Psalms 32:3 — Word Study
WLCכִּֽי־ הֶ֭חֱרַשְׁתִּי בָּל֣וּ עֲצָמָ֑י בְּ֝שַׁאֲגָתִ֗י כָּל־ הַיּֽוֹם׃
BSAWhenkîy I kept silentchârash■ [held back, was silent] my bonesʻetsem [the substance of my body] became brittlebâlâh■ [wasted away, old] from my groaningshᵉʼâgâh [roaring, crying out] all day longkôl [the entirety of, throughout the whole day, continually]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כִּֽי־ | if | Particle |
| הֶ֭חֱרַשְׁתִּי | I kept silent | Verb, Hiphil, perfect first person common singular |
| בָּל֣וּ | they became worn out | Verb, Qal, perfect third person common plural |
| עֲצָמָ֑י | bones my | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| בְּ֝שַׁאֲגָתִ֗י | in cry of distress my | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| כָּל־ | all | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| הַיּֽוֹם׃ | the day | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. |
| KJV | When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. |
| ASV | When I kept silence, my bones wasted away Through my groaning all the day long. |
| YLT | When I have kept silence, become old have my bones, Through my roaring all the day. |
| WEB | When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. |
| BBE | When I kept my mouth shut, my bones were wasted, because of my crying all through the day. |
The translations agree on the meaning of בָּל֣וּ — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured around a main clause with two subordinate phrases that elaborate on the cause and duration of the psalmist's suffering.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbחָרֵשׁ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
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 — Psalms 32:3
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 — A Psalm of Confessiongenerated
Psalms 32:3 reveals the deep struggle of the psalmist who, when silent about his sins, experiences physical and emotional decay. This verse is part of a larger reflection on the blessings of forgiveness and the burdens of unconfessed sin, as seen in the surrounding verses, particularly Psalm 32:4 which describes the heaviness of God's hand upon the unconfessed sinner.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 3:8–19 | Then the man and his wife heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the breeze of the day, and they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. |
| 2 | 1 Samuel 31:13 | Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days. |
| 3 | 2 Samuel 11:27 | And when the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD. |
| 4 | 2 Samuel 12:1–12 | Then the LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he arrived, he said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. |
| 5 | 2 Samuel 21:12–14 | he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies after they had struck down Saul at Gilboa. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 24 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — בָּל֣וּ, ba.Lugenerated
The verb בָּלָה (*balah*) means to wear out or become old, implying a sense of depletion. In this verse, it describes how the psalmist's bones became brittle due to the emotional distress of unconfessed sin.
This verb is in the perfect tense, indicating a completed action in the past. The use of the third person plural suggests a broader application, perhaps indicating that this experience is common to many who remain silent about their transgressions.
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 finite verb is הֶ֭חֱרַשְׁתִּי, I kept silent, which governs the entire clause. It is followed by a noun phrase indicating the subject's condition, and a prepositional phrase that describes the source of that condition.
The structure of the sentence emphasizes the cause-and-effect relationship between the psalmist's silence and the resulting physical decay, with the adverbial phrase כָּל־ הַיּֽוֹם׃ highlighting the ongoing nature of this distress.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew verb בָּלָה is rendered with ἐπαλαιώθη, which carries the meaning of becoming old or worn out. This choice emphasizes the physical aspect of the psalmist's suffering as a result of unconfessed sin.
The Greek translation captures the essence of the experience described in the Hebrew, focusing on the deterioration that comes from silence and emotional turmoil.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 32:3 expresses the psalmist's experience of physical and emotional distress caused by keeping silent about sin. The psalmist describes how this silence led to a feeling of brittleness in his bones, emphasizing the toll that unconfessed sin can take on a person.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies the physical and emotional toll that unconfessed sin can have on a person, leading to feelings of weakness and decay.
Silence in this context refers to withholding confession of sin, which leads to internal turmoil and suffering.
This verse highlights the consequences of unconfessed sin, contrasting with the blessings of forgiveness mentioned in the surrounding verses.
