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Genesis 1:14 — Word Study

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WLCוַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים יְהִ֤י מְאֹרֹת֙ בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם לְהַבְדִּ֕יל בֵּ֥ין הַיּ֖וֹם וּבֵ֣ין הַלָּ֑יְלָה וְהָי֤וּ לְאֹתֹת֙ וּלְמ֣וֹעֲדִ֔ים וּלְיָמִ֖ים וְשָׁנִֽים׃

BSAAnd God’ĕ·lō·hîm [Elohim, the one supreme God] saidway·yō·mer Let there beyə·hî lightsmə·’ō·rōṯ [luminaries, celestial bodies] in the expansebir·qî·a‘ [firmament, solid surface] of the skyhaš·šā·ma·yim [heaven, the visible universe] to distinguishlə·haḇ·dîl [separate, divide] betweenbên the dayhay·yō·wm [a 24-hour period, a figurative space of time] andū·ḇên the nighthal·lā·yə·lāh [a period of darkness, adversity] and let them bewə·hā·yū signs to marklə·’ō·ṯōṯ [miraculous signs, wonders, indicate, signal] [the] seasonsū·lə·mō·w·‘ă·ḏîm [appointed times, festivals] and daysū·lə·yā·mîm [literal or figurative periods] and yearswə·šā·nîm [periods of time, ages]

Word
Listen & take awayGenesis 1
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 14 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (ve.sha.Nim) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Genesis 1:14quick helps
In a sentenceGod commands the creation of lights in the sky to separate day from night and to serve as signs for time.
Who is speakingGod, referred to as אֱלֹהִים, 'E.lo.Him.
Where we areThe fourth day of creation, where God establishes the celestial bodies.
The hard wordמְאֹרֹת, me.'o.Rot
Take awayThe lights serve both practical and symbolic purposes in marking time.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectאֱלֹהִים verbאָמַר The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Genesis 1:14

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Creation of Lightsgenerated

13And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
14And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to distinguish between the day and the night, and let them be signs to mark the seasons and days and years.
15And let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.” And it was so.
16God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. And He made the stars as well.

Genesis 1:14 describes God's command to create lights in the firmament to separate day from night. This act not only serves to illuminate the earth but also establishes a system for marking time through seasons, days, and years. The context is foundational for understanding the order and structure of creation as presented in the early chapters of Genesis.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Deuteronomy 4:19When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.
2Job 25:3–5Can His troops be numbered? On whom does His light not rise?
3Job 38:12–14In your days, have you commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place,
4Psalm 8:3–4When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place—
5Psalm 19:1–6The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

The Key Word מְאֹרֹת, me.'o.Rotgenerated

The noun מָאוֹר (ma'owr) refers to luminaries or light sources, specifically celestial bodies like the sun and moon. It is derived from a root meaning 'light' and encompasses notions of brightness and illumination.

In this verse, מְאֹרֹת serves to indicate the lights that God created to fulfill specific functions in the cosmos, emphasizing their role in marking time and distinguishing between day and night.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is יֹּ֣אמֶר, vai.Yo.mer, and He said, which governs the entire clause. Following this, there are several phrases detailing what God commands: an infinitive phrase indicating the creation of lights, a prepositional phrase describing their location, and additional clauses explaining their purpose.

The structure emphasizes God's authority in creation, with the verb יֹּ֣אמֶר leading the sentence, showcasing the divine command that initiates the act of creation.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יְהִ֤י as γενηθήτωσαν, let it be, indicating a command for existence. This choice reflects a direct correlation with the Hebrew intent of bringing forth light.

The Greek word φωστῆρες is used for מְאֹרֹת, highlighting the focus on illumination and the role of these created entities as sources of light in the heavens.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Genesis 1:14 tells us that God commanded the creation of lights in the sky. These lights are meant to separate day from night and to serve as signs for marking the seasons, days, and years. This establishes a system of time that is crucial for life on earth.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that God created lights?

It signifies that God established celestial bodies like the sun and moon to provide light and to help measure time, marking the rhythm of day and night.

Why is it important to distinguish between day and night?

Distinguishing between day and night is essential for the order of creation and for the functioning of life, as it affects work, rest, and the natural cycles of the earth.

What role do the lights play in marking seasons and days?

The lights serve as indicators for the changing seasons and the passage of time, guiding agricultural practices and religious observances.

How does this verse relate to the concept of time in the Bible?

This verse establishes a divine framework for time, showing that God is the author of time and its divisions, which are integral to the rhythm of life.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How do the lights in the sky reflect God's order in creation?
  2. In what ways can I appreciate the cycles of day and night in my daily life?
  3. What significance do the seasons hold in my spiritual journey?
  4. How can I use the concept of time as a way to honor God's creation?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

The early Church Fathers commented on the creation narrative, emphasizing the significance of the lights in the firmament as reflecting God's order and purpose in creation.

Ephrem the Syrian c. 306–373
After Moses spoke about the gathering of the waters and about the sprouting of the vegetation on the earth on the third day, he turned to write about the lights that were created in the firmament saying, "And God said,
Early Church Fathers on Genesis 1 →
Cyril of JerusalemCatechetical Lecture 9:8 c. 313–386
Men ought to have been astonished and amazed not only at the arrangement of the sun and moon but also at the well-ordered movements of the stars and their unfettered courses and the timely rising of each of them;
Early Church Fathers on Genesis 1 →
Basil of CaesareaHEXAEMERON 6.8 c. 330–379
“Let them serve,” he says, “for the fixing of days,” not for making days but for ordering the days. For day and night are earlier than the generation of the luminaries.
Early Church Fathers on Genesis 1 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Genesis 1:14 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven,.... In the upper part of it, commonly called the starry heaven: some writers, both Jewish and Christian, and even modern astronomers,

