The measure of a “Yom” (יום‎)

A Multidisciplinary Contextualized Analysis of Select Passages From Genesis V2.0

[This is an excerpt from an exhaustive personal study of most of the first 9 chapters of the book of Genesis. This is a vastly expanded effort from the original version that can currently be found here downloadable for free. The purpose of this exercise is to compare a non-symbolic literal reading of the text to our current understanding of language, paleontology, and the physical sciences. Constructive discussion on the merits of this study is encouraged!]

The Genesis creation story is often referred to as “the six days of creation”. The Hebrew word for ”day” which appears in Genesis 1-2 sixteen times is “Yom” (יום‎). Although typically considered the term for a calendar day or the period in daylight, it can be used loosely to refer to any finite period of time. A “Yom” could be billions of years or the time it takes to tie your shoes. It is the word used for a 24-hour period, but also for referring to an era or epoch. And even if describing multiple “Yamim” (“Yom” in plural) in sequence, those “Yamim” do not need to be of equal length. Each “Yom” in a series could be a different period of time. In fact, nothing precludes one “Yom” from containing several “Yamim” within it!

Although this is evident in the Hebrew language today, the examples to which I refer are contained in the book of Genesis itself. Chapter 1 has a plurality of sequential “Yamim” (ימים), but the subscript in verse 2:4a states “...in the [Yom] that Yahweh God made the earth and the heavens.” So the seven “Yamim” of creation from the first chapter are contained within the one “Yom” in this verse, reinforcing the flexible application of the term.

Other such flexible uses of “Yom” (יום‎) can be found throughout the Hebrew scripture, including Genesis 2:17, 35:3, Exodus 32:34, Numbers 3:1, 30:6, Joshua 14:11, Isaiah 7:17, and Jeremiah 32:31 to name just a few. In these cases, “Yom” is referring to either a specific moment or an indefinite period. In none of those examples is “Yom” one calendar day.

I am not suggesting latitude to arbitrarily interpret this specific term as is convenient. To the contrary, it is important to try and recognize the true intentions of the author. But short of possessing direct evidence to corroborate purported witness accounts, meanings need to be inferred by what information we have on hand. And if new information is incompatible with an existing interpretation, I am reminded of Richard Feynman’s comment:

“It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong.”

It is my assertion that the nesting of the seven “Yamim” of creation (1-2:3) within the single “Yom” found in the subscript of 2:4a is a compelling indication (among other reasons discussed elsewhere) that the indefinite period meaning of the term is being employed at this point.

Henceforth, I will be using the term “Era” as opposed to the more generic translation “Day” in all cases where “Yom” (יום‎) is mentioned in the Genesis creation story. It is my assertion that “Era” (or “Age” if you prefer) best expresses the meaning of “Yom” in the context of Genesis 1-2.