We learn the importance of confessing our sins to avoid the emotional and spiritual burdens that silence can bring.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced the consequences of silence regarding my own struggles?
- How can I cultivate an environment where I feel safe to confess my sins?
- What steps can I take to ensure I do not let unconfessed sin weigh me down?
- How does understanding the physical impact of sin change my view of confession?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early church fathers comment on the implications of this verse, discussing the consequences of silence and the importance of confession.
Strong spirits do not wax old from continual shouting to God, but they are renewed from day to day. From silence they wax old, entangling people who are corrupted through false desires.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 32 →
"Because I kept silence, my bones waxed old:" because I made not with my mouth "confession unto salvation," [Romans 10:10] all firmness in me has grown old in infirmity.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 32 →
Let no one think that something that he hides away in the innermost parts of his conscience can be hidden from the Lord.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 32 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 32:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWhen I kept silence,.... Was unthoughtful of sin, unconcerned about it, and made no acknowledgment and confession of it to God, being quite senseless and stupid; the Targum adds, "from the words of
Read John Gill on Psalms 32 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWhen I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 32 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleWhen I kept silence, to wit, from a full and open confession of my sins, as appears from , and from pouring out my soul to God in serious and fervent prayers for pardon and peace. Whilst I concealed my sins, or smothered my fears, and, stifled the workings of my own conscience. My bones waxed old; my spirits failed, and the strength of my body decayed: Through my roaring all the day long; because of the continual horrors of my conscience, and sense of God’ s wrath, wherewith I was as yet rather oppressed and overwhelmed, than brought to thorough repentance.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 32 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 32:3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.Ver. 3. When I kept silence] i.e. While I, through guile of spirit (for this leaven of hypocrisy is more or less in the best hearts, though it sway not there), concealed my sin, and kept the devil’ s counsel, contenting myself with his false medicines and placiboes. That old manslayer knoweth well that as sin is the soul’ s sickness, so confession is the soul’ s vomit; and that there is no way to purge the sick soul but upwards. He, therefore, holdeth the lips close, that the heart may not disburden itself. David, by his persuasion, kept silence for a while, but that he found was to his ruth; and if he…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 32 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(3) When I kept.—He describes his state of mind before he could bring himself to confess his sin (the rendering of the particle ki by when, comp. Hosea 11:1, is quite correct). Like that knight of story, in whom “His mood was often like a fiend, and rose And drove him into wastes and solitudes For agony, who was yet a living soul,” this man could not live sleek and smiling in his sin, but was so tortured by “remorseful pain” that his body bore the marks of his mental anguish, which, no doubt, “had marr’d his face, and marked it ere his time.” My bones waxed old.—For this expression comp. Psalms 6:2.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 32 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 3. When I kept silence] Before I humbled myself, and confessed my sin, my soul was under the deepest horror. "I roared all the day long;" and felt the hand of God heavy upon my soul.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 32 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges3, 4. The illustration of this truth from the Psalmist’s own experience. He kept silence, refusing to acknowledge his sin to himself and to God; but meanwhile God did not leave him to himself (Job 33:16 ff.); His chastening hand was heavy upon him (Psalms 38:2; Psalms 39:10), making itself felt partly by the remorse of conscience, partly perhaps by actual sickness. He suffered and complained (Psalms 22:1; Psalms 38:8); but such complaint was no prayer (Hosea 7:14), and brought no relief, while he would not confess his sin. my bones] See note on Psalms 6:2. my moisture &c.] R.V. my moisture was changed as with (marg., into) the drought of summer: the vital sap and juices of his body were…
Read Cambridge on Psalms 32 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWhen I kept silence - The psalmist now proceeds to state his condition of mind before he himself found this peace, or before he had this evidence of pardon; the state in which he felt deeply that he
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 32 →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
When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long.
When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long.
When I refused to confess my sin, my whole body wasted away, while I groaned in pain all day long.
Tyndale line
When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
When I kept silence, my bones wasted away Through my groaning all the day long.
When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
When I kept silence, my bones became old through my roaring all the day long.