Read John Gill on Genesis 1 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: Let there be lights in the

Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 1 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Let there be lights; to wit, more glorious lights than that created the first day, which probably was now condensed and reduced into these lights; which are higher for place, more illustrious for light, and more powerful for influence, than that was. Note here, that herbs and trees were created before the sun, whose influence now is necessary for their production, to show that God doth not depend upon the means or upon the help of the creatures in his operations. The day, i.e. the artificial day, reaching from sun-rising to sunsetting. Let them be for signs; for the designation and distincton of times, as months, weeks, &c.; as also for the signification of the quality of the weather or…

Read Matthew Poole on Genesis 1 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Genesis 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: Genesis 1:15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. Ver. 14,15. Let there be light.] The sun, moon, and stars, are, as it were, certain vessels, whereinto the Lord did gather the light, which before was scattered in the heavens. The sun, that prince of planets, but servant to the saints of the Most High, as his name imports, cometh "out of his chamber as a bridegroom, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race"; this he doth with such a wonderful…

Read John Trapp on Genesis 1 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(14) Let there be lights (luminaries) in the firmament (or expanse) of the heaven.—In Hebrew the word for light is ôr, and for luminary, ma-ôr, a light-bearer. The light was created on the first day, and its concentration into great centres must at once have commenced; but the great luminaries did not appear in the open sky until the fourth day. With this begins the second triad of the creative days. Up to this time there had been arrangement chiefly; heat and water had had their periods of excessive activity, but with the introduction of vegetation there came also the promise of things higher and nobler than mechanical laws. Now, this fourth day seems to mark two things: first, the surface…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Genesis 1 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 14. And God said, Let there be lights, c.] One principal office of these was to divide between day and night. When night is considered a state of comparative darkness, how can lights divide or distinguish it? The answer is easy: The sun is the monarch of the day, which is the state of light the moon, of the night, the state of darkness. The rays of the sun, falling on the atmosphere, are refracted and diffused over the whole of that hemisphere of the earth immediately under his orb; while those rays of that vast luminary which, because of the earth's smallness in comparison of the sun, are diffused on all sides beyond the earth, falling on the opaque disc of the moon, are reflected…

Read AdamClarke on Genesis 1 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

14–19. Fourth Day. The Creation of the Heavenly Bodies Observe that the creation of the “lights” in the heaven on the fourth day corresponds to the creation of “light” on the first day. If we divide the six days into two groups of three, there are in each group four creative acts, and at the head of each group is the creation of light in two different forms, (1) elemental, (2) sidereal.

Read Cambridge on Genesis 1 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

- VI. The Fourth Day 14. מאור mā'ôr, “a light, a luminary, a center of radiant light.” מועה mô‛ēd, “set time, season.” Words beginning with a formative מ musually signify that in which the simple

Read Albert Barnes on Genesis 1 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to distinguish between the day and the night, and let them be signs to mark the seasons and days and years.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs to mark seasons, days, and years;

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to distinguish between the day and the night, and let them be signs to mark the seasons and days and years.

NETBNew English Translation2006

God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs to indicate seasons and days and years,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years:

RVARevised Version, American1894

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years:

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven, to divide the day from the night: and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heauen, to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signes, and for seasons, and for dayes and yeeres.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens, to divide between the day and the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years;

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And God saith, 'Let luminaries be in the expanse of the heavens, to make a separation between the day and the night, then they have been for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And God says, “Let luminaries be in the expanse of the heavens, to make a separation between the day and the night, then they have been for signs, and for appointed times, and for days and years,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And God said, Let there be lights in the expansion of the heaven to divide between the day and the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

God said, “Let there be lights in the sky to divide the day from the night and let them be as signs, for seasons, for days and years.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And God said: Let there be lights made in the firmament of heaven, to divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

God said, “Let there be lights in the sky to separate day from night, and to provide a way to mark seasons, days, and years.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And God said, Let there be lights in the arch of heaven, for a division between the day and the night, and let them be for signs, and for marking the changes of the year, and for days and for years:

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וַandclauseverbיֹּ֣אמֶרhe.saidsubjectאֱלֹהִ֗יםGodclauseverbיְהִ֤יlet.it.besubjectמְאֹרֹת֙luminariesprepositional phrase · prepositionalבִּinnoun phraseרְקִ֣יעַthe.firmamentnoun phraseהַofשָּׁמַ֔יִםthe.heavensprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtoclauseverbהַבְדִּ֕ילseparateprepositional phrase · prepositionalprepositional phraseבֵּ֥יןbetweennoun phraseהַtheיּ֖וֹםdayוּandprepositional phraseבֵ֣יןbetweennoun phraseהַtheלָּ֑יְלָהnightוְandclauseverbהָי֤וּthey.will.becomeprepositional phrase · prepositionalprepositional phraseלְ(into)אֹתֹת֙signsוּand.(into)prepositional phraseלְappointedמ֣וֹעֲדִ֔יםtimesוּandprepositional phraseלְ(into)noun phraseיָמִ֖יםdaysוְandשָׁנִֽיםyears

