What does the word 'day' mean in Genesis?

[TheBear]

Does the word 'day' in Genesis mean a literal 24 hours, or could it possibly mean something else?

Please state your reason(s) for your answer.


Thanks,
John

 

[LewisWildermuth]

Well since it was mentioned long before the sun and moon were created I find very little reason to believe it is 24 hours.

 

[Live!]

It's probably not 24 hours. 24 hours is our idea of a day,not neccesarily

the length of the Genesis days. But the earth is only 5,000-10,000

years old.

 

[TheBear]

Originally posted by Live!
It's probably not 24 hours. 24 hours is our idea of a day,not neccesarily

the length of the Genesis days. But the earth is only 5,000-10,000

years old.

About how long would you say was the length of a Genesis 'day'?

As to your second point, even though I strongly disagree with you, that is a topic for another thread. This thread is focused on the meaning of the word 'day', in Genesis.



John

 

[Pastor N.B.]

Originally posted by LewisWildermuth
Well since it was mentioned long before the sun and moon were created I find very little reason to believe it is 24 hours.

*******
Hi, Pastor N.B. here:
Perhaps I am still feeding on the 'milk' of Heb. 5? Or whatever?

But I always thought that scripture was understood by comparing scripture
with scripture? 2 Tim. 3:16 & Isa. 28:9-10, along with perhaps 1 Cor. 14:32.

So I think that God does (for me at least) not leave that [very important] question unanswered . (you check it out) But while doing so, consider a verse in Rom. 4:17's last part. This statement of [inspiration] goes back LONG, LONG before the earths sun, moon & stars! (Eternity!) This helped me years ago in understanding how the GodHead refers to God the Master, as His Son, long before He actually was. (check 1 Tim. 6:14-*16) Notice the verse in the King James. (by the way, I am an old timer, 69! nothing sarcastic meant here)

Rom. 4:17:
"... even God, ... [And CALLETH THOSE THINGS WHICH BE NOT AS THOUGH THEY WERE.]"
You know, your statement of how, ... 'Well since it was mentioned long (???) before the sun and moon were created I find very little reason to believe it is 24 hours.'

And we call this FAITH? ----P/N/B/

 

[Sinai]

Originally posted by TheBear
Does it mean a literal 24 hours? Could it possibly mean something else?

Dr. Herschel H. Hobbs, who is probably one of the most respected theologians and Bible scholars of the past century, stated:

“The fact is that the Bible does not say dogmatically how long the creative period lasted. The Hebrew word for “day” (yom), like the English word, may mean any number of things: twenty-four hours, a generation, an era, or an indefinite period of time. Since the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of Genesis 1, it must be concluded that he did not spell out this detail. Had he said “a twenty-four hour day” or “indefinite period of time” that would settle it. But since he did not do so, the time element is not a vital point in faith.”

 

[TheBear]

I agree with Dr. Herschel H. Hobbs' statement as a starting point of discovery and discussion. I do not think it is a critical salvation issue, but I would like to get more feedback as to why different people have different views, and what their views are based upon.


John

 

[TheBear]

Okay, I just edited the opening post in this thread. (I was short on time this morning. )

 

[wb3]

I believe the days in Genesis implys that the day was twenty-four hours as mentioned in Gen. 1:8
"...And there was evening, and there was morning. The second day."
Not to mention it couldn't have been in generational terms. There was no people.

 

[LouisBooth]

`ereb boquer

Why this then?

 

[Pidion]

uuuuuummmm. Let's be educated and bright here. God said there was
a morning and an evening. He said this DAY there were this, and that
DAY there was that. hhhuuuummmmm. Question here at this point. "When DOES a DAY in Scripture mean a DAY?" Is it possible Jonah spent 3 decades, no, how about 3 million years in the belly of a great fish. Sure! And was it not Christ Who spent 3, let's see now, billion years in the grave. Came out, and there were the original disciples........
Can we just be honest men and women. Commit to saying, "I am of Chirst, and I believe Him at His Word." Or, perhaps, "I deny God and His Word." Either way your not playing games. Be Honest, up front and declare this day "Whom" you will serve. Humanism, or God?

 

[OldBadfish]

I believe it was a 24 hour day, because of:

Genesis 2-5

"2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Looks like a standard 24 hour day.

Genesis 8
"And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day."

Genesis 13
"And the evening and the morning were the third day "

Genesis 19
"And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. "

And so on, God explaining that the day was seperated from night on earth is a good indication he is speaking of a 24 hour day.

 

[LouisBooth]

exacty bad

`ereb boquer

 

[Live!]

What does `ereb boquer mean?

 

[TheBear]

Keep in mind, this has to do with the word 'day', as used in Genesis only.

 

[Live!]

It could be an actual 24-hr day, but the more I reaserch the evidence, the more

I doubt the young earth view. What does the word 'day' mean in Genesis?

probably an indefinite period of time.

 

[RufusAtticus]

Christians,

Is the significance of Genesis that it took God a week to create, or that He bothered to do it at all?

 

[Sinai]

Originally posted by RufusAtticus
Christians,

Is the significance of Genesis that it took God a week to create, or that He bothered to do it at all?

Good point, Rufus!

Since Genesis uses only one chapter (31 verses) to move from the beginning of the universe to man, it appears that the Bible might have been anxious to get on with the greatest love story ever told: God's love for mankind. Chapter two goes into a bit more detail regarding God's creation of a neshama or eternal soul for man, and the third chapter deals with how sin separated man from God.

Sorry, Bear: This post may have been a bit off topic. Would a discussion of some of the Hebrew meanings of "evening and morning" be on topic (since several have referred to those terms in their posts) or should it be kept strictly on the meanings of day?

 

[TheBear]

Originally posted by RufusAtticus
Christians,

Is the significance of Genesis that it took God a week to create, or that He bothered to do it at all?

It is the significance of the use of the word 'day' in Genesis.

You have the literalists, who think that any deviation from exactly what is written, word for word, syllable for syllable, is not of God. But, they run into many problems with consistency.

I limited my question to the book of Genesis, for several reasons. For it is in this very first book of the Bible, we find problems with literal interpretation consistency. I narrowed it down to the word 'day' to prove a specific point. I am waiting for all literalists arguments to come in, then I will prove my point.

Please be patient with me on this.


John

 

[TheBear]

Come on, literalists. Prove your literal interpretation of the word 'day', in Genesis.

Please.