Encyclopedia entry
Day
The Jews reckoned the day from sunset to sunset (Lev. 23:32). It was originally divided into three parts (Ps. 55:17). “The heat of the day” (1 Sam. 11:11; Neh. 7:3) was at our nine o’clock, and “the cool of the day” just before sunset (Gen. 3:8). Before the Captivity the Jews divided the night into three watches, (1) from sunset to midnight (Lam. 2:19); (2) from midnight till the cock-crowing (Judg. 7:19); and (3) from the cock-crowing till sunrise (Ex. 14:24). In the New Testament the division of the Greeks and Romans into four watches was adopted (Mark 13:35). (See WATCHES.)
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The division of the day by hours is first mentioned in Dan. 3:6, 15; 4:19; 5:5. This mode of reckoning was borrowed from the Chaldeans. The reckoning of twelve hours was from sunrise to sunset, and accordingly the hours were of variable length (John 11:9).
The word “day” sometimes signifies an indefinite time (Gen. 2:4; Isa. 22:5; Heb. 3:8, etc.). In Job 3:1 it denotes a birthday, and in Isa. 2:12, Acts 17:31, and 2 Tim. 1:18, the great day of final judgment.
Also from Smith's (1884) +−
The variable length of the natural day at different seasons led in the very earliest times to the adoption of the civil day (or one revolution of the sun) as a standard of time. The Hebrews reckoned the day from evening to evening, (Leviticus 23:32) deriving it from (Genesis 1:5) “the evening and the morning were the first day.” The Jews are supposed, like the modern Arabs, to have adopted from an early period minute specifications of the parts of the natural day. Roughly, indeed, they were content to divide it into “morning, evening and noonday,” (Psalms 55:17) but when they wished for greater accuracy they pointed to six unequal parts, each of which was again subdivided. These are held to have been—
“the dawn.” “Sunrise.” “Heat of the day,” about 9 o’clock. “The two noons,” (Genesis 43:16; 28:29) “The cool (lit. wind) of the day,” before sunset, (Genesis 3:8)—so called by the Persians to this day. “Evening.” Before the captivity the Jews divided the night into three watches, (Psalms 63:6; 90:4) viz. the first watch, lasting till midnight, (Lamentations 2:19) the “middle watch,” lasting till cockcrow, (Judges 7:19) and the “morning watch,” lasting till sunrise. (Exodus 14:24) In the New Testament we have allusions to four watches, a division borrowed from the Greeks and Romans. These were— From twilight till 9 o/clock, (Mark 11:11; John 20:19) Midnight, from 9 till 12 o’clock, (Mark 13:35) 3 Macc 5:23. Till daybreak. (John 18:28) The word held to mean “hour” is first found in (Daniel 3:6,15; 5:5) Perhaps the Jews, like the Greeks, learned from the Babylonians the division of the day into twelve parts. In our Lord’s time the division was common. (John 11:9)
In the Bible
1677
Verses where Day is named. Berean Standard Bible (public domain).
- 1 Chronicles 4:41
These who were noted by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. They attacked the Hamites in their dwellings as well as the Meunites who were there, devoting them to destruction even to this day. Then they settled in their place, because there was pasture for their flocks.
- 1 Chronicles 4:43
and struck down the remnant of the Amalekites who had escaped. And they have lived there to this day.
- 1 Chronicles 5:26
So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria) to take the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. And he brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan, where they remain to this day.
- 1 Chronicles 9:25
Their relatives came from their villages at fixed times to serve with them for seven-day periods.
- 1 Chronicles 9:33
Those who were musicians, the heads of Levite families, stayed in the temple chambers and were exempt from other duties because they were on duty day and night.
- 1 Chronicles 10:8
The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
+1671 more verses naming Day.
