THE BIBLICAL "DAY":

Morning or Evening: When Does the Biblical Day start?

There has been significant debate over when the biblical day begins. Certain biblical texts seem to indicate that the day begins in the morning and others that it begins in the evening. Does the Sabbath begin on Friday night and go until sunset Saturday, or does it start at sunrise Saturday until sunrise Sunday? The controversy therefore has important implications for the modern reader, for the question arises: When does the Biblical Day begin and end?

Jewish tradition believes that the day began in the evening, starting their religious holidays after sunset. However, in recent years, many biblical scholars favor a different view: the day begins in the morning at sunrise.

The purpose of this study is to examine and analyze the biblical texts, without any specific pre-conceived ideas, to see if how the biblical texts define a biblical day. It will be presented in two parts : (Part I : the « day » in Genesis 1) & (Part II : the « day » in the rest of Scripture).

Because of time constraints, the question of, whether or not, a biblical « day » is a rigid twenty-four-hour period, which always begins and ends at the same time rather than a 12 stretchable solar hours followed by 12 of night hours, is not explored here.

THE “BIBLICAL DAY” ACCORDING TO GENESIS 1

Genesis 1 is the first foundational source for scholars and seekers go to, in order to define a biblical day.

Genesis 1:1-5 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 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. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light DAY, and the darkness he called NIGHT. And the EVENING and the MORNING were the first day”

Evening Theory proponents interpret this passage as a summarized definition of a biblical day: first there was evening (darkness) and then there was morning (light), making one day. Through this perspective, the first day is defined as starting in the evening, or after sundown.

Proponents for this theory also argue that God had to create the darkness first, and then He created the light, darkness being part of God’s creative work. (Isa 45:7 « I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these ») They also insist on the logical necessity to have an evening preceding the creation of light, on the first day of Creation.

Another argument for this theory comes from the assumption that biblical men, before the invention of electricity, must have needed to finish their work on the sixth day before dark, and thus starting the Sabbath at sunset the day before.

Conceptually, the evening-morning pattern, which demonstrates that the world was covered first in darkness and chaos, could also echo the Salvation process, which starts in sin and darkness, to then emerge into the light of salvation. Darkness represents “tohu” and “bohu”, confusion and disorder, being associated by extension to misery, destruction, death, sorrow, wickedness etc. Light, on the other hand, represents everything that is good (vs. 4). Each subsequent day would then be a reenactment of that sequence of events that moves from darkness (chaos) to light (order).

The Evening Theory can be summarized in the following diagram:

• Pre-creation : Darkness and Chaos

• Day One : Darkness/Night « And there was an evening » + Light/Daylight « And there was a morning »

• Day Two : Darkness/Night « And there was evening » + Light/Daylight « And there was morning »

• Etc.

In recent years, however, the Evening assumption has been called into question. Many scholars testing this tradition with textual analysis, were led to different conclusions, leaning toward the “morning theory.”

Proponents of the Morning Theory disagree with the statement that Creation in Genesis started with Darkness, since the 6-day pattern textually begins with the creation of Light : « And God said, Let there be light (…) and it was good » - Gen 1:3-4. The first words that initiated Creation, brought forth Light, and not Darkness.

If there can be a logical necessity to have Darkness preceding Light, it is argued that the « darkness and chaos », mentioned in Gen 1:2, seem to have been part of a prior creation, maybe along with angels. The stated Darkness appears to be a descriptive mention of something that was already there, present prior to the creative work of day 1.

In Isa 45:7, the order of words, respectively 1. day and 2. night, confirms the perspective that light might have preceeded darkness in the Creation account, as in the sentence « I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these ».

Therefore, Light (not Darkness) is marking the beginning of the first day in Genesis 1.

In the same template, Light (1) and Darkness (2), the creation of the sun and moon on the 4th day would have marked the beginning of a new day with every successive sunrise.

Furthermore, the biblical word « Evening » could hardly be synonymous to complete Darkness, as it is currently interpreted by the Evening theory proponents. Indeed, the word "Evening" is associated to duties such as « evening sacrifices » (Ex 29 :38-39 ; 1 Kings 18 :36-46) and drawing water from the well (Gen 24 :11). Before the invention of electricity, biblical men must have, performed these duties before darkness. The word "evening" must have therefore referred to a time when there was still natural light in order to see (possibly at sundown rather than in the night's darkness). Therefore, Morning theory advocates refute that the day could start with darkness, for the use of the word "evening" is itself associated to a form of light in order to see.

The morning theory can be summarized in the following diagram:

• Pre-creation : Darkness and Chaos

• Day One : Daylight (light is created) + And there was an evening + And there was a morning (sunrise)

• Day Two : Daylight (sunrise) + And there was an evening + And there was a morning (sunrise)

• Etc.

