H0865 H0865
Yesterday; formerly, in time past — a temporal adverb for recent past or habitual prior state.
A temporal adverb meaning 'yesterday' in its literal sense, but frequently extending to 'formerly' or 'in time past.' It appears most memorably in the recurring idiom temol shilshom ('yesterday and the day before'), a Hebrew way of saying 'previously' or 'as before' (e.g., 1 Sam 4:7; 2 Sam 5:2). The multilingual translations confirm this dual range: German gestern and Spanish ayer stay close to 'yesterday,' while French autrefois ('formerly') and English 'in time past' reflect the broader retrospective usage. In prophetic contexts like Isaiah 30:33 and Micah 2:8, it carries the force of recent, vivid memory.
Senses
1. yesterday, formerly, in time past — Denotes 'yesterday' literally or 'formerly / in time past' more broadly. The phrase temol shilshom ('yesterday and three days ago') functions as an idiom for 'previously, as in the past' — appearing in narratives about Saul (1 Sam 10:11; 14:21) and David (2 Sam 5:2). Spanish ayer and German gestern preserve the concrete 'yesterday' meaning, while French autrefois captures the extended temporal sense. All eight occurrences fall within narrative or prophetic retrospection. 8×
AR["أَمْسِ", "كَـ-أَمْسِ", "مِنْ-أَمْسِ", "مِنْ-قَدِيمٍ", "وَ-أَمْسِ"]·ben["এবং-গতকাল", "গতকাল", "গতকাল-থেকে", "গতকালের", "গতকালের-মতো", "পূর্বকাল-থেকে"]·DE["[ואתמול]", "[מאתמול]", "gestern", "von-gestern", "wie-gestern", "yesterday"]·EN["and-yesterday", "as-yesterday", "from-yesterday", "yesterday"]·FR["[מאתמול]", "autrefois", "comme-hier", "de-hier", "et-autrefois", "hier"]·heb["אתמול", "ו-אתמול", "כ-אתמול", "מ-אתמול", "מֵ-אֶתְמוֹל"]·HI["और-कल", "कल", "जैसे-कल", "पहले-की-तरह", "पहले-से", "से-कल"]·ID["Dan-baru-baru-ini", "dari-dahulu", "dari-kemarin", "kemarin", "seperti-kemarin"]·IT["[אתמול]", "[ואתמול]", "[מאתמול]", "come-ieri", "da-ieri", "ieri"]·jav["kados-kala-wingi", "kados-wingi", "kala-wingi", "lan-winggi", "saking-kala-wingi", "saking-wingi", "wingi"]·KO["[10]", "그리고-어제", "어제", "어제-에서", "어제처럼", "어제처럼-", "에서-옛적부터"]·PT["E-ontem", "como-ontem", "de-ontem", "desde-ontem", "ontem"]·RU["А-вчера", "вчера", "вчерашний", "издавна", "как-вчера"]·ES["Y-ayer", "ayer", "como-ayer", "desde-ayer"]·SW["jana", "kama-jana", "kutoka-jana", "na-jana", "zamani"]·TR["Ve-dün", "dün", "dün-gibi", "eskiden-beri"]·urd["اور-کل", "جیسے-پہلے", "پہلے-سے", "کل", "گزشتہ"]
Related Senses
H3117 1. day, specific time (2231×)H5704 1. until, unto, as far as (1238×)H8141 1. year, unit of time (880×)H6258 1. and now (421×)G2250 1. day (388×)H5750 1. again, more, further (288×)H5769 1. forever, to eternity (280×)H6256 1. time, period (264×)H2320 1. month, calendar period (260×)H0310a 2. after (temporal) (258×)H3915 1. night, period of darkness (234×)H1242 1. morning (214×)H5750 2. still, yet (continuative) (166×)G5119 1. then (160×)G3568 1. now (147×)G2193 1. until (143×)G3825 1. (141×)G3752 1. (123×)H6153 1. evening, time of day (123×)H0227a 1. then (122×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† תְּמוֹל (תְּמֹל)23, אֶתְמוֹל5, אִתְּמוֹל † 1 S 10:11, אֶתְמוּל †Is 30:33; Mi 2:8 (v. inf.), subst., used sometimes as adv.acc., yesterday, fig. recently, formerly (Aramaic אִתְּמָלֵי, תְּמָלֵי, sometimes אִתְּמוֹל, ܬܡܳܠ, ܐܶܬܡܳܠ, ܐܶܬܡܳܠܝ; Mand. עתמאל NöM 202; Ethiopic ትማልም Assyrian timâli, itimâli, ina timâli (Dl158, 721); der. dub.; according to MeGr Syriac 118 Köii 264 f. from Arabic مَلَا ii.…