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text of Genesis 1:14 states, "And God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to distinguish between the day and the night, and let them be signs to mark the seasons and days and years.'" The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in terms of the overall meaning, but its word order and articles differ due to its Greek structure. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs in five words: it uses "מאורות" (lamps) instead of "מְאֹרֹת" (lights), "להאיר" (to light) instead of "יְהִי" (let there be), and adds "על" (upon) and "ארץ" (earth), which are not present in the Masoretic Text. The Dead Sea Scrolls show some variations as well; the 4Q10 manuscript has a similar structure but includes two partly restored words and four supplied by an editor. The 4Q2 manuscript uses "מארת" (light) instead of "מאורות" and also has several restored or supplied words. The 4Q7 manuscript presents a similar situation with fewer words preserved. Overall, while the core message remains consistent across these texts, notable differences in specific terms and structure exist.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים יְהִ֤י מְאֹרֹת֙ בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם לְהַבְדִּ֕יל בֵּ֥ין הַיּ֖וֹם וּבֵ֣ין הַלָּ֑יְלָה וְהָי֤וּ לְאֹתֹת֙ וּלְמ֣וֹעֲדִ֔ים וּלְיָמִ֖ים וְשָׁנִֽים׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרεἶπενאֱלֹהִ֗יםθεόςיְהִ֤יγενηθήτωσανמְאֹרֹת֙φωστῆρεςבִּרְקִ֣יעַστερεώματιהַשָּׁמַ֔יִםοὐρανοῦלְהַבְדִּ֕ילδιαξωρίζεινבֵּ֥יןμέσονהַיּ֖וֹםἡμέραςוּבֵ֣יןμέσονהַלָּ֑יְלָהνυκτὸςוְהָי֤וּἔστωσανלְאֹתֹת֙σημεῖαוּלְמ֣וֹעֲדִ֔יםκαιροὺςוּלְיָמִ֖יםἡμέραςוְשָׁנִֽים׃ἐνιαυτοὺς

16 of the 16 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

ויאמר אלהים יהי מאורות ברקיע השׁמים להאיר על הארץ ולהבדיל בין היום ובין הלילה והיו לאתות ולמועדים ולימים ושׁנים

5 words differ from the Masoretic Text: מאורות (lamp), האיר (be light), על (upon), ארץ (earth), אתות (sign)

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q10a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[ויאמר] אלהים יהי מארות ברקיע השמים להבדיל [בין] [היום] [ובין] הלילה והיו לאתות ולמעדים ולימים ולשנים

10 words on the leather — 2 partly restored, 4 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q2a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

ויאמר אלהים יהי מארת ברקיע השמים להבדיל בין היום ובין הלילה והיו לאתת [ולמועדים] [ולימים] [ושנים]

11 words on the leather — 2 partly restored, 3 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q7a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

ויאמר אלהים יהי מארות ברקיע [השמים] [להבדיל] [בין] [היום] ובין הלילה ויהיו לאתות ולמעדים [לימים] [ושנים]

9 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 6 supplied entire by an editor.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Genesis 1:14אָמַרand he saidand he saidאָמַראֱלֹהִיםGodGodאֱלֹהִיםהָיָהlet it belet it beהָיָהמָאוֹרluminariesluminariesמָאוֹררָקִיעַin [the] fiin [the] firmamרָקִיעַשָׁמַיthe heavensthe heavensשָׁמַיבָּדַלto separateto separateבָּדַלבַּ֫יִןbetweenbetweenבַּ֫יִןיוֹםthe daythe dayיוֹםבַּ֫יִןand betweenand betweenבַּ֫יִןלַ֫יְלָהthe nightthe nightלַ֫יְלָההָיָהand they wiand they will bהָיָהאוֹתsignssignsאוֹתמוֹעֵדand appointand appointed tמוֹעֵדיוֹםand daysand daysיוֹםשָׁנָהand yearsand yearsשָׁנָהבִּיןto understto understandבִּיןאוֹרto lightto lightאוֹרהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָארָקַעto beatto beatרָקַעאוּתto consentto consentאוּתיָעַדto appointto appointיָעַדשָׁנָהto changeto changeשָׁנָהאֱלֹהַּgodgodאֱלֹהַּלוּלstairsstairsלוּלבַּ֫יִןbetweenbetweenבַּ֫יִןבָּדַלto separatto separateבָּדַלשְׁבִיעִיseventhseventhשְׁבִיעִישַׁבָּתSabbathSabbathשַׁבָּתכֹּהthusthusכֹּהיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/Godיהוהאַחֵרanotheranotherאַחֵראֲרוֹןarkarkאֲרוֹןמֶמְשָׁלָהdominiondominionמֶמְשָׁלָה
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Genesis 1:14

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and he said God let it be luminaries in [the] firmament of the heavens to separate between the day and between the night and they will become signs and appointed times and days and years
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.mer and he said H559 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he said God let it be luminaries in [the] firmament of the heavens to separate between the day and between the night and they will become signs and appointed times and days and years
אֱלֹהִ֗ים'E.lo.Him God H430 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
2,603× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for God, elohim, refers to the one supreme God, and is sometimes used to show respect to judges or magistrates. It is also used to describe angels or mighty beings. This word is closely related to the name of the Lord, Yahweh, and is often translated as God or gods in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
Elohim, the one supreme God
Tyndale gloss
God
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֱלֹהִים (elohiym) is a plural noun meaning 'gods' or 'God,' often referring to the supreme deity in the Old Testament. It encompasses divine beings, rulers, and judges, reflecting divine majesty and power. The term can also denote angels and is used in a superlative sense. Notably, it is sometimes combined with יהוה (YHWH), the personal name of God.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֱלֹהִים 2570 n.m.pl.

pl. in number.

rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power

divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels

angels

gods

pl. intensive

god or goddess

godlike one

works of God, or things belongng to him

God

הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God

אֱלֹהִים = God

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H430 אֱלֹהִים n. m. pl. . pl. in number. . rulers, judges, either asdivine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power

. divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels

. angels

. gods

. pl. intensive . god or goddess

. godlike one

. works of God, or things belongng to him

. God

. הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God

. אֱלֹהִים = God

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

430 'elohiym el-o-heem'

plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically

used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the

supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to

magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X

exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X

mighty.

see HEBREW for 0433

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — God.