Morning theory defenders, on their end, argue that the word order ‘Morning and Evening’ is much more frequent in the biblical texts, than the order ‘Evening and Morning’ (if one chooses to use the argument of word order to determine the beginning of a day):

"on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening" (1 Chronicles 16:40)

"to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise in the evening" (1 Chronicles 23:30)

"The ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening" (1 Kings 17:6)

"for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, and on the new months, and on the set feasts of the LORD our God." (2 Chronicles 2:4)

"they burn to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt offerings" (2 Chronicles 13:11)

"for the morning and evening burnt offerings" (2 Chronicles 31:3)

"On the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meal offering" (2 Kings 16:15)

"the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening” (Ex. 18:13).

"the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days” (1 Sam. 17:16)

In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening don't withhold your hand (Ecclesiastes 11:6)

Etc.

• “Oreb” and "Beqer" : their meanings?

The usages of the words « Oreb » and « Beqer » in Gen 1 are commonly translated as « evening and morning ». Yet, Oreb ("Evening") is defined as the close of day, marked by sunset, & Beqer ("Morning") occurs at the time of the sunrise. These words can simply mean sunset and sunrise in many contexts, interchangably translated as « evening and morning » or « sunset and sunrise ». In any case, Evening/Sunset (or when the light stops) is associated with darkness and Morning/Sunrise (when the light begins) is associated with light.

The Evening Theory defenders read in “evening and morning” of Genesis 1:5 as this :

'The sunset announces the beginning of the day (and there was evening), followed by the period allotted to darkness. When the night-time came to an end, there was the light holding sway (morning), followed by an unmentionned yet assumed vacant time of day-time until the next sunset, thus completing the first calendar day.'

Morning Theory proponents will read in the same “evening and morning” expression completely differently :

'When day-time had passed, the period allotted to darkness returned (and there was evening), and when the night-time came to an end, dawn announced the end of the day and soon the beginning of the other one (and there was morning). This completed the first calendar day (one day).'

At last, the evening theory will see logic in the idea to have chaos first and then a creation second, in the day, in order to progress. Whereas, the morning theory will see logic in the idea to have the creation start with light first and then a come to an end with darkness, in a day, in order to progress.

The biblical data from Genesis 1 can therefore be interpreted in different ways & seems to remain inconclusive, inviting us to look at the rest of Scripture to define when the Biblical day begins…

THE PASSOVER MEAL

Exodus 12:6-10

And you shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. (…)That night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. (…) And you shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remains of it until the morning you shall burn with fire”.

The fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover. The Israelites were told to kill the lamb in the “evening”. They were further instructed to eat the flesh in « that night », and leave none « until morning ».

Evening Theory proponents see this verse as a law given to the Israelites to show that all the days begins at sunset, following the model of Passover. Under the Evening interpretation, the Passover had to begin on the "erev" of the 14th, that is in the evening of the prior day (the 13th); the paschal lamb had to be slaughtered at sundown on the 14th; and the Israelites had to eat of the meat "that night", after the evening had ushered in the 15th day.

For Morning Theory advocates, the Passover give specific instructions that show that the day starts in the morning. Under this point of view, in this passage, the Passover began at sunrise the morning of the 14th (for Passover is never linked to the13th day). The paschal lamb had to be slaughtered, at sunset, on the 14th, and the Israelites had to eat of the meat "that night", after sundown, which continued to be the 14th.

They see the prohibition "you shall not leave any of it until morning" as a clear indication that it is referring to the next day, thus explaining the necessity to explain the cut-off point for eating the sacrifice (beqer H1242 being translated as "morning" but also sometimes "morrow")." 5And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will shew who [are] his, and [who is] holy" Number 16:5.

Futhermore, they say, if the temple day began at sunrise and ended with sunset, it would be an unreasonable to assume that the Israelites' day did not begin at sunrise as well.

FEAST OF UNLEAVENED

Exodus 12:18

In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month.

Leviticus 23:5-6

On the fourteenth day of the first month in the evening is the LORD'S passover.

And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days you must eat unleavened bread.

Evening Theory proponents see in Exodus 12:18 and Leviticus 23:5-6 justification of an evening-to-evening pattern, the Feast of Unleavened Bread being specifically described as being from the evening of the fourteenth until the twenty-first.

Morning-theory proponents understand these same verses differently : the feast of Unleavened (like the feast of Yom Kippur) has special stipulations, making the evening-evening cycle an exception, rather than the rule. The restriction of eating unleavened bread must begin on the evening of the feast day, and last 7 days. They see in the repeated mention of this instruction the evidence that it is an unusual arrangement.

Furthermore, in both passages, the word « evening » is clearly associated to the 14th day, not the beginning of the 15th day: « On the fourteenth day (…) in the evening». The following day (the 15th) is described as a different date than the preceding evening (the 14th's): « On the fourteenth day of the first month in the evening is the LORD'S passover; on the fifteenth day (...) is the feast ».

The twilight on that evening is therefore clearly counted as the 14th's, not the 15th's. If the day started in the evening, Passover would have been said to be observed at the beginning of the 15th's day, in the evening, that is after sundown.

Evening theorists, when faced with this apparent contradiction, resort to adapting their interpretation in different ways. Most will adapt their understanding of « evening » as being before sundown, contradicting their own interpretation of Gen 1, and day pattern which associate « evening » to darkness. Some Evening Theory defenders also propose that because the Israelites had just come out of Egypt, they were still calculating their days according to the sunrise, as the Egyptians did. Others say that by switching between the fourteenth and fifteenth, the Torah is somehow intending to demonstrate that the evening really belongs to the following morning.

As Evening theorists see in the Passover Feast as a strong evening-to-evening pattern, whereas Morning theory defenders see a strong justification in these verses that the beginning of day is at sunrise, the fourteen (morning and evening) and the fifteenth (morning and evening) being two different days, with a special mention to start eating without leaven on the evening the day before.

DAY OF ATONEMENT

Leviticus 23:27-32

The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. (...)It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and you shall humble yourselves: in the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening unto evening, shall you celebrate your sabbath.

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Both of the feast of Atonement and of Unleavened Bread clearly begin in the evening and thus seem to be a strong support for the evening theory. Although, it must be noted that vs. 27 of Leviticus 23, speaks of the Day of Atonement beginning on the 10th of the month, whereas v. 32 says it begins on the 9th of the month.

Some Evening Theory Proponents propose that, because other Atonement-day passages tell us it begins on the tenth (e.g., Exod 30:10; Lev 16:29), Lev 23 may reflect a difference in “the ordinary day notion” and “the correct day division”, whatever this is supposed to mean. Other have tried to disconnect the word "sabbath" of Lev 23:32 from the Atonement-day sabbath, interpreting "from evening unto evening, shall you celebrate your sabbath" as the weekly Sabbath. However, most justifiably disagree with this reasoning as Lev 23:27-32 is referring to the sabbath of Atonement-day.

Morning Theory proponents find that the prescriptions for the start of the Passover and the Day of Atonement are exceptions, rather than rule as to when the day begins. The day of Atonement occurs on the tenth day of the seventh month, with a special requirement to deny self, starting on the evening of the ninth. Some propose that the reason that the Day of Atonement begins in the evening was for practical reasons and to limit the fast to twenty-four hours.

RESURRECTION

Mark 16:1-2

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, the sun rising, they went to the tomb.

Matt. 28:1

“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn (G2020) toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher”.

For the Evening Theory proponents, these verses state that the two women came to the sepulcher several hours after the Sabbath had ended (the Sabbath closing at sunset), after the night had passed, and as Sunday had progressed into "dawn" (Sunday having started after sundown the day before).

Morning Theory defenders however, will read in the same verse that the two women came to the sepulcher at the end of the Sabbath (the Sabbath ending at dawn), as the sun began to dawn towards the first day of the week. Sunrise is therefore understood here as the transition point & junction of the end of the Sabbath and the beginning of Sunday.

So which of the two translations is the most accurate ? Both sides will agree that the word “dawn" (G2020) is translated from the Greek word “epiphoskouse” and could be translated as “begin to grow light", "dawn”.

In Matt. 28:1, the Greek « Opse de sabbaton » is often translated as either “end of the Sabbath” or “after the Sabbath”. More specifically, « Opse » literally means « late ». Therefore, « Opse de sabbaton » could be rendered as « late (in the night) of the Sabbath » or by extension « in the end of the Sabbath ». Neither version seem to affect when the « first day of the week » starts.

The nuance is then to be determined in the expression « to dawn toward the day » versus « when the day was dawning ». The first communicates the idea that the dawn introduces the 24 hour-cycle, called "day"; the second implies that the "day" had already started when dawn arrived.

The Greek preposition eis, properly translated as 'into' (unto), literally means, "motion into which" implying penetration ("unto," "union") to a particular purpose or result. It does not correspond to the adverb 'when' or any similar time marker.

Therefore, a word-for-word translation would be: "τῇ tē (the) ἐπιφωσκούσῃ epiphōskousē '(dawning) εἰς eis (into) μίαν mian (one of the) σαββάτων sabbaton (sabbaths)"; or « Late (in the night) of the Sabbath, as it was dawning into the first day of the sabbaths" (that is Sunday).

Therefore,Matt 28:1 seems to suggest that the calendar day (the first of the week) begins at dawn, well corroborated by Mark 16:2: « very early on the first day of the week, the sun rising, they went to the tomb. »

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Luke 23:53-54

This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. (…) And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on (G2020).”

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The word « drew on » is again the Greek word “epiphoskouse” G2020 which, as seen above, means “ to begin to grow light, to dawn”. It is also often rendered as « was about to begin » in adapted translations.

For Evening Sabbath keepers, Luke 23:54 should be read as “the Sabbath drew on" and ignore the greek word “epiphoskouse” and its meaning. For those that acknowledge the original greek text, the same passage is interpretated as "the Sabbath lightened up…”, which would not mean that the morning began, but that candle lights were kindled for the evening… For others, the phrase « beginning to dawn » may refer to the rising of the star Venus in the night sky, not of the sun at dawn. Others yet think that Luke wished to adopt an ‘elegant’ word from a second source. These arguments come across as hardly justifiable, particularly since the word "epiphoskouse" is strongly associated with the sun dawning and sunrise.

For the Morning Sabbath keepers, this is another solid evidence that the day did not begin at sunset when it began to grow dark, but on the contrary when it “began to grow light (G2020)” at the time of sunrise. Joseph’s work of preparation was about done, as the Sabbath drew on, at sunrise.

OTHER PASSAGES

Luke 4:40

"When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them."

Leviticus 22:6-7

The person who touches such a thing shall be unclean until the evening and shall not eat of the holy things unless he has bathed his body in water. When the sun goes down he shall be clean, and afterward he may eat of the holy things, because they are his food.

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These passages, along with others, are often cited as proof that the day began and ended with evening. If a person becomes ritually unclean, they must bathe in water and then be unclean until evening. If the day begins in the morning, why is the person unclean until evening?

Morning Theory proponents believe that the uncleanliness lasted only half a day, from sunrise to sunset.

On practical grounds, whether the day starts in the evening or the morning, by remaining unclean only until evening, it would prevent the person from defiling their bed, permit him to have sexual relations or, as in the case of Lev 22, allow him to eat of the holy sacrifice before the morning time. However, these arguments cannot be substantiated.

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Nehemiah 13:19

As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day.

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Evening Theory Proponents suggest that the Israelites were shutting the gates because the Sabbath was coming, clearly indicating that the Sabbath began at sundown.

However, others suggest that the city gates were being shut every night for protection, whether it was the Sabbath or not. According the Morning defenders, this passage only indicates that the city gates were shut, the evening preceding the Sabbath which would start several hours later, at dawn. It is also possible that the Israelites were shutting the gates earlier than normal, explaining for the fact that such a routine, as shutting the gate, should be mentioned so emphatically.

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1 Samuel 19:11

Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, “If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.”

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Evening theorists suggest that « tomorrow » means the next period of daylight, not necessarily "tomorrow" in the sense of the next date on the calendar.

For Morning Theorists, this verse shows that the night and the daytime were two different days.

Genesis 19:33-34

So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose. The next day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also. Then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.”

In this story, the daughters of Lot plan to lie with their father in order to produce heirs for him. The Evening Theory argues that the whole of v. 34 ("The next day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father") possibly occurs, not the next morning, but the next evening, which would legitimately be "the next day". Although this could be a possibility, the argument is week, the time reckoning confusing, and the justification is quickly undermined by the other time markers of the passage.

On the other end, this text is used by Morning theory proponents to show that the first night was clearly a separate day from the following morning and night. These two verses prove, they say, that "that night" was of a different day than "the next day", not of the same day. Also the time marker "tonight also" stands in opposition with "last night", indicating that these events had to occur on different days. The expression "last night" is reckoned with the previous day and therefore cannot be part of the new day which would have begun in the evening.

CONCLUSION :

Because biblical data can often be interpreted in different ways, we insist on keeping an open and tolerant mind on this topic. Keeping the Sabbath out of love and devotion for the Creator is what matters the most, whether it is observed from evening to evening, or morning to morning.

Forced to choose an interpretation, when exegesis contradict traditions, many remain unwilling to take a firm stand.

However, being confronted with passages that unequivocally indicates that the "biblical day" begins in the morning, while the other verses are being interpreted with more consistency and logic, we are compelled to endorse the morning theory over Jewish traditions.

Let us also consider that, for good health, our daily activities should follow the natural cycle of sunlight, and therefore the evening darkness should naturally invite all creatures to stop their activities on a daily basis, if possible. This approach brings us back at stopping activities after sundown, while yet officially observing the peaceful rest of the Sabbath starting at dawn.