יוֹמָם51 H3117
Day, time, lifetime; a unit of time ranging from a single day to an era or lifespan, also used in temporal and comparative expressions.
The Hebrew word yom (יוֹם) is deceptively simple — 'day' — yet it carries an enormous semantic load in Scripture. It can mean a literal 24-hour period, the daylight hours as opposed to night, a specific calendar date, an entire era ('in the days of'), or someone's whole lifetime ('all the days of his life'). Combined with prepositions it forms many idioms: 'on that day,' 'in those days,' 'from day to day.' The multilingual evidence confirms this breadth: German 'am-Tag' and French 'dans-le-jour' both track the temporal specificity, while the comparative construction 'like the days of' (Gen 29:20) shows yom encoding experiential quality, not just chronological quantity.
Senses
1. day, specific time — The general temporal sense: a day as a unit of time, a specific date, or a period/era marked by events. This massively dominant sense (2,231 occurrences) spans 'the third day' (Gen 2:2), 'on that day' (Gen 26:32), and epochal 'day of the LORD' expressions. The prepositional prefix ke- ('in/on the day') frequently attaches, yielding 'in-the-day' and 'on-the-day' glosses across languages. Spanish 'en-el-día,' French 'dans-le-jour,' and German 'am-Tag' all preserve the temporal-locative construction. This sense serves as the basic building block for biblical chronology and narrative sequencing. 2231×
AR["في-اليَومِ", "فِي-اليَوْمِ", "فِي-الْ-يَوْمِ", "فِي-الْـ-يَوْمِ", "فِي-الْـيَوْمِ", "فِي-الْيَوْمِ", "فِي-ذٰلِكَ"]·ben["-দিন", "-দিনে", "-সেই-দিনে", "দিনে", "দিনে-(সেই)", "সেই-দিনে"]·DE["am-Tag", "an-dem-Tag", "auf-der-Tag", "in-der-Tag"]·EN["in-the-day", "on-the-day"]·FR["dans-le-jour", "sur-le-jour"]·heb["ב-ה-ביום", "ב-ה-יום", "ב-יום"]·HI["दिन", "दिन-को", "दिन-में", "में-दिन", "याजक"]·ID["pada-hari"]·IT["in-il-giorno", "nel-giorno", "su-il-giorno"]·jav["Ing-dinten", "Wonten-ing-dinten", "ing-dinten", "wonten-dinten", "wonten-ing-dinten"]·KO["그-날-에", "그-날에", "날-에", "에-그-날", "에-날에"]·PT["No-dia", "em-o-dia", "no-dia"]·RU["в-день"]·ES["En-el-día", "en-el-día"]·SW["katika-siku", "katika-siku-hiyo", "siku", "siku-", "siku-hiyo", "siku-ile", "siku-ya"]·TR["-da-gün", "-de-gün", "-de-günde", "-günde", "-gününde", "günde-", "gününde", "gününde-", "yedinci-günde"]·urd["دن", "دن-میں", "دن-کو", "میں-دن"]
Gen 2:2, Gen 26:32, Gen 34:25, Gen 40:20, Gen 48:20, Exod 14:30, Exod 16:22, Exod 19:16, Lev 7:18, Lev 8:34, Lev 13:5, Lev 13:32 (+38 more)
2. one's days, lifetime — The biographical sense: 'one's days' as a metonym for a person's lifetime, reign, or allotted span. Phrases like 'the days of Peleg' (Gen 10:25), 'all the days of your life,' and 'his days were 930 years' use yom plurally to encompass an entire existence. The possessive suffix is key — 'his-days,' 'your-days,' 'their-days' — as reflected in Spanish 'días-de-él,' French 'de-son-jours,' and German 'auf-sein-Tag.' This sense appears in both biographical summaries and divine decrees limiting someone's days (e.g., Exod 5:13, Lev 23:37). 52×