This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God"

Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (LORD)-Elohe.

Combined with ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068)

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (Gibeath)-elohim.

Combined with giv.ah (גִּבְעָה "Gibeath" H1389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Noun - masculine plural — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

god ('Elohim, 'El, [`Elyon], Shadday, Yahweh; Theos):

I. INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL IDEA

1. The Idea in Experience and in Thought

2. Definition of the Idea

3. The Knowledge of God

4. Ethnic Ideas of God

(1) Animism

(2) Fetishism

(3) Idolatry

(4) Polytheism

(5) Henotheism

(6) Pantheism

(7) Deism

(8) Semitic Monolatry

(9) Monotheism

II. THE IDEA OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

1. The Course of Its Development

2. Forms of Its Manifestation

(1) The Face or Countenance of God

(2) The Voice and Word of God

(3) The Glory of God

(4) The Angel of God

(5) The Spirit of God

(6) The Name of God

(7) Occasional Forms

3. The Names of God

(1) Generic

(2) Attributive

(3) Yahweh

4. Pre-prophetic Conceptions of God

(1) Yahweh Alone Is the God of Israel

(a) His Early Worship

(b) Popular Religion

(c) Polytheistic Tendencies

(i) Coordination

(ii) Assimilation

(iii) Disintegration

(d) No Hebrew Goddesses

(e) Human Sacrifices

Easton's Bible Dictionary

God

(A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew ’El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of ’Eloah_, plural _’Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by “LORD,” printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argument to prove it. He who disbelieves this truth is spoken of as one devoid of understanding (Ps. 14:1).

The arguments generally adduced by theologians in proof of the being of God are:

(1.) The a priori argument, which is the testimony afforded by reason.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(good). Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures two chief names are used for the one true divine Being--ELOHIM, commonly translated God in our version, and JEHOVAH, translated Lord . Elohim is the plural of Eloah (in Arabic Allah); it is often used in the short form EL (a word signifying strength , as in EL-SHADDAI, God Almighty, the name by which God was specially known to the patriarchs. (Genesis 17:1; 28:3; Exodus 6:3) The etymology is uncertain, but it is generally agreed that the primary idea is that of strength, power of effect , and that it properly describes God in that character in which he is exhibited to all men in his works, as the creator, sustainer and supreme governor of the world. The plural form of Elohim has given rise to much discussion. The fanciful idea that it…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

This name, the derivation of which is uncertain, we give to that eternal, infinite, perfect, and incomprehensible Being, the Creator of all things, who preserves and governs all by his almighty power and wisdom, and is the only proper object of worship. The proper Hebrew name for God is JEHOVAH, which signifies He is. But the Jews, from a feeling of reverence, avoid pronouncing this name, substituting for it, wherever it occurs in the sacred test, the word ADONAI, Lord; except in the expression, ADONAI JEHOVAH, Lord Jehovah, for which they put, ADONAI ELOHIM, Lord God. This usage, which is not without an element of superstition, is very ancient, dating its origin some centuries before Christ; but there is no good ground for assuming its existence in the days of the inspired Old Testament writers. The proper word for God is ELOHIM, which is plural in its form, being thus used to signify…

and he said God let it be luminaries in [the] firmament of the heavens to separate between the day and between the night and they will become signs and appointed times and days and years
יְהִ֤יye.Hi let it be H1961 Verb · Qal · jussive third person masculine singular
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

Come into being, become

abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

sq. prep.

become

sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen

. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

. sq. prep.

. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,

come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or

auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,

committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,

fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)

1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about

1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular — Verb · Qal · jussive third person masculine singular
HVqj3ms
and he said God let it be luminaries in [the] firmament of the heavens to separate between the day and between the night and they will become signs and appointed times and days and years
מְאֹרֹת֙me.'o.Rot luminaries H3974 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
19× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means light, like the sun or a lamp, and also happiness or cheerfulness. It's used in the Bible to describe God's presence and joy. The KJV translates it as 'light' or 'bright'.
Amplified meaning
luminaries, celestial bodies
Tyndale gloss
light
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָאוֹר (ma'owr) refers to a luminary or luminous body, encompassing concepts of light and brightness. It can also denote cheerfulness and specifically refers to a chandelier. The word is derived from a root meaning 'light' and is connected to the idea of illumination.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָאוֹר n.m. luminary

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3974 מָאוֹר luminary

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3974 ma'owr maw-ore'

or maor {maw-ore'}; also (in plural) feminine mpowrah

{meh-o-raw'}; or morah {meh-o-raw'}; from 215; properly, a

luminous body or luminary, i.e. (abstractly) light (as an

element): figuratively, brightness, i.e.cheerfulness;

specifically, a chandelier:--bright, light.

see HEBREW for 0215

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָאוֹר (ma.or) — light.

light, luminary

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Noun - masculine plural — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
and he said God let it be luminaries in [the] firmament of the heavens to separate between the day and between the night and they will become signs and appointed times and days and years
בִּרְקִ֣יעַbir.Ki.a' in [the] firmament of H7549 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
17× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for the sky or heavens, describing the firmament as a solid surface. It appears in Genesis 1:6-8, where God separates the waters. The KJV translates it as 'firmament'.
Amplified meaning
firmament, solid surface
Tyndale gloss
expanse
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רָקִיעַ (raqiya`) refers to an extended surface or expanse, often translated as 'firmament.' It denotes the vault of heaven, which Hebrews viewed as solid and supporting waters above. The term is linked to the concept of a flat expanse, emphasizing its role in the structure of the sky.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רָקִיעַ n.m. extended surface, (solid) expanse

(flat) expanse

the vault of heaven, or ‘firmament,’ regarded by Hebrews as solid, and supporting ‘waters’ above it

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7549 רָקִיעַ extended surface, (solid) expanse . (flat) expanse

. the vault of heaven, or ‘firmament,’ regarded by Hebrews as solid, and supporting ‘waters’ above it

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7549 raqiya` raw-kee'-ah

from 7554; properly, an expanse, i.e. the firmament or

(apparently) visible arch of the sky:--firmament.

see HEBREW for 07554

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רָקִיעַ (ra.qi.a) — expanse.

