Day in Biblical History

Bible History

Schaff's Bible Dictionary

Definitions in Biblical History
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

What is a Day?
DAY
The natural day consists of 24 hours, or one revolution of the earth upon its axis. The artificial day is the time during which the sun is above the horizon. The civil day is reckoned differently by different nations-some from sunrise to sunrise; others from sunset to sunset; others still from noon to noon, or from midnight to midnight. The Jewish day was reckoned from evening to evening, adopted, as some think, from Gen 1:5, or, as others with more probability hold, from the "use of the lunar calendar in regulating days of religious observance." Lev 23:32. Their Sabbath, or seventh day, which was the only day named-the others were numbered merely-began on what we call Friday, at sunset, and ended on what we call Saturday, at sunset. Ex 12:18. This mode of reckoning days was not uncommon in other Eastern nations. The day was originally divided into morning, noon, and night. Ps 55:17. But besides, the Jews distinguished six unequal parts, which were again subdivided. 1. Dawn, subdivided into gray dawn and rosy dawn. 2. Sunrise. Some supposed that the Hebrews, prior to leaving Egypt, began the day at that time, but discontinued it by divine command, and began at even in order to be different from those nations which worshipped the rising sun. 3. The heat of the day, about nine o'clock. 1 Sam 11:11; Neh 7:3, etc. 4. The two noons. Gen 43:16; Deut 28:29. 5. The cool (lit. wind) of the day, before sunset. Gen 3:8. 6. Evening. In Ex 12:6; Ex 30:8, margins, occurs the phrase "between the two evenings," which probably is correctly taken to mean "between the beginning and end of sunset." The mention of hours in the Bible dates from the Captivity, Dan 3:6, and it is therefore reasonably presumed that this division of time is of Babylonish origin. Before the Captivity the Jews divided the night into three watches-from sunset to midnight, from midnight to cock-crow, Jud 7:19; from cock-crow to sunrise. Ex 14:24. In the N.T. mention is made of four watches, because the Greek and Roman division was then adopted. In our Lord's time the division of the day into 12 hours was common. John 11:9. The word "day" is used of a festal day, Hos 7:5; a birthday. Job 3:1; a day of ruin, Hos 1:11; Job 18:20; the judgment-day, Joel 1:15; 1 Thess 5:2; Acts 17:31; and the kingdom of Christ. John 8:56; Rom 13:12. It is also often used to denote an indefinite time. Gen 2:4; Isa 22:5. The term "three days and three nights," in Matt 12:40, denotes the same space of time as "three days." Matt 27:63-64. Day's Journey, a distance mentioned Gen 31:23; Ex 3:18, etc. It is quite evident that this phrase does not mean any particular distance, but rather the space travelled during one day, and this would of course vary with the circumstances of the traveller. But unless there is special reason for believing the contrary, we may interpret it as meaning a stretch of 25 to 30 miles, since this is the usual length of a day's journey in the East, on camel or horseback, performed in 6 to 8 hours. See also Sabbath Day's Journey. Day, Lord's. See Sabbath. Daysman. Job 9:33. The word is derived by Webster from "him who fixes the day upon which he will decide as judge or arbitrator." It was in common use, when the Bible was translated, in the sense of "umpire." Dayspring. Job 38:12; Luke 1:78. The first dawning of light. Comp. Isa 60:1-2 and Rev 22:16. Day-star, or Morning-star, 2 Pet 1:19, in the figurative language of the apostle, is supposed to mean the light which shines on the soul of the believer, and cheers him with the expectation of a perfect day of holiness and joy.

Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'day' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
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