. 23).

When Jesus hung upon the cross (Matthew 27:45; Luke 23:44), from the "sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour."

On Mount Sinai, Moses (Exodus 20:21) "drew near unto the thick darkness where God was." This was the "thick cloud upon the mount" in which Jehovah was when he spake unto Moses there. The Lord dwelt in the cloud upon the mercy-seat (1 Kings 8:12), the cloud of glory. When the psalmist (Psalms 97:2) describes the inscrutable nature of God's workings among the sons of men, he says, "Clouds and darkness are round about him." God dwells in thick darkness.

Darkness (Isaiah 13:9, 10; Matthew 24:29) also is a symbol of the judgments that attend on the coming of the Lord. It is a symbol of misery and adversity (Job 18:6; Psalms 107:10; Isaiah 8:22; Ezekiel 30:18). The "day of darkness" in Joel 2:2, caused by clouds of locusts, is a symbol of the obscurity which overhangs all divine proceedings. "Works of darkness" are impure actions (Ephesians 5:11). "Outer darkness" refers to the darkness of the streets in the East, which are never lighted up by any public or private lamps after nightfall, in contrast with the blaze of cheerful light in the house. It is also a symbol of ignorance (Isaiah 9:2; 60:2; Matthew 6:23) and of death (Job 10:21; 17:13).

Over the face of the earth
Genesis 1:2; Job 38:9; Jeremiah 4:23

Called Night
Genesis 1:5

God creates
Isaiah 45:7

Miraculous:

In Egypt
Exodus 10:21-22; Psalms 105:28

At Sinai
Exodus 20:21; Hebrews 12:18

At the crucifixion
Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33

Figurative:

Of judgments
Proverbs 20:20; Isaiah 8:22; Isaiah 13:10; Jeremiah 4:28; Jeremiah 13:16; Lamentations 3:2; Ezekiel 32:7-8; Joel 2:2; Joel 2:10; Amos 4:13; Amos 5:18; Amos 5:20; Amos 8:9; Micah 7:8; Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24; Luke 23:45; Revelation 8:12; Revelation 9:2

Outer darkness
Matthew 8:12; Matthew 22:13; Matthew 25:30

Power of darkness
Luke 22:53; Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:5; Revelation 16:10

Of spiritual blindness
Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:16; Luke 1:79; Isaiah 42:16; Isaiah 50:10; Matthew 6:22-23; Matthew 8:12; John 1:5; John 3:19-21; John 8:12; John 11:9-10; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:21; Romans 13:12-13; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 5:8; Ephesians 5:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 1:5-7; 1 John 2:8-11
Blindness, Spiritual

The darkness of the holy of holies was symbolic of the dwelling place of Jehovah

General references
Exodus 19:16; 2 Samuel 22:10-12; 2 Chronicles 6:1; 1 Kings 8:12; Psalms 18:11; Psalms 97:2; Hebrews 12:18
Tabernacle, The Most Holy Place

is spoken of as encompassing the actual presence of God, as that out of which he speaks,

the envelope, as it were, of divine glory. (Exodus 20:21; 1 Kings 8:12) The plague of darkness in Egypt was miraculous. The darkness "over all the land," (Matthew 27:45) attending the crucifixion has been attributed to an eclipse, but was undoubtedly miraculous, as no eclipse of the sun could have taken place at that time, the moon being at the full at the time of the passover. Darkness is also, as in the expression "land of darkness," used for the state of the dead, (Job 10:21,22) and frequently, figuratively, for ignorance and unbelief, as the privation of spiritual light. (John 1:5; 3:19)

D'ARKNESS, noun

1. Absence of light.

And darkness was on the face of the deep. Genesis 1:2.

2. Obscurity; want of clearness or perspicuity; that quality or state which renders any thing difficult to be understood; as the darkness of counsels.

3. A state of being intellectually clouded; ignorance.

Men loved darkness rather than light. John 3:19.

4. A private place; secrecy; privacy.

What I tell in darkness that speak ye in light.

Matthew 10:27.

5. Infernal gloom; hell; as utter darkness Matthew 22:13.

6. Great trouble and distress; calamities; perplexities.

A day of clouds and thick darkness Joel 2:2. Is.

viii.

7. Empire of Satan.

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness

Colossians 1:13.

8. Opakeness.

Land of darkness the grave. Job 10:21.