When I helde my tongue, my bones consumed, or when I roared all the day,
Strictly literal
When I kept silence, my bones waxed old, through my groaning all the day long.
When I have kept silence, become old have my bones, Through my roaring all the day.
When I have kept silence, my bones have become old, || Through my roaring all the day.
When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my crying all the day.
When I remained silent, my bones were wasting away while I groaned all day long.
From the Latin
Sing to him a new canticle, sing well unto him with a loud noise.
Simplified
When I kept quiet, my body fell apart as I groaned in distress all day long.
When I kept my mouth shut, my bones were wasted, because of my crying all through the day.
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.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of כִּֽי־ הֶ֭חֱרַשְׁתִּי בָּל֣וּ עֲצָמָ֑י בְּ֝שַׁאֲגָתִ֗י כָּל־ הַיּֽוֹם׃. Both texts convey the same message about the consequences of silence regarding sin.
כִּֽי־ הֶ֭חֱרַשְׁתִּי בָּל֣וּ עֲצָמָ֑י בְּ֝שַׁאֲגָתִ֗י כָּל־ הַיּֽוֹם׃
7 of the 7 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.
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.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 32:3
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.
כִּי (ki) is a conjunction primarily meaning 'that,' 'for,' or 'when.' It indicates causal relationships and can express conditions like 'if' or 'though.' The word is versatile, appearing in various contexts to convey certainty, exception, or concession. Notably, it can combine with other particles to modify its meaning, such as in the phrase כִּי אם־ (ki im), meaning 'that if.'
כִּי conj. that, for, when
that
Of time, when, of the past
elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם
when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though
Because, since
base
כִּי אם־
each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:
that if
for if
(About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—
limiting the prec. clause, except
the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but
after an oath, surely
base
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
H3588a כִּי that, for, when . that
. . Of time, when, of the past
. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם
. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though
. Because, since
H3588b כִּי אם־ . each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: . that if
. for if
. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause— . limiting the prec. clause, except
. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but
. after an oath, surely
H3588c כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
3588 kiy kee
a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional
prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent
or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative
conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by
other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch,
where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else,
even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, +
nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then,
therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when,
whether, while, whom, yea, yet.
כִּי (ki) — for.
1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since
1a) that
1a1) yea, indeed
1b) when (of time)
1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)
1c) because, since (causal connection)
1d) but (after negative)
1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if
1f) but rather, but
1g) except that
1h) only, nevertheless
1i) surely
1j) that is
1k) but if
1l) for though
1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
כִּי [אם] (ki im) — that if: except.
1) except if
1a) but if
1b) even though
כִּי [עַל כֵּן] (ki [al ken]) — for as that: since.
1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since
1a) that
1a1) yea, indeed
1b) when (of time)
1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)
1c) because, since (causal connection)
1d) but (after negative)
Conj — ParticleHTc
The Hebrew word חָרַשׁ (*charash*) encompasses meanings related to cutting, engraving, and plowing, as well as devising, often with a negative connotation. It also has a related form, חָרֵשׁ (*charesh*), which means to be silent or deaf. The entries indicate a range of uses, from physical actions to metaphorical implications of secrecy and silence.
[חָרַשׁ] vb. cut in, engrave, plough, devise
Qal
cut in, engrave
plough
devise
Niph. Zion, as a field she shall be ploughed
Hiph. fabricating mischief against
base
[חָרֵשׁ] vb. 1. be silent, dumb, speechless; 2. be deaf; chiefly poet.
Qal
be silent, alw. of God’s keeping silence when men pray
be deaf
Hiph.
be silent (= exhibit silence)
once causat. make silent
be deaf, shew deafness
base
H2790a חָרַשׁ cut in, engrave, plough, devise H2790b חָרֵשׁ . be silent, dumb, speechless
. be deaf; chiefly poet.