1) extended surface (solid), expanse, firmament

1a) expanse (flat as base, support)

1b) firmament (of vault of heaven supporting waters above)

1b1) considered by Hebrews as solid and supporting 'waters' above

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and he said God let it be luminaries in [the] firmament of the heavens to separate between the day and between the night and they will become signs and appointed times and days and years
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִםha.sha.Ma.yim the heavens H8064 Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
421× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for heaven or sky, it refers to the visible universe and the abode of God. It is often used in the Bible to describe the dwelling place of celestial bodies.
Amplified meaning
heaven, the visible universe
Tyndale gloss
heaven
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁמַיִם (*shamayim*) is a dual noun meaning 'heavens' or 'sky.' It refers to the visible heavens where celestial bodies are found, as well as the abode of God. The dual form may suggest both the arch of the sky and the higher ether. It is noted in contexts such as Elijah's ascent in a whirlwind.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׁמַי] n.m. only pl. שָׁמַיִם 421 heavens, sky

visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are

phrases

as abode of God

Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind

הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8064 שָׁמַי only pl. שָׁמַיִם heavens, sky . . visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are

. phrases

. . as abode of God

. Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind

. הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8064 shamayim shaw-mah'-yim

dual of an unused singular shameh {shaw-meh'}; from an unused

root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps

alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well

as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies

revolve):--air, X astrologer, heaven(-s).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁמַיִם (sha.ma.yim) — heaven.

1) heaven, heavens, sky

1a) visible heavens, sky

1a1) as abode of the stars

1a2) as the visible universe, the sky, atmosphere, etc

1b) Heaven (as the abode of God)

Aramaic equivalent: sha.ma.yin (שָׁמַ֫יִן "heaven" H8065)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Article | Noun - masculine plural — Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
HTd/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hev'-'nz (shamayim; ouranoi): On the physical heavens see ASTRONOMY; WORLD. Above these, in popular conception, were the celestial heavens, the abode of God and of the hosts of angels (Ps 11:4; 103:19-21; Isa 66:1; Re 4:2; 5:11; compare Da 7:10), though it was recognized that Yahweh's presence was not confined to any region (1Ki 8:27). Later Judaism reckoned seven heavens. The apostle Paul speaks of himself as caught up into "the third heaven," which he evidently identifies with Paradise (2Co 12:2).

See HEAVENLY.

and he said God let it be luminaries in [the] firmament of the heavens to separate between the day and between the night and they will become signs and appointed times and days and years
לְהַבְדִּ֕ילle.hav.Dil to separate H914 Preposition · verb hiphil infinitive construct common
42× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to separate or divide, and is used in various contexts, including to set apart or make a distinction. It is translated as divide, separate, or difference in the KJV.
Amplified meaning
separate, divide
Tyndale gloss
to separate
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּדַל (badal) is a Hebrew verb meaning to divide or separate. It encompasses various senses, including making distinctions between clean and unclean or holy and profane. The word can also imply setting apart or severing, with reflexive forms indicating self-separation. The entries consistently highlight its use in both literal and figurative contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[בָּדַל] vb. be divided, separate

Hiph. divide, separate

divide, separate, subj. God

separate, set apart

make a distinction between clean and unclean, holy and profane

divide into parts

Niph.

(reflex. of Hiph. 2)

pass. be separated

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H914 בָּדַל be divided, separate . divide, separate . divide, separate, subj. God

. separate, set apart

. make a distinction between clean and unclean, holy and profane

. divide into parts

. . (reflex. of Hiph. 2)

. pass. be separated

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

914 badal baw-dal'

a primitive root; to divide (in variation senses literally or

figuratively, separate, distinguish, differ, select, etc.):--

(make, put) difference, divide (asunder), (make) separate

(self, -ation), sever (out), X utterly.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּדַל (ba.dal) — to separate.

1) to divide, separate

1a) (Hiphil)

1a1) to divide, separate, sever

1a2) to separate, set apart

1a3) to make a distinction, difference

1a4) to divide into parts

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to separate oneself from (reflexive of 1a2)

1b2) to withdraw from

1b3) to separate oneself unto

1b4) to be separated

1b5) to be excluded

1b6) to be set apart

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct — Preposition · verb hiphil infinitive construct common
HR/Vhcc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sep'-a-rat: The translation of a number of Hebrew and Greek words, badhal (Le 20:24, etc.), and aphorizo (Mt 25:32, etc.), being the most common. "To separate" and "to consecrate" were originally not distinguished (e.g. Nu 6:2 margin), and probably the majority of the uses of "separate" in English Versions of the Bible connote "to set apart for God." But precisely the same term that is used in this sense may also denote the exact opposite (e.g. the use of nazar in Eze 14:7 and Zec 7:3).

