We can determine how yom should be interpreted in Genesis 1:5–2:2 by comparing that context to the word’s usage elsewhere in Scripture. So, what does yom mean in Genesis 1:5–2:2 when used in conjunction with ordinal numbers (i.e., the first day, the second day, the third day, the fourth day, the fifth day, the sixth day, and the seventh day)? Are these 24-hour periods or something else? Could yom as it is used here mean an unspecified period of time? And it is used to refer to an unspecified period of time in Genesis 2:4. It is used to refer to the period of daylight between dawn and dusk in Genesis 1:16. It is used to refer to a 24-hour period in Genesis 7:11. And it can refer to an unspecified period of time (e.g., “back in my grandfather’s day. It can refer to the period of daylight between dawn and dusk (e.g., “it gets pretty hot during the day but it cools down a bit at night”). It can refer to the 24-hour period of time that it takes for the earth to rotate on its axis (e.g., “there are 24 hours in a day”). The Hebrew word yom translated into the English “day” can mean more than one thing. In our opinion, examination of the Hebrew word for “day” and the context in which it appears in Genesis will lead to the conclusion that “day” means a literal, 24-hour period of time.
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