Yom occurs about 2302 times in Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, the scholarly
critical text of the Hebrew scriptures. It is used 11 times by Moses in Genesis chapter 1
as he was guided to write under the influence of the Holy Spirit of God. (2 Pet. 1:20-21)
Yom has a range of meaning in various contexts throughout the holy scriptures. It
can mean day or daylight (Gen. 8:22; Jer. 33:25); a day of twenty-four hours (Josh.
10:13; 1 Sam. 18:10); special days (Prov. 25:20; Ezek. 1:18); the day of Yahweh,
that is, a time of judgment (Isa. 2:12; Mal. 3:2); lifetime (Gen. 47:8; Job 38:12); a
period of time (Gen. 24:55; Judges. 19:2), etc.
There is divergence of judgment among Hebrew scholars, exegetes, and
commentators as to the meaning of yom in Genesis 1. Some scholars conclude that the
word indicates epochs, or long periods of time that includes millions or billions of years.
It is my studied conviction that yom means a day of 24 hours in Genesis 1. I believe
the contextual and lexical evidence decisively proves that Moses used the term to
indicate a day of 24 hours.
The latter part of the Hebrew text of Genesis 1:5 reads, "wayahi ereb wayahi
boker yom ehad." (and there was evening and there was morning day one.) The
Septuaginta edited by Alfred Rahlfs reads, "kai egeneto hespera kai egeneto proi
hemera mia." (and there came evening and there came morning day one.) With the
exception of the numeral the phrase is repeated in verses 8, 13, 19, 23, and 31.
First, the phrase "evening and morning" not only precedes the days of creation,
but the expression shows that in the mind of Moses parameters are set for the
days of the creation week. In other words, the days were constituted of a
period identified as "evening and morning." (...ereb...boker) Moses uses the same
order of terms elsewhere in the Pentateuch. In Exodus 27:21 we read, "In the tent
of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall
tend it from evening to morning before Yahweh. It shall be a statute forever
throughout your generations by the people of Israel." In Leviticus 24:3 Moses wrote,
"Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall arrange it from
evening to morning before Yahweh regularly. It shall be a statute forever throughout
your generations." The phrase is used in the text to indicate the daily tasks of the
priests. In Numbers 9:21, "from evening until morning" refers to the time of Yahweh's
presence covering the tabernacle all night. The phrase is not used merely as a poetic
device to describe an indefinite period of time, but it is descriptive of a definite
period of time.
Second, elsewhere in the Pentateuch Moses compares the days of the creation
week to the days of the Jewish work week. By doing so, he indicates that since
God ceased labor on the seventh day, the Israelites are to do the same. He says,
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do
all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God...For in six days
Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the
seventh day. Therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."
(Exodus 20:8-11) The same information is repeated in Exodus 31:15-17.
Notice the points of comparison: Yahweh worked six days, the Israelites are to work
six days; Yahweh "rested" (ceased labor) on the seventh day, the people are to cease
labor on the seventh day. If the days of the creation week were aeons, periods
consisting of thousands, millions, or billions of years, it would be a non sequitur
when compared to the days of the Israelite work week! None of the Israelites would
have lived through the first "day" of their work week! The Israelites days of work
were the same as God's days of creation, otherwise the comparison that Moses made
would make no sense, and it would set the Israelites into a state of confusion.
Third, Moses makes a clear distinction between "days and years" (uleyomim
weshonim)in Genesis 1:14. If, as some allege, the days in verses 5,8,13,19, 23, 31
and 2:1 are aeons consisting of billions of years, please tell us the length of the "years"
found within the same chapter! If the term "years" is to be understood in the literal
sense, why isn't the word "day" to be understood the same way?
Fourth, the scholarly Hebrew and Aramaic lexicons that are sensitive to word
usage, acknowledge that yom is used in Genesis 1 to refer to a day of 24 hours. (Cf.
Lexicon In Veteris Testimenti Libros, A Dictionary of The Hebrew Old
Testament in English and German, page 372; A Concise Hebrew and
Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, page 130; Theological Lexicon of
the Old Testament, volume 2, page 528; The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of
the Old Testament, The New Koehler-Baumgartner in English, Volume 2, page
399; The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew, volume 4, page 166. Brown-Driver-Briggs
Hebrew English Lexicon makes the following observation about yom, "day as defined
by evening and morning Gen. 1:5,8,13,19,23,31." Hebrew and English Lexicon of
the Old Testament, page 398).
It seems that some professors, preachers, and commentators are trying to adapt
the Bible's account of creation to pseudo-science and the theories of theistic and
atheistic evolution. We must remember that God is the author of all true science, and
all efforts to make God fit a human mold are futile!
