Day (Hastings' Dictionary)

In Hebrew the word 'day' is fn-i|iiiiitly ased in phrases such as ' day of distress,' 'of evil,' 'of calamity,' ' of ileath ' (cf. ' day of salvation,' Is 40"), ■which for the most part exjilain themselves. It is also iLsed more widely of time in general, esp. when some event is described vividly as that of a single day, e.g. Dt 16', .Jg 18''\ Mai '.i- (-'''3 with infin. or perf., but not "'P'.f ='''?, which refers to .some particular day, 2 S lO'' (-oiieb.), Est 0').

With a personal genitive we find the singular used to express ( 1 ) the birthday, or festal dav, .lob .'', IIos "^ ; and (2) the time of calamity or'death, Jer 50^', Ezk 2r-'', 1 S 20", Ps ;i7'\ Job 18-". The plural 'days,' according to a very com- mon usage, denotes the lifetime, reign, or period of activity of any one, Gn 20', .Jg 5", 1 K 10'-', Is 1^ etc. Hence the repeated '^''-",1 ''i!?'' of K and Ch = Annals. With a local proper name the 'd.

ay' implies some notable battle, a signal judg- ment or tli.saster, e.ij. Is 9' the day of the defeat of Midian ; Ps l.'i7" the day of the fall of Jerus. ; Ezk ;iU' the day of Egj'pt ; IIos H' the day of Jezreel. With the i)ropliets 'In that day' is a common formula in describing what is to come at some future period of blessing or retribution. Is 2", Jer -J'', Am 2'" etc. etc. Cf. also the phrases ' Lo