See HOLINESS; NAZIRITE; SAINTS.

and he said God let it be luminaries in [the] firmament of the heavens to separate between the day and between the night and they will become signs and appointed times and days and years
בֵּ֥יןbein between H996 Preposition
407× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Between is the meaning of this preposition, used to show a location or a choice, like either or, as seen in Exodus where it describes the space between two objects.
Tyndale gloss
between
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בַּ֫יִן (beyn) is a noun meaning 'interval' or 'space between.' It primarily functions as a preposition meaning 'between' or 'among,' and can also indicate distinctions or choices. The dual form בֵּנַ֫יִם refers specifically to the space between two entities, such as armies. The entries do not indicate any significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בַּ֫יִן subst. prop. interval, space between

always (exc. dual) as prep. in the interval of, between

Dual בֵּנַ֫יִם space between two armies

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H996 בַּ֫יִן subst. prop. interval, space between . always (exc. dual) as prep. in the interval of, between

. Dual בֵּנַ֫יִם space between two armies

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

996 beyn bane

(sometimes in the plural masculine or feminine); properly,

the constructive form of an otherwise unused noun from 995; a

distinction; but used only as a prep, between (repeated before

each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction,

either...or:--among, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), +

from (the widest), X in, out of, whether (it be...or), within.

see HEBREW for 0995

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בַּ֫יִן (ba.yin) — between.

: between

between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between

בַּ֫יִן (ba.yin) — between: among.

: among

between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between

A sub-meaning of ben (בַּ֫יִן ": between" H0996)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Preposition — Preposition
HAcmsc
and he said God let it be luminaries in [the] firmament of the heavens to separate between the day and between the night and they will become signs and appointed times and days and years
הַיּ֖וֹםhai.Yom the day H3117 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
2,306× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.
Amplified meaning
a 24-hour period, a figurative space of time
Tyndale gloss
day
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יוֹם 2285 n.m. day

day, opp. night

Day as division of time

יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

Pl. days of anyone

Days

יוֹם = time

Phrases

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night

. Day as division of time

. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

. Pl. days of anyone

. Days

. יוֹם = time

. Phrases

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3117 yowm yome

from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm

hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one

sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by

an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +

chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)

day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +

(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as

(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,

presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,

then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,

weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole

(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יוֹם (yom) — day.

: day/when/time/period

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: old.

: old/(full/many)[days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: year.

: year[of_days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Article | Noun - masculine singular — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

da (yom; hemera): This common word has caused some trouble to plain readers, because they have not noticed that the word is used in several different senses in the English Bible. When the different uses of the word are understood the difficulty of interpretation vanishes. We note several different uses of the word:

(1) It sometimes means the time from daylight till dark. This popular meaning is easily discovered by the context, e. g. Ge 1:5; 8:22, etc. The marked periods of this daytime were morning, noon and night, as with us. See Ps 55:17. The early hours were sometimes called "the cool of the day" (Ge 3:8). After the exile the day. or daytime was divided into twelve hours and the night into twelve (see

Day

The Jews reckoned the day from sunset to sunset (Lev. 23:32). It was originally divided into three parts (Ps. 55:17). “The heat of the day” (1 Sam. 11:11; Neh. 7:3) was at our nine o’clock, and “the cool of the day” just before sunset (Gen. 3:8). Before the Captivity the Jews divided the night into three watches, (1) from sunset to midnight (Lam. 2:19); (2) from midnight till the cock-crowing (Judg. 7:19); and (3) from the cock-crowing till sunrise (Ex.…

The variable length of the natural day at different seasons led in the very earliest times to the adoption of the civil day (or one revolution of the sun) as a standard of time. The Hebrews reckoned the day from evening to evening, (Leviticus 23:32) deriving it from (Genesis 1:5) "the evening and the morning were the first day." The Jews are supposed, like the modern Arabs, to have adopted from an early period minute specifications of the parts of the natural day. Roughly, indeed, they were content to divide it into "morning, evening and noonday," (Psalms 55:17) but when they wished for greater accuracy they pointed to six unequal parts, each of which was again subdivided. These are held to have been -- "the dawn." "Sunrise."…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The day is distinguished into natural, civil, and artificial. The natural day is one revolution of the earth on its axis. The civil day is that, the beginning and the end of which are determined by the custom of any nation. The Hebrews began their day in the evening, Le 23:32; the Babylonians at sunrise; and we begin at midnight. The artificial day is the time of the sun’s continuance above the horizon, which is unequal according to different seasons, on account of the obliquity of the equator. The sacred writers generally divide the day into twelve hours. The sixth hour always ends at noon throughout the year; and the twelfth hour is the last hour before sunset. But in summer, all the hours of the day were longer than in winter, while those of night were shorter. See HOURS, and THREE.

and he said God let it be luminaries in [the] firmament of the heavens to separate between the day and between the night and they will become signs and appointed times and days and years
וּבֵ֣יןu.Vein and between H996 Conjunction
407× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Between is the meaning of this preposition, used to show a location or a choice, like either or, as seen in Exodus where it describes the space between two objects.
Tyndale gloss
between
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בַּ֫יִן (beyn) is a noun meaning 'interval' or 'space between.' It primarily functions as a preposition meaning 'between' or 'among,' and can also indicate distinctions or choices. The dual form בֵּנַ֫יִם refers specifically to the space between two entities, such as armies. The entries do not indicate any significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בַּ֫יִן subst. prop. interval, space between

always (exc. dual) as prep. in the interval of, between

Dual בֵּנַ֫יִם space between two armies

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H996 בַּ֫יִן subst. prop. interval, space between . always (exc. dual) as prep. in the interval of, between

. Dual בֵּנַ֫יִם space between two armies

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

996 beyn bane

(sometimes in the plural masculine or feminine); properly,

the constructive form of an otherwise unused noun from 995; a

distinction; but used only as a prep, between (repeated before

each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction,

either...or:--among, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), +

from (the widest), X in, out of, whether (it be...or), within.

see HEBREW for 0995

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בַּ֫יִן (ba.yin) — between.

: between

between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between

בַּ֫יִן (ba.yin) — between: among.