AR["أَيَّامِهِ", "بِـ-يَوْمِهِ", "بِيَوْمِهِ", "فِي-أَيَّامِهِ", "فِي-أَيّامِهِ", "فِي-يَوْمِهِ", "مِنْ-أَيَّامِهِ", "يَوْمِهِ"]·ben["-দিনে", "তাঁর-দিন", "তাঁর-দিনগুলি", "তাঁর-দিনগুলিতে", "তাঁর-দিনগুলো", "তাঁর-দিনগুলোতে", "তাঁর-দিনে", "তার-দিনগুলিতে", "তার-দিনগুলো", "তার-দিনে", "দিনে-তাঁর"]·DE["Tag", "auf-sein-Tag", "in-sein-Tag", "in-seine-Tage", "sein-Tage", "seine-Tage", "von-sein-Tage"]·EN["from-his-days", "his-day", "his-days", "in-his-day", "in-his-days", "in-its-day", "on-its-day"]·FR["dans-son-jour", "de-son-jours", "jour", "son-jour-lui", "son-jours", "sur-son-jour"]·heb["ב-יום-ו", "ב-יומו", "יום-ו", "יומו", "ימיו", "מ-ימיו"]·HI["अपने-दिन-को", "अपने-दिन-में", "उसके-दिन", "उसके-दिन-में", "उसके-दिनों", "उसके-दिनों-में", "कभी-उसे", "चकित-होंगे", "दिन-उसके-में", "दिन-का", "दिन-में-उसके", "दिनों-अपने", "दिनों-उसके", "ब-दिनों-उसके", "ब-योम-उसके"]·ID["-hari-harinya", "Pada-harinya", "dari-hari-harinya", "hari-harinya", "harinya", "pada-hari-harinya", "pada-harinya"]·IT["da-suo-giorni", "giorno", "giorno-suo", "in-suo-giorno", "su-suo-giorno", "suo-giorni"]·jav["Ing-dintenipun", "dinten-dintenipun", "dintenipun", "ing-dinten-dintenipun", "ing-dintenipun", "ngantos-sadinten", "saben-dinten-ipun", "saben-dintenipun", "wonten-dinten-ipun."]·KO["-에-그-날에", "그-날-에", "그-날에", "그의-날들", "그의-날들로부터", "그의-날들에", "그의-날들을", "그의-날을", "에-그-의-날", "에-그의-날", "에-날들-그의"]·PT["desde-seus-dias", "dia-dele", "em-dia-dele", "em-dia-seu", "em-seu-dia", "em-seu-dia,", "em-seus-dias", "seu-dia", "seus-dias", "¶ no-seu-dia"]·RU["В-день-его", "в-день-его", "в-дни-его", "во-дни-его", "день-его", "дни-его", "днём-его", "от-дней-его"]·ES["En-su-día", "desde-sus-días", "días-de-él", "días-sus", "en-día-de-él", "en-días-de-él", "en-su-día", "en-sus-días", "su-día", "sus-días"]·SW["akisema", "katika-siku-yake", "katika-siku-zake", "kwa-siku-yake", "siku-yake", "siku-zake", "yamayw", "za-maisha-yake", "za-siku-zake"]·TR["-de-gününde", "günleri", "günlerinde", "günlerinde-onun", "günlerinden", "günü", "gününde"]·urd["اُس-کے-دنوں", "اُس-کے-دنوں-میں", "اُسی-دن", "اپنے-دن", "اپنے-دن-میں", "دن-اُس-کے", "دن-اپنے-میں", "دنوں", "دنوں-میں", "دنوں-میں-اُس-کے", "میں-دن-اُس"]
Gen 10:25, Exod 5:13, Exod 5:19, Exod 16:4, Lev 23:37, Deut 22:19, Deut 22:29, Deut 24:15, 1 Sam 25:28, 1 Kgs 1:6, 1 Kgs 8:59, 1 Kgs 15:14 (+38 more)
3. like the day(s) of — The comparative-temporal expression 'like the day(s) of,' using the prefix ke- to draw an analogy between present experience and a remembered or anticipated time. Jacob's seven years seemed 'like a few days' because of his love for Rachel (Gen 29:20); Moses remained on Sinai 'like the first days' (Deut 10:10); the blessing 'as your days, so shall your strength be' (Deut 33:25). The simile structure is clear across languages: French 'comme-jour,' German 'wie-Tag,' Spanish 'como-día.' Only 14 occurrences, but each carries strong rhetorical or emotional force. 14×
AR["كَ-يَوْمٍ", "كَ-يَوْمِ", "كَأَيَّامٍ", "كَالْأَيَّامِ", "كَـ-يَوْمِ", "كَيَومِ", "كَيَوْمِ", "كَ‒الأَيَّامِ", "وَكَأَيّامِ", "وَكَـ-أَيَّامِكَ"]·ben["-দিনগুলোর-মতো", "এবং-তোমার-দিনের-মতো", "এবং-দিনগুলির-মতো", "দিনের-মতো", "দিনের-মতো-", "যেন-দিনে", "যেমন-দিনে", "সেই-দিনের-মতো"]·DE["und-wie-Tage-von", "und-wie-dein-Tage", "wie-Tag", "wie-Tage", "wie-auf-dem-Tag-", "wie-der-Tage", "wie-ein-Tag"]·EN["and-as-your-days", "and-like-days-of", "as-day-of", "as-days", "as-on-the-day-of", "as-the-day", "as-the-days", "like-a-day", "like-a-day-of-", "like-the-day", "like-the-days"]·FR["comme-jour", "comme-jours", "comme-le-jours", "et-comme-ton-jours", "et-jour", "wie-jours"]·heb["ו-כ-ימי", "ו-כ-ימיך", "כ-ה-יום", "כ-ה-ימים", "כ-יוֹם", "כ-יום", "כ-ימים"]·HI["और-जैसे-तेरे-दिन", "और-दिनों-की-तरह", "जैसे-दिन", "जैसे-दिन-", "जैसे-दिन-में", "जैसे-दिनों", "दिनों-की-तरह"]·ID["dan-seperti-hari-hari", "dan-seperti-harimu", "seperti