The Hebrew Word “Yom” Used with a Number in Genesis 1 What does “yom” mean in Genesis 1 ? by Rodney Whitefield, Ph.D.

Recently, a reader of my book Reading Genesis One asked about the use of a number with the Hebrew word “yom.”   Specifically, I was asked to comment on the statement, “Day” with numerical adjectives in Hebrew always refers to a 24 hour period.”, which appears in John MacArthur’s Study Bible in reference to Genesis 1:5. The quoted statement is one which is commonly offered to justify eliminating the long “extended  period of time” meaning of the Hebrew word “yom” in Genesis 1:3-31. Eliminating the “extended period” or “age” meaning would then give support for a 24 hour interpretation for the duration of the creative times. In the first chapter of Genesis, the singular Hebrew word  MwOy   “yom” appears with a number at the conclusion of each of the creative times.  Subsequently, in this article, “yom” refers to this singular  Hebrew word form. In order to illustrate the differing opinions which have been offered as interpretation, I will very briefly quote two well-known Bible scholars about the numbering of the word “yom.”   Both scholars hold “extended period” or “age” views of  the meaning of  “yom” as describing the duration of the creative times. Subsequently, I will explain why  the opinion of these two scholars has substantial support  in the Hebrew, in contradiction to the claim in the MacArthur Study Bible.  First the quotes: ( The word “noun” in the Gleason L. Archer quote refers to the word “yom,” the Hebrew word “seni ” is an adjective.) Gleason L. Archer, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, pages 60-61, Baker 1982: “ There were six major stages in this work of formation, and these stages are represented by successive days of a week.  In this connection it is important to observe that none of  the six creative days bears a definite article in the Hebrew text; the translations “the first day,” “ the second day,” etc., are in error.  The Hebrew says, “And the evening took place, and the morning took place, day one” (1:5).  Hebrew expresses “the first day” by hayyom harison, but this text says simply yom ehad (day one).  Again, in v.8 we read not hayyom hasseni  (“the second day”)  but  yom seni  (“a second day”).  In Hebrew  prose of  this genre, the definite article was generally used where the noun was intended to be definite; only in poetic style could it be omitted.  The same is true with the rest of the six days; they all lack the definite article.  Thus they are well adapted to a sequential pattern, rather than to strictly delimited units of time.” Gleason Archer was Associate Editor of the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament.   In the quote above, the first two italicized letters ha of words like harison indicate the Hebrew prefix  h “heh” meaning “the.” Norman L. Geisler, Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, page 271,  Zondervan 1999: “Numbered days need not be solar.  Neither is there a rule of Hebrew language demanding that all numbered days in a series refer to twenty-four-hour days.  Even if there were no exceptions in the Old Testament, it would not mean that “day” in Genesis 1 could not refer to more than one twenty-four-hour period.  But there is another example in the Old Testament. Hosea 6:1-2 . . .        . . . Clearly the prophet is not speaking of  solar “days” but of longer periods in the future.  Yet he numbers the days in series.” Now, given MacArthur’s statement and the above two quotes, a reader of  the Bible is  faced  with contradictory claims by established authorities.  How is this to be resolved?   My view is that MacArthur’s statement is  not supported by  the underlying  Hebrew text,  and that  the Hebrew  text does support Archer and Geisler.  My analysis will first consider the numbering of the singular word “yom” from the numbers two (second) through six (sixth). 1. READING GENESIS ONE: Comparing Biblical Hebrew with English Translation   ISBN 0-9728782-0-3    The book is available from Amazon.com    The Table of Contents is available for viewing online at the website  creationingenesis.com.