R. Daly
Copyright 2011
critical text of the Hebrew scriptures. It is used 11 times by Moses in Genesis chapter 1
as he was guided to write under the influence of the Holy Spirit of God. (2 Pet. 1:20-21)
Yom has a range of meaning in various contexts throughout the holy scriptures. It
can mean day or daylight (Gen. 8:22; Jer. 33:25); a day of twenty-four hours (Josh.
10:13; 1 Sam. 18:10); special days (Prov. 25:20; Ezek. 1:18); the day of Yahweh,
that is, a time of judgment (Isa. 2:12; Mal. 3:2); lifetime (Gen. 47:8; Job 38:12); a
period of time (Gen. 24:55; Judges. 19:2), etc.
There is divergence of judgment among Hebrew scholars, exegetes, and
commentators as to the meaning of yom in Genesis 1. Some scholars conclude that the
word indicates epochs, or long periods of time that includes millions or billions of years.
It is my studied conviction that yom means a day of 24 hours in Genesis 1. I believe
the contextual and lexical evidence decisively proves that Moses used the term to
indicate a day of 24 hours.
The latter part of the Hebrew text of Genesis 1:5 reads, "wayahi ereb wayahi
boker yom ehad." (and there was evening and there was morning day one.) The
Septuaginta edited by Alfred Rahlfs reads, "kai egeneto hespera kai egeneto proi
hemera mia." (and there came evening and there came morning day one.) With the
exception of the numeral the phrase is repeated in verses 8, 13, 19, 23, and 31.
First, the phrase "evening and morning" not only precedes the days of creation,
but the expression shows that in the mind of Moses parameters are set for the
days of the creation week. In other words, the days were constituted of a
period identified as "evening and morning." (...ereb...boker) Moses uses the same
order of terms elsewhere in the Pentateuch. In Exodus 27:21 we read, "In the tent
of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall
tend it from evening to morning before Yahweh. It shall be a statute forever
throughout your generations by the people of Israel." In Leviticus 24:3 Moses wrote,
"Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall arrange it from
evening to morning before Yahweh regularly. It shall be a statute forever throughout
your generations." The phrase is used in the text to indicate the daily tasks of the
priests. In Numbers 9:21, "from evening until morning" refers to the time of Yahweh's
presence covering the tabernacle all night. The phrase is not used merely as a poetic
device to describe an indefinite period of time, but it is descriptive of a definite
period of time.
Second, elsewhere in the Pentateuch Moses compares the days of the creation
week to the days of the Jewish work week. By doing so, he indicates that since
God ceased labor on the seventh day, the Israelites are to do the same. He says,
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do
all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God...For in six days
Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the
seventh day. Therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."
(Exodus 20:8-11) The same information is repeated in Exodus 31:15-17.
Notice the points of comparison: Yahweh worked six days, the Israelites are to work
six days; Yahweh "rested" (ceased labor) on the seventh day, the people are to cease
labor on the seventh day. If the days of the creation week were aeons, periods
consisting of thousands, millions, or billions of years, it would be a non sequitur
when compared to the days of the Israelite work week! None of the Israelites would
have lived through the first "day" of their work week! The Israelites days of work
were the same as God's days of creation, otherwise the comparison that Moses made
would make no sense, and it would set the Israelites into a state of confusion.
Third, Moses makes a clear distinction between "days and years" (uleyomim
weshonim)in Genesis 1:14. If, as some allege, the days in verses 5,8,13,19, 23, 31
and 2:1 are aeons consisting of billions of years, please tell us the length of the "years"
found within the same chapter! If the term "years" is to be understood in the literal
sense, why isn't the word "day" to be understood the same way?
Fourth, the scholarly Hebrew and Aramaic lexicons that are sensitive to word
usage, acknowledge that yom is used in Genesis 1 to refer to a day of 24 hours. (Cf.
Lexicon In Veteris Testimenti Libros, A Dictionary of The Hebrew Old
Testament in English and German, page 372; A Concise Hebrew and
Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, page 130; Theological Lexicon of
the Old Testament, volume 2, page 528; The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of
the Old Testament, The New Koehler-Baumgartner in English, Volume 2, page
399; The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew, volume 4, page 166. Brown-Driver-Briggs
Hebrew English Lexicon makes the following observation about yom, "day as defined
by evening and morning Gen. 1:5,8,13,19,23,31." Hebrew and English Lexicon of
the Old Testament, page 398).
It seems that some professors, preachers, and commentators are trying to adapt
the Bible's account of creation to pseudo-science and the theories of theistic and
atheistic evolution. We must remember that God is the author of all true science, and
all efforts to make God fit a human mold are futile!
R. Daly
Copyright 2011
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