: among

between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between

A sub-meaning of ben (בַּ֫יִן ": between" H0996)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conjunctive waw | Preposition — Conjunction
HC/Acmsc
and he said God let it be luminaries in [the] firmament of the heavens to separate between the day and between the night and they will become signs and appointed times and days and years
הַלָּ֑יְלָהha.La.ye.lah the night H3915 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
233× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Night refers to the time of darkness, opposed to day, and can also symbolize adversity or hardship. It is a period of rest, but also of potential danger or uncertainty.
Amplified meaning
a period of darkness, adversity
Tyndale gloss
night
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לַ֫יְלָה (layil) means 'night' and is derived from a root that suggests a twist away from light. It encompasses the literal sense of night as opposed to day, as well as figurative uses related to gloom or adversity. The term appears in contexts like Isaiah 21:11.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לַ֫יְלָה, לַ֫יִל 242 n.m. night

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3915 לַ֫יְלָה, לַ֫יִל night

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3915 layil lah'-yil

or (Isa. 21:11) leyl {lale}; also laylah {lah'- yel-aw}; from

the same as 3883; properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e.

night; figuratively, adversity:--((mid-))night (season).

see HEBREW for 03883

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לַ֫יְלָה (lay.lah) — night.

1) night

1a) night (as opposed to day)

1b) of gloom, protective shadow (fig.)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Article | Noun - masculine singular — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

nit.

See DAY AND NIGHT for the natural usage and the various terms.

1. In the Old Testament:

Figurative uses: The word "night" (laylah or layil is sometimes used figuratively in the Old Testament. Thus, Moses compares the brevity of time, the lapse of a thousand years, to "a watch in the night" (Ps 90:4). Adversity is depicted by it in such places as Job 35:10; compare Isa 8:20; Jer 15:9. Disappointment and despair are apparently depicted by it in the "burden of Dumah" (Isa 21:11,12); and spiritual blindness, coming upon the false prophets (Mic 3:6); again sudden and…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

[DAY]

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The ancient Hebrews began their artificial day at evening, and ended it the next evening, so that the night proceeded the day. This usage may probably be traced to the terms employed in describing the creation, Ge 1:5,8,13, etc., "The evening and the morning were the first day." The Hebrews allowed twelve to the day; but these hours were not equal, except at the equinox. At other times, when the hours of the night were long, those of the day were short, as in winter; and when the hours of night were short, as at midsummer, the hours of the day were long in proportion. See HOURS.

The nights are sometimes extremely cold in Syria, when the days are very hot; and travelers in the deserts and among the mountains near Palestine refer to their own sufferings from these opposite extremes, in illustration of Jacob’s words in

→ General scriptures concerning Ge 1:5,16,18

→ Meditations in Ps 19:2; 77:6; 119:148; 139:11

→ Worship in Ps 134:1

→ Jesus prays all night Lu 6:12

→ No night in heaven Re 21:25; 22:5

→ Divided into watches Ex 14:24; Jud 7:19; 1Sa 11:11; Ne 12:9; Ps 63:6; 119:148; La 2:19;

and he said God let it be luminaries in [the] firmament of the heavens to separate between the day and between the night and they will become signs and appointed times and days and years
וְהָי֤וּve.ha.Yu and they will become H1961 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person common plural
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

Come into being, become

abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

sq. prep.

become

sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen

. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

. sq. prep.

. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,

come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or

auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,

committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,

fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)

1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about

1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person common plural
Hc/Vqq3cp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

be-kum':

(1) Greek ginomai, used in New Testament for a change of state, corresponding to Hebrew hayah of Old Testament. Compare Mt 18:3 with De 27:9.

(2) For what is fitting, suitable, proper, in New Testament: "prepei" (Mt 3:15; Eph 5:3; 1Ti 2:10); in Old Testament, na'awah, na'ah, Ps 93:5: "Holiness becometh thy house." in this sense, the adverb "becomingly" must be interpreted: "Walk becomingly toward them that are without" (1Th 4:12), i.e. in a way that is consistent with your profession.

and he said God let it be luminaries in [the] firmament of the heavens to separate between the day and between the night and they will become signs and appointed times and days and years
לְאֹתֹת֙le.'o.Tot signs H226 Preposition · noun common feminine plural absolute
80× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A miraculous sign or wonder, like a beacon or monument. In the Bible, it appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah. It means a signal or token of God's power.
Amplified meaning
miraculous signs, wonders, indicate, signal
Tyndale gloss
sign: miraculous
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אוֹת (owth) means 'sign' and encompasses a range of meanings including a token, miracle, or omen. It can refer to distinguishing marks, banners, and memorials, as well as signs of divine presence or prophetic promises. The term is used in contexts related to covenants and changes in weather. Notably, it appears in Exodus 4:8.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אוֹת n.m. 79 Ex 4:8 (f. Jos 24:17) sign

sign, pledge, token

signs, omens promised by prophets as pledges of certain predicted events

sign, symbol of prophets

signs, miracles, as pledges or attestations of divine presence & interposition

signs, memorials

sign, pledge of covenant

ensigns, standards

signs, tokens of changes of weather & times

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H226 אוֹת sign . sign, pledge, token

. signs, omens promised by prophets as pledges of certain predicted events

. sign, symbol of prophets

. signs, miracles, as pledges or attestations of divine presence & interposition

. signs, memorials

. sign, pledge of covenant

. ensigns, standards

. signs, tokens of changes of weather & times

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

226 'owth oth

probably from 225 (in the sense of appearing); a signal

(literally or figuratively), as a flag, beacon, monument,

omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.:--mark, miracle, (en-)sign,

token.

see HEBREW for 0225

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אוֹת (ot) — sign: miraculous.

: miraculous

1) sign, signal

1a) a distinguishing mark

1b) banner

1c) remembrance

1d) miraculous sign

1e) omen

1f) warning

2) token, ensign, standard, miracle, proof

אוֹת (ot) — sign: indicator.