hari-hari", "seperti-hari", "seperti-hari-hari", "seperti-pada-hari"]·IT["come-giorni", "come-giorno", "come-il-giorni", "e-come-giorno", "e-come-tuo-giorni"]·jav["Kados-dinten", "kados-dinten", "kados-dinten-dinten", "kados-ing-dinten", "lan-kados-dinten-dinten-panjenengan", "lan-kados-dinten-dintenipun"]·KO["~의-날처럼", "같은-날들", "과-같이-날", "그-날들과-같이", "그리고-같다-날들이", "그리고-같이-네-날들", "날-같이", "날-에-처럼", "날-처럼", "날들-같이", "대로-날들", "어제-날-같으니", "처럼-날"]·PT["como-dia-de", "como-dias", "como-no-dia-de", "como-os-dias", "e-como-dias-de", "e-como-teus-dias", "são-como-o-dia-de"]·RU["Как-дни", "и-как-дни", "и-как-дни-твои", "как-в-день", "как-в-дни", "как-день", "как-дни"]·ES["Como-los-días", "Y-como-días-de", "como-día", "como-día-de", "como-días", "como-en-día-de", "como-los-días", "y-como-tus-días"]·SW["kama-siku", "kama-siku-ya", "na-kama-siku-za", "na-kama-siku-zako"]·TR["dün-gibi", "gununde-gibi", "gün-gibi", "günler-gibi", "günler-gibi-", "günü-gibi", "ve-günleri-gibi", "ve-günlerin-gibi"]·urd["اور-جیسے-تیرے-دن", "اور-دنوں-کی-طرح", "جیسے-دن", "دنوں-کی-طرح", "کے-مطابق-دنوں"]
4. two days — The dual form yomayim (יוֹמָיִם) indicating exactly two days — a grammatical rather than semantic distinction, but one that Hebrew marks morphologically. It appears in regulations about a servant surviving 'a day or two days' (Exod 21:21), the people gathering manna for 'two days' (Num 11:19), and the cloud tarrying 'two days' (Num 9:22). The multilingual glosses uniformly render the numeral: French 'deux-jours,' German 'zwei-Tage,' Spanish 'dos-días.' Only 4 occurrences carry this specific form in the corpus. 4×
AR["يَومَينِ", "يَوْمَيْنِ"]·ben["দুই-দিন", "দুই-দিনের"]·DE["Tage-zwei", "von-zwei-Tage", "zwei-Tage"]·EN["days-two", "of-two-days", "two-days"]·FR["de-deux-jours", "deux-jours", "jours-deux"]·heb["יומיים", "יומים", "ימים"]·HI["दो-दिन", "दो-दिन-की"]·ID["dua hari", "dua-hari"]·IT["di-due-giorni", "due-giorni", "giorni-due"]·jav["kalih-dinten"]·KO["이틀", "이틀-분의"]·PT["de-dois-dias;", "dois-dias"]·RU["два", "два-дня", "двух-дней"]·ES["dos-días"]·SW["siku", "siku-mbili", "wa-siku-mbili"]·TR["iki-gün", "iki-günlük"]·urd["دو-دن", "دو-دن-کی"]
5. daylight, daytime — The daylight or daytime sense: the bright portion of the 24-hour cycle as opposed to night. Jacob declares 'by day the heat consumed me and the frost by night' (Gen 31:39), Nehemiah posts guards 'in the day' (Neh 4:22), and the psalm title of Psalm 88:1 invokes crying 'in the day.' This contrasts with sense 1 where 'day' is a calendar unit; here it is the luminous half of the daily cycle. Only 3 clear occurrences, but the adverbial form yomam (יוֹמָם, 'by day') extends this sense throughout the Hebrew Bible. 3×
AR["نَهارٍ", "وَ-النَّهَارَ", "يَوْمًا-"]·ben["এবং-দিনে", "দিনে", "দিনে-"]·DE["Tag", "am-Tag", "und-der-Tag"]·EN["and-the-day", "day"]·FR["et-der-jour", "jour"]·heb["ו-ה-יום", "יום"]·HI["और-दिन-को", "दिन-की", "दिन-में"]·ID["dan-siang", "pada-siang", "siang"]·IT["e-il-giorno", "giorno"]·jav["ing-siyang", "ing-wanci-siyang", "lan-rina"]·KO["그리고-그-낮-에는", "날-에", "낮의"]·PT["de-dia", "dia", "e-o-dia"]·RU["днём", "днём-", "и-днём"]·ES["día", "día-", "y-el-día"]·SW["mchana", "na-mchana"]·TR["gün", "gündüz", "ve-gündüz"]·urd["اور-دن-کے", "دن"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H5704 1. until, unto, as far as (1238×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8141 1. year, unit of time (880×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
יוֹמָם51 subst. and adv. daytime, by day (cf. Aramaic יְמָמָא, ܐܻܝܡܳܡܳܐ day (as opp. to night); 𝔗 יֵמָם by day; perhaps Ph. ימם (in dates, before num.), CISI. i. 10. 1(see note); so NöZDMG 1886, 721: on ם—ָ, v. sub חִנָּם)— 1. subst. daytime (rare) Je 15:9 בעוד יומם while it is yet daytime, 33:20b לְבִלְתִּי הֱיוֹת יומם ולילה daytime and night, v 25 בְּרִיתִי י׳ ולילה (? read יוֹם as v 20a); Ez…