2790 charash khaw-rash'
a primitive root; to scratch, i.e. (by implication) to
engrave, plough; hence (from the use of tools) to fabricate
(of any material); figuratively, to devise (in a bad sense);
hence (from the idea of secrecy) to be silent, to let alone;
hence (by implication) to be deaf (as an accompaniment of
dumbness):--X altogether, cease, conceal, be deaf, devise,
ear, graven, imagine, leave off speaking, hold peace,
plow(-er, man), be quiet, rest, practise secretly, keep
silence, be silent, speak not a word, be still, hold tongue,
worker.
חָרַשׁ (cha.rash) — to plow/plot.
1) to cut in, plough, engrave, devise
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to cut in, engrave
1a2) to plough
1a3) to devise
1b) (Niphal) to be ploughed
1c) (Hiphil) to plot evil
חָרֵשׁ (cha.resh) — be quiet.
1) to be silent, be dumb, be speechless, be deaf
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be silent
1a2) to be deaf
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to be silent, keep quiet
1b2) to make silent
1b3) to be deaf, show deafness
1c) (Hithpael) to remain silent
V-Hiphil-Perf-1cs — Verb · Hiphil · perfect first person common singularHVhp1cs
בָּלָה (balah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to become old or worn out. It encompasses the ideas of wearing out through use, enjoying something to the fullest, and implies decay or consumption. The entries indicate that it can be used in both a simple form (Qal) and a causative form (Piel), with a related Aramaic term noted.
[בָּלָה] vb. become old and worn out
Qal wear out
Pi. caus. of Qal.
wear out (trans.)
wear out by use, use to the full, enjoy
base
H1086 [בָּלָה] become old and worn out .wear out
. caus. of Qal. . wear out (trans.)
. wear out by use, use to the full, enjoy
1086 balah baw-law'
a primitive root; to fail; by implication to wear out, decay
(causatively, consume, spend):--consume, enjoy long, become
(make, wax) old, spend, waste.
בָּלָה (ba.lah) — to become old.
1) to wear out, become old
1a) (Qal) to wear out
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to wear out
1b2) to wear out by use, use up completely
1b3) to enjoy, use to the full
Aramaic equivalent: be.la (בְּלָא "to wear out" H1080)
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common pluralHVqp3cp
עֶ֫צֶם (etsem) primarily means 'bone' but extends to concepts of substance and self. It can refer to the physical body, limbs, or essence. The word is derived from a root related to strength, indicating a connection between physicality and identity.
עֶ֫צֶם 125 n.f. bone, substance, self
base
H6106 עֶ֫צֶם bone, substance, self
6106 `etsem eh'tsem
from 6105; a bone (as strong); by extension, the body;
figuratively, the substance, i.e. (as pron.) selfsame:--body,
bone, X life, (self-)same, strength, X very.
see HEBREW for 06105
עֶ֫צֶם (e.tsem) — bone.
: bone/limb
1) bone, essence, substance
1a) bone
1a1) body, limbs, members, external body
1b) bone (of animal)
1c) substance, self
עֶ֫צֶם (e.tsem) — bone: same.
: same/very
1) bone, essence, substance
1a) bone
1a1) body, limbs, members, external body
1b) bone (of animal)
1c) substance, self
עֶ֫צֶם (e.tsem) — bone: body.
: body
1) bone, essence, substance
1a) bone
1a1) body, limbs, members, external body
1b) bone (of animal)
1c) substance, self
N-fp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word שְׁאָגָה (*shagah*) means 'roaring' and is derived from the root word for a rumbling or moan. It specifically refers to the roaring of a lion or a distress cry, particularly associated with the wicked. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to loud, powerful sounds.
שְׁאָגָה n.f. roaring
base
H7581 שְׁאָגָה roaring
7581 shagah sheh-aw-gaw'
from 7580; a rumbling or moan:--roaring.
see HEBREW for 07580
שְׁאָגָה (she.a.gah) — roaring.
1) roaring
1a) of lion, the wicked, distress cry
Prep | N-fs | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncfsc/Sp1bs
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
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.
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
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
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.
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
HTd/Ncmsa — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
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."…
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.