: 2_indicator

1) sign, signal

1a) a distinguishing mark

1b) banner

1c) remembrance

1d) miraculous sign

1e) omen

1f) warning

2) token, ensign, standard, miracle, proof

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural — Preposition · noun common feminine plural absolute
HR/Ncfpa
and he said God let it be luminaries in [the] firmament of the heavens to separate between the day and between the night and they will become signs and appointed times and days and years
וּלְמ֣וֹעֲדִ֔יםu.le.Mo.'a.Dim and appointed times H4150 Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine plural absolute
223× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to a meeting or appointed time, often for a sacred season or festival, like the tent of meeting in Exodus. It can also mean an assembly or congregation. In the Bible, it is used to describe the Israelites' gatherings and celebrations.
Amplified meaning
appointed times, festivals
Tyndale gloss
meeting
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מוֹעֵד (mo'ed) refers to an appointed time, place, or meeting, often associated with festivals and sacred seasons. It can denote a specific appointment or assembly, and is linked to the concept of a tent of meeting. The word is derived from a root meaning to appoint, and encompasses a range of meanings related to scheduled gatherings and designated locations.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מוֹעֵד 223 n.m. appointed time, place, meeting

appointed time

appointed meeting

appointed place

appointed sign, signal

tent of meeting

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4150 מוֹעֵד appointed time, place, meeting . appointed time

. appointed meeting

. appointed place

. appointed sign, signal

. tent of meeting

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4150 mow`ed mo-ade'

or moled {mo-ade'}; or (feminine) moweadah (2 Chronicles

8:13) {mo-aw-daw'}; from 3259; properly, an appointment, i.e.

a fixed time or season; specifically, a festival;

conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as

convened for a definite purpose); technically the

congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a

signal (as appointed beforehand):--appointed (sign, time),

(place of, solemn) assembly, congregation, (set, solemn)

feast, (appointed, due) season, solemn(-ity), synogogue, (set)

time (appointed).

see HEBREW for 03259

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מוֹעֵד (mo.ed) — meeting: time appointed.

: time_appointed

1) appointed place, appointed time, meeting

1a) appointed time

1a1) appointed time (general)

1a2) sacred season, set feast, appointed season

1b) appointed meeting

1c) appointed place

1d) appointed sign or signal

1e) tent of meeting

מוֹעֵד (mo.ed) — meeting: festival.

: festival

1) appointed place, appointed time, meeting

1a) appointed time

1a1) appointed time (general)

1a2) sacred season, set feast, appointed season

1b) appointed meeting

1c) appointed place

1d) appointed sign or signal

1e) tent of meeting

מוֹעֵד (mo.ed) — meeting.

: meeting

1) appointed place, appointed time, meeting

1a) appointed time

1a1) appointed time (general)

1a2) sacred season, set feast, appointed season

1b) appointed meeting

1c) appointed place

1d) appointed sign or signal

1e) tent of meeting

מוֹעֵד (mo.ed) — meeting: signal appointed.

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine plural absolute
HC/R/Ncmpa
and he said God let it be luminaries in [the] firmament of the heavens to separate between the day and between the night and they will become signs and appointed times and days and years
וּלְיָמִ֖יםu.le.ya.Mim and days H3117 Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine plural absolute
2,306× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.
Amplified meaning
literal or figurative periods
Tyndale gloss
day
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יוֹם 2285 n.m. day

day, opp. night

Day as division of time

יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

Pl. days of anyone

Days

יוֹם = time

Phrases

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night

. Day as division of time

. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

. Pl. days of anyone

. Days

. יוֹם = time

. Phrases

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3117 yowm yome

from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm

hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one

sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by

an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +

chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)

day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +

(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as

(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,

presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,

then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,

weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole

(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יוֹם (yom) — day.

: day/when/time/period

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: old.

: old/(full/many)[days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: year.

: year[of_days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine plural absolute
HC/R/Ncmpa
and he said God let it be luminaries in [the] firmament of the heavens to separate between the day and between the night and they will become signs and appointed times and days and years
וְשָׁנִֽים׃ve.sha.Nim and years H8141 Conjunction · noun common masculine plural absolute
877× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word also means a year, like when Abraham was 100 years old in Genesis 21. It is used to describe a period of time, age, or a lifetime.
Amplified meaning
periods of time, ages
Tyndale gloss
year
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁנָה (shaneh) means 'year' and is derived from the root meaning to change or revolve. It encompasses various aspects of time, including divisions of time, measures of age, and even a lifetime. The Aramaic equivalent is שְׁנָה (she.nah), also meaning 'year'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁנָה 877 n.f. year (etym. v. √[v.ek.aa])

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8141 שָׁנָה year (etym. v. √[8138a])

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8141 shaneh shaw-neh'

(in plura or (feminine) shanah {shaw-naw'}; from 8138; a year

(as a revolution of time):--+ whole age, X long, + old,

year(X -ly).

see HEBREW for 08138

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁנָה (sha.neh) — year.

1) year

1a) as division of time

1b) as measure of time

1c) as indication of age

1d) a lifetime (of years of life)

Aramaic equivalent: she.nah (שְׁנָה "year" H8140)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural absolute
HC/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- The sun and moon appointed to mark out

Ge 1:14

- Early computation of time by

Ge 5:3

- DIVIDED INTO

. Seasons

Ge 8:22

. Months

Ge 7:11; 1Ch 27:1

. Weeks

Da 9:27; Lu 18:12

. Days

Ge 25:7; Es 9:27

- Length of, during the patriarchal age

Ge 7:11; 8:13; 7:24; 8:3

- Commencement of, changed after the exodus

Ex 12:2

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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