DAY (Heb. yom)

“day”

(Heb. yom) (4:5; Gen. 7:11; Prov. 25:13; Amos 5:8, 18) Strong’s #3117: The Hebrew noun yom has a variety of uses in the OT. It can refer to the daylight hours in contrast to the night (Amos 5:8), or to a twenty-four-hour day, such as a certain day of the month (Gen. 7:11). It may also refer to a time period, such as the “time” of harvest (Prov. 25:13), or even to a year (2 Sam. 13:23). The word is used in the significant phrase “the day of the Lord” (Is. 2:12; Ezek. 13:5; Joel 1:15; Zeph. 1:14). For the prophets, the day of the Lord was the future day when God would decisively triumph over all His foes. That day will be a day of great rejoicing and blessing for God’s faithful servants (Is. 2), whereas for God’s enemies it will be a day of “darkness” (Amos 5:18).