A review of the Hebrew text of the Bible finds: (1) Each of the Hebrew numberings expressed by “yom” + ordinal number used in Genesis 1:8, Genesis 1:13, Genesis 1:19,  Genesis 1:23, and Genesis 1:31 (   i.e., five of the six creative times) appear only one time in the Bible. (2) Where “yom” is numbered  in other verses,  the reader almost always finds that the number is prefixed by the Hebrew letter h  “heh” the prefix  meaning “the.”  This  is illustrated   by  Archer’s  harison  “the first” and  hasseni “the second.”   In  these  words,  the  Hebrew letter h is  pronounced  with a  following  “a” vowel  leading to  ha + rison  and  ha + sseni , where the ha represents the phonetic pronunciation of the Hebrew prefix and the following vowel. (3) In other verses where “yom” is numbered, the reader almost always finds one of the following: a. “In yom,”  i.e., “yom”  prefixed by the letter “beth,” a preposition meaning “in” or “on.” b. “And in yom,”  i.e.,  “in yom” with the added prefix “waw” meaning “and.” c. Or, infrequently, “yom” with a different  preceding prefix or preposition.   These may be the attached prefixes meaning “to,” “and,” or the unattached preposition meaning “until.” Note:  In  almost  every case,  both  “yom” and  the  number  are  prefixed.   As  a  consequence, the  numberings  in Hebrew differ significantly from the pattern found in Genesis 1:8, Genesis 1:13, Genesis 1:19, and Genesis 1:23. A computer search of the possible Hebrew wordings that could number “yom,” using “second” gave the results listed below.  As listed, the entire Hebrew word with attached prefixes is translated enclosed in quotation marks and represents successive words: “yom” “second”  —————   one verse, Genesis 1:8 “in yom” “the second” ——— 8 times  [ This is Archer’s hayyom hasseni.] “and in yom” “the second”  —  3 times Searching the KJV Old Testament for second day,  I found 15 verses.  Two of  the 15 verses do not have the Hebrew word “yom”; the English word day appears in italics.  Another verse, 1 Samuel 20:34, has an intervening word and reads “in yom” “of the month” “the second.” When the search was extended to include numbering by two through six, the Hebrew words appear 56 times as described by both  2) and 3) above.  1 Chronicles 26:17 is an exception which uses “to yom” “four.”  Genesis 1:31 is  an  exception  reading  “yom”   “the sixth,” a  combination  which  appears only  in  this  verse.  Of  the six creative times only Genesis 1:31 prefixes the number; the word “yom” remains unprefixed. The above pattern of  prefixing both the ordinal number and the word “yom” also, almost always, describes the numbering of “yom” by  “the seventh,” (44 times)  and  “the eighth” (17 times).  The exceptions being “and yom” “the seventh” which appears two times, and “yom” “the seventh” which appears one time in Genesis 2:3. The Hebrew pattern  is  not  always  visible in  English translation.  For  example, the Hebrew  of  Exodus 20:11  reads “on yom” “the seventh,” but  some  translations  read “the seventh day” omitting  the prefix “on.”  The NAS, NIV, and many recent translations now more correctly translate “and rested” “on the seventh day.” By consulting the Hebrew text of the Bible it can be established that: A. The  repeated  pattern of   t he numbering  of   the creative  times  in  Genesis One  is  unique. Each of  the Hebrew  numberings  expressed  by  “yom” + number  used  in  Genesis 1:8,  Genesis 1:13, Genesis 1:19, Genesis 1:23, and Genesis 1:31, appear only one time in the Bible. B. The pattern of   the numbering of  the “yom” in  other verses of  the Bible  almost  always includes both  of  procedures  (2)  and  (3)  above  for  numbers  two  through six. These results confirm Geisler’s: “Neither is there a rule of Hebrew language demanding that all  numbered days in a series refer to twenty-four-hour days.” These  results and  the uniform absence    of  the definite article “the” prefixing  the Hebrew  word  “yom,” confirms  the  basis  of  Archer’s:    “. . . none of  the six creative days bears a definite article in the Hebrew text; the translations “the first day,” “ the second day,” etc., are in error.”

Returning to the Bible reader.  How are the different claims to be resolved?  Clearly the underlying Hebrew must take  precedent.   Why  the confusion  about  the numbering?  Consider  Genesis 22:4  as  an  example; both “yom” and  “third” are prefixed in the Hebrew. Heb Genesis 22:4   “in yom” “the third”  . . . NIV Genesis 22:4   On the “third” “day”  Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. The reader of the Hebrew text sees the first two words as “in yom” “the third”  . . . . The reader of the English translation sees two words,  “third”  “day,” not  “in yom” “the third.” This difference in perception also occurs for Genesis 1:13: Heb Genesis 1:13 And there was evening, and there was morning  —  “yom”  “third.” NIV Genesis 1:13 And there was evening, and there was morning— the “third”  “day.” The  Hebrew  reader  knows  that  the “in yom” “the third” of Genesis 22:4 differs from the Hebrew    “yom”      “third”    of Genesis 1:13. A person reasoning on the basis of  English translations can (erroneously) conclude that the numbering third day of Genesis 22:4 is equivalent to the “yom” “third” of Genesis 1:13 because: 1) The English reader does not know that “the third” of the NIV Genesis 1:13  is “third” in the Hebrew, and does not know that the “the” in NIVGenesis 1:13  is not in the Hebrew text. 2) The English reader does not associate “on” with “day” as one word, “on day.” Conclusion: What does all the foregoing mean for understanding Genesis 1? 1) The  uniqueness of  the Hebrew numbering  of  the creative “yom” actually supports the view that the creative  “yom” are not  ordinary (24-hour) days. 2) The numbering of  the creative “yom” does not exclude the “extended period” or “age” meaning  of the  Hebrew  word  “yom” when   referring  to  the  six creative times.  The unique  numbering  of   the creative times adds support for  the “extended period” or “age” meaning. 3) There   are  no  other  applicable  examples  of   the numbering  of  a sequence that  is equivalent to the numbering  of  the creative “yom.”   Assertions  which  attempt  to interpret  numberings  which  read “yom” “second” using  numberings  which  read  “in yom” “the second”  are flawed. To  many readers of   English  translation, the difference in  meaning  between “a second day” and  “the second day” will  not  be apparent.  Because of  this, the Hebrew phrases are better translated another way. This  author  prefers  translating “a second time,” “a third time,” etc., which avoids the confusing use of the English word “day” with two different meanings in Genesis 1:1-31.  The translations “the second day,” “ the third day,” etc., conceal the fact that the Hebrew does not use the ordinal numbering used  in other verses when referring to the activities of  an  ordinary daytime.   Some  recent  translations, such  as  the  NAS,  now  translate  “a second day,” “a third day,” etc.,  for Genesis 1:8,  Genesis 1:13,  Genesis 1:19, and  Genesis 1:23. As was already noted, the Hebrew of Genesis 1:5 reads “yom” “one,” and does not use the Hebrew word rison meaning first.  In other verses, when  ehad (one)  is used as an ordinal, it appears as  haehad  including the prefix ha meaning “the.”  Genesis 2:11 is an example of this use.  The absence of  the prefix ha in Genesis 1:5 shows that the ehad should be translated “one” and not “first.” I hope this provides some useful information and clarification. Rodney Whitefield   6/12/2006