Bible Dictionary: Day and Night

◄ Day and Night ►

Jump to: ISBE • Greek • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Day and Night

DAY AND NIGHT

"Day," yom; ordinarily, the Hebrew "day" lasted from dawn to the coming forth of the starts (Nehemiah 4:21). The context usually makes it clear whether the term "day" refers to the period of twenty-four hours or to daytime; when there was a possibility of confusion, the term laylah, "night," was added (Genesis 7:4, 12; Genesis 31:39). The "day" is reckoned from evening to evening, in accordance with the order noted in the account of Creation, namely, "And there was evening and there was morning, one day" (Genesis 1:5); Leviticus 23:32 and Daniel 8:14 reflect the same mode of reckoning the day. The phrase `erebh boker, "evening-morning," used in this last passage, is simply a variation of yom and laylah, "day" and "night"; it is the equivalent of the Greek nuchthemeron (2 Corinthians 11:25). That the custom of reckoning the day as beginning in the evening and lasting until the following evening was probably of late origin is shown by the phrase "tarry all night" (Judges 19:6-9); the context shows that the day is regarded as beginning in the morning; in the evening the day "declined," and until the new day (morning) arrived it was necessary to "tarry all night" (compare also Numbers 11:32).

The transition of day to night begins before sunset and lasts till after sunset; the change of night to day begins before sunrise and continues until after sunrise. In both cases, neither `erebh, "evening," nor boqer, "morning," indicate an exact space of time (compare Genesis 8:11 Exodus 10:13 Deuteronomy 16:6).

The term nesheph, is used for both evening twilight and morning dawn (compare 1 Samuel 30:17 2 Kings 7:5, 7; Job 7:4). Since there were no definite measurements of the time of day, the various periods were indicated by the natural changes of the day; thus "midday" was the time of the day when the sun mounted its highest (cohorayim); afternoon was that part of the day when the sun declined (neToth ha-yom); and evening was the time of the going down of the sun (`erebh). "Between the evenings" (ben ha-`arbayim) was the interval between sunset and darkness. The day was not divided into hours until a late period. [sha`ah = Aramaic] (Daniel 3:6), is common in Syriac and in later Hebrew; it denoted, originally, any short space of time, and only later came to be equivalent to our "hour" (Driver). The threefold division of the day into watches continued into post-exilic Roman times; but the Roman method of four divisions was also known (Mark 13:35), where all four divisions are referred to: "at even" (opse), "midnight" (mesonuktion), "at cock crowing" (alektorophonia), "in the morning" (proi). These last extended from six to six o'clock (of also Matthew 14:25 Mark 13:35). Acts 12:4 speaks of four parties of four Roman soldiers (quaternions), each of whom had to keep guard during one watch of the night. In Berakhoth 3b, Rabbi Nathan (2nd century) knows of only three night-watches; but the patriarch, Rabbi Judah, knows four. See also DAY.

Horace J. Wolf

Greek

3574. nuchthemeron -- lasting a night and a day
... Transliteration: nuchthemeron Phonetic Spelling: (nookh-thay'-mer-on) Short Definition:
twenty-four hours Definition: a night and day, twenty-four hours. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3574.htm - 6k

4594. semeron -- today
... the article ho (t changed to s) and hemera; on the (ie This) day (or night current
or just passed); generally, now (ie At present, hitherto) -- this (to-)day. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4594.htm - 6k

1966. epiousa -- following, next.
... participle of a comparative of epi and heimi (to go); supervening, ie (hemera or
nux being expressed or implied) the ensuing day or night -- following, next. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1966.htm - 6k

5438. phulake -- a guarding, guard, watch
... or (concretely, guard), the act, the person; figuratively, the place, the condition,
or (specially), the time (as a division of day or night), literally or ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5438.htm - 7k

1773. ennuchos -- nightly, neut. as adv. by night
... dark (1). by night, before day. Neuter of a compound of en and nux; (adverbially)
by night -- before day. see GREEK en. see GREEK nux. (ennucha) -- 1 Occurrence ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1773.htm - 6k

3319. mesos -- middle, in the midst
... From meta; middle (as an adjective or (neuter) noun) -- among, X before them,
between, + forth, mid(-day, -night), midst, way. see GREEK meta. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3319.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

5399. nesheph -- twilight
... Word Origin from nashaph Definition twilight NASB Word Usage dawn (2), dusky (1),
evening (1), twilight (8). dark, dawning of the day morning, night, twilight. ...
/hebrew/5399.htm - 6k

6153. ereb -- evening
... day, evening, tide, night. From arab; dusk -- + day, even(-ing, tide), night. see
HEBREW arab. 6152b, 6153. ereb. 6154 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/6153.htm - 6k

Library

Psalm 121 Preservation by Day and Night.
... THE PSALMS OF DAVID PSALM 121 Preservation by day and night. CM Preservation
by day and night. To heav'nI lift my waiting eyes,. ...
/.../watts/the psalms and hymns of isaac watts/psalm 121 preservation by day.htm

Psalm 121:2. CM Preservation by Day and Night.
... THE Psalms of David, In Metre. Psalm 121:2. CM Preservation by day and night.
1 To heaven I lift my waiting eyes, There all my hopes ...
/.../watts/the psalms of david/psalm 121 2 0 c m preservation.htm

Of the Lights and Stars of Heaven --Of Day and Night, Ver. 14
... Book XIII. Chapter XVIII."Of the Lights and Stars of Heaven"Of Day and
Night, Ver. 14. 22. Thus, O Lord, thus, I beseech Thee ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/chapter xviii of the lights and.htm

"Day unto Day Uttereth Speech, and Night unto Night Showeth ...
... thy power proclaim, And the earth echoes back thy name; Ten thousand voices speak
thy might, And day to day, and night to night, Utter thy praise"thou Lord ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/adams/hymns for christian devotion/178 day unto day.htm

The Day Fades into Night,
... HYMNS OF THE EARLY CHURCH The day fades into night,. 6,6,8,6,8,8. The day fades
into night,. The shadows lengthening fall,. And see, the deepening purple light. ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the early church/the day fades into night.htm

Night and Day (Preached at the Chapel Royal)
... SERMON V. NIGHT AND DAY (Preached at the Chapel Royal). ... For is not this mortal life,
compared with that life to come, as night compared with day? ...
/.../kingsley/the water of life and other sermons/sermon v night and day.htm

On Heavenly Objects
... Day and night are righteousness and iniquity, faith and infidelity, prosperity and
adversity; in the psalm: The Lord has shown His mercy by day and has ...
/.../eucherius/the formulae of st eucherius of lyons/ii on heavenly objects.htm

"Nothing is Impossible to Industry, "Said one of the Seven Sages ...
... And shall not God avenge His elect, which cry to Him day and night, and He is
longsuffering over them? I say unto you, that He will avenge them speedily. ...
/.../bounds/purpose in prayer/chapter vi nothing is impossible.htm

The Ceaselessness of Prayer
... True, "They rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
who wert, and art, and art to come." But it is mere poverty of soul to think ...
/.../forsyth/the soul of prayer/chapter v the ceaselessness of.htm

First Sunday in Advent the Night is Far Spent, the Day is at Hand ...
... First sunday in Advent The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore
cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. ...
/.../winkworth/lyra germanica the christian year/first sunday in advent the.htm

Subtopics

Day

Day and Night

Day Before the Sabbath

Day: A Creative Period

Day: A Time of Festivity Called A: Day of Gladness