יוֹם
yom
day
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# Yom (יוֹם): The Hebrew Word for "Day" The Hebrew word *yom* appears 1,936 times throughout the Bible, making it one of the most frequently used nouns in the text. Its basic meaning is "day"—a fundamental unit of time that structures biblical narrative and law. This frequency alone indicates that the concept of time, marked by days, was central to how biblical writers organized events, laws, and theology. The raw definition "day" conceals considerable semantic range. In biblical usage, *yom* can denote a literal twenty-four-hour period, a daylight hours specifically (as opposed to night), or an indefinite period of time—as when biblical writers speak of "the day of the Lord" or "in that day" to reference future epochs or events. The word serves equally in practical contexts (recording historical timelines, legal observances tied to specific days) and in theological discourse (describing eschatological events). This flexibility allowed biblical authors to move fluidly between concrete temporal markers and more abstract, symbolic uses of time. The sheer volume of occurrences—nearly 2,000 instances—underscores that biblical thought consistently frames reality in temporal units. Whether marking creation sequences, legal requirements, historical records, or prophetic visions, *yom* provided biblical writers with their primary vocabulary for articulating when things happen and how duration
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
1,936 total occurrences across the text — showing 50
When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their plunder, they found among them in abundance both riches and dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away. They took plunder for three days, it was so much.
2 Chronicles 21:8In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.
2 Chronicles 21:15and you will have great sickness with a disease of your bowels, until your bowels fall out by reason of the sickness, day by day.’ ”
2 Chronicles 21:15and you will have great sickness with a disease of your bowels, until your bowels fall out by reason of the sickness, day by day.’ ”
2 Chronicles 21:19In process of time, at the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness, and he died of severe diseases. His people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.
2 Chronicles 21:19In process of time, at the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness, and he died of severe diseases. His people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.
2 Chronicles 24:2Joash did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
2 Chronicles 24:14When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, from which were made vessels for Yahweh’s house, even vessels with which to minister and to offer, including spoons and vessels of gold and silver. They offered burnt offerings in Yahweh’s house continually all the days of Jehoiada.
2 Chronicles 24:15But Jehoiada grew old and was full of days, and he died. He was one hundred thirty years old when he died.
2 Chronicles 26:5He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the vision of God; and as long as he sought Yahweh, God made him prosper.
2 Chronicles 26:5He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the vision of God; and as long as he sought Yahweh, God made him prosper.
2 Chronicles 26:21Uzziah the king was a leper to the day of his death, and lived in a separate house, being a leper; for he was cut off from Yahweh’s house. Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.
2 Chronicles 28:6For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed in Judah one hundred twenty thousand in one day, all of them valiant men, because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
2 Chronicles 29:17Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month they came to Yahweh’s porch. They sanctified Yahweh’s house in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.
2 Chronicles 29:17Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month they came to Yahweh’s porch. They sanctified Yahweh’s house in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.
2 Chronicles 29:17Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month they came to Yahweh’s porch. They sanctified Yahweh’s house in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.
2 Chronicles 30:21The children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness. The Levites and the priests praised Yahweh day by day, singing with loud instruments to Yahweh.
2 Chronicles 30:22Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding in the service of Yahweh. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings, and making confession to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
2 Chronicles 30:23The whole assembly took counsel to keep another seven days, and they kept another seven days with gladness.
2 Chronicles 30:23The whole assembly took counsel to keep another seven days, and they kept another seven days with gladness.
2 Chronicles 30:26So there was great joy in Jerusalem; for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was nothing like this in Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 32:24In those days Hezekiah was terminally ill, and he prayed to Yahweh; and he spoke to him, and gave him a sign.
2 Chronicles 32:26Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that Yahweh’s wrath didn’t come on them in the days of Hezekiah.
Nehemiah 13:19It came to pass that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut, and commanded that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. I set some of my servants over the gates, so that no burden should be brought in on the Sabbath day.
Nehemiah 13:22I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember to me, my God, this also, and spare me according to the greatness of your loving kindness.
2 Chronicles 34:33Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who were found in Israel to serve, even to serve Yahweh their God. All his days they didn’t depart from following Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
2 Chronicles 35:16So all the service of Yahweh was prepared the same day, to keep the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings on Yahweh’s altar, according to the commandment of king Josiah.
2 Chronicles 35:17The children of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.
2 Chronicles 35:18There was no Passover like that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet, nor did any of the kings of Israel keep such a Passover as Josiah kept, with the priests, the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 36:9Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight.
2 Chronicles 36:21to fulfill Yahweh’s word by Jeremiah’s mouth, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. As long as it lay desolate, it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.
Genesis 24:12He said, “Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
Ezra 3:6From the first day of the seventh month, they began to offer burnt offerings to Yahweh; but the foundation of Yahweh’s temple was not yet laid.
Ezra 4:2they came near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as you do; and we have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.”
Ezra 4:5They hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Ezra 4:7In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Syrian, and delivered in the Syrian language.
Ezra 6:22and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; because Yahweh had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of God, the God of Israel’s house.
Ezra 8:15I gathered them together to the river that runs to Ahava; and there we encamped three days: and I looked around at the people and the priests, and found there were none of the sons of Levi.
Ezra 8:32We came to Jerusalem, and stayed there three days.
Ezra 8:33On the fourth day the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them was Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, the Levite;
Ezra 9:7Since the days of our fathers we have been exceedingly guilty to this day; and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests, have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.
Ezra 10:8and that whoever didn’t come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his possessions should be forfeited, and himself separated from the assembly of the captivity.
Ezra 10:9Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together to Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the wide place in front of God’s house, trembling because of this matter, and because of the great rain.
Ezra 10:13But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand outside. This is not a work of one day or two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter.
Ezra 10:16The children of the captivity did so. Ezra the priest, with certain heads of fathers’ households, after their fathers’ houses, and all of them by their names, were set apart; and they sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.
Ezra 10:17They finished with all the men who had married foreign women by the first day of the first month.
Nehemiah 1:4When I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned several days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
Nehemiah 1:6Let your ear now be attentive, and your eyes open, that you may listen to the prayer of your servant, which I pray before you at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel your servants, while I confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Yes, I and my father’s house have sinned.
Nehemiah 1:11Lord, I beg you, let your ear be attentive now to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants, who delight to fear your name; and please prosper your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cup bearer to the king.
Nehemiah 2:11So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.