Scripture on Day
699
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- Numbers 29Deuteronomy 4Zechariah 14Exodus 12Judges 202 Samuel 191 Kings 8Numbers 28Deuteronomy 11Esther 9Lamentations 2Zephaniah 1Leviticus 7Numbers 9Deuteronomy 28Deuteronomy 29Deuteronomy 30Joshua 10Joshua 22Judges 19Nehemiah 8Nehemiah 9Job 3Isaiah 22Jeremiah 17Haggai 2Acts 20Exodus 13Leviticus 13Deuteronomy 5Deuteronomy 271 Samuel 91 Samuel 201 Samuel 26Isaiah 19Isaiah 27Isaiah 58Jeremiah 52Ezekiel 45Obadiah 1Zechariah 12Luke 17Luke 24Acts 27Genesis 2Genesis 8Genesis 31Exodus 19Exodus 32Leviticus 14Numbers 30Deuteronomy 1Deuteronomy 9Deuteronomy 31Joshua 6Joshua 14Judges 91 Samuel 181 Samuel 222 Samuel 32 Samuel 181 Kings 122 Kings 25Nehemiah 13Esther 3Esther 8Isaiah 2Isaiah 7Isaiah 10Jeremiah 44Ezekiel 20Ezekiel 24Ezekiel 30Hosea 2Matthew 12Matthew 24Mark 14Luke 9Luke 13John 6John 11Acts 2Acts 10Acts 21Hebrews 32 Peter 3Genesis 3Genesis 19Exodus 5Exodus 14Exodus 40Numbers 10Deuteronomy 2Deuteronomy 8Deuteronomy 10Deuteronomy 26Joshua 5Judges 14Ruth 41 Samuel 121 Samuel 211 Samuel 241 Samuel 252 Samuel 61 Kings 22 Kings 42 Chronicles 82 Chronicles 35Ezra 10Nehemiah 4Psalms 56Psalms 71Isaiah 4Isaiah 17Jeremiah 20Lamentations 3Ezekiel 7Ezekiel 38Ezekiel 39Ezekiel 43Ezekiel 46Joel 2Amos 8Matthew 20Matthew 26Matthew 27Mark 6Luke 1Luke 19Luke 22Luke 23John 1John 5Acts 13Acts 17Acts 261 Thessalonians 52 Timothy 1Genesis 25Genesis 30Genesis 32Genesis 42Exodus 2Exodus 10Exodus 20Exodus 31Leviticus 22Numbers 6Deuteronomy 16Deuteronomy 32Joshua 4Joshua 8Joshua 9Joshua 23Judges 1Judges 6Judges 18Judges 211 Samuel 41 Samuel 61 Samuel 71 Samuel 101 Samuel 111 Samuel 171 Samuel 271 Samuel 291 Samuel 302 Samuel 22 Samuel 42 Samuel 131 Kings 11 Kings 222 Kings 22 Kings 62 Kings 82 Kings 172 Kings 201 Chronicles 292 Chronicles 62 Chronicles 182 Chronicles 21Ezra 6Nehemiah 5Nehemiah 12Esther 1Esther 5Job 1Psalms 42Psalms 44Psalms 55Psalms 78Psalms 119Proverbs 7Proverbs 27Isaiah 11Isaiah 13Isaiah 28Isaiah 30Isaiah 38Jeremiah 11Jeremiah 25Jeremiah 31Jeremiah 36Jeremiah 39Jeremiah 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50Psalms 52Psalms 59Psalms 61Psalms 63Psalms 72Psalms 73Psalms 77Psalms 81Psalms 84Psalms 89Psalms 90Psalms 91Psalms 96Psalms 118Psalms 121Psalms 136Psalms 137Psalms 138Psalms 139Psalms 145Psalms 146Proverbs 4Proverbs 6Proverbs 8Proverbs 11Proverbs 16Proverbs 22Proverbs 23Proverbs 24Proverbs 25Ecclesiastes 12Song of Solomon 2Song of Solomon 3Song of Solomon 4Song of Solomon 8Isaiah 5Isaiah 20Isaiah 21Isaiah 23Isaiah 24Isaiah 25Isaiah 26Isaiah 29Isaiah 31Isaiah 39Isaiah 43Isaiah 47Isaiah 48Isaiah 49Isaiah 51Isaiah 56Isaiah 59Isaiah 61Isaiah 62Isaiah 63Isaiah 66Jeremiah 3Jeremiah 4Jeremiah 6Jeremiah 9Jeremiah 12Jeremiah 14Jeremiah 15Jeremiah 18Jeremiah 27Jeremiah 34Jeremiah 35Jeremiah 38Jeremiah 40Jeremiah 41Jeremiah 47Jeremiah 48Jeremiah 51Ezekiel 2Ezekiel 8Ezekiel 13Ezekiel 27Ezekiel 34Ezekiel 36Ezekiel 40Ezekiel 44Ezekiel 48Hosea 4Hosea 5Hosea 6Hosea 7Hosea 9Hosea 12Joel 1Amos 1Amos 2Amos 3Amos 6Amos 9Jonah 4Micah 2Micah 3Micah 5Nahum 1Nahum 2Nahum 3Habakkuk 3Zechariah 1Zechariah 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Entries that reference Day
10
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Day references
15
Voices on Day
24
Surfaced by name match — accuracy varies by title clarity.
Sources · Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884)
Public-domain text. Modernized only where archaic spelling impedes reading; original facts preserved. Verify against an authoritative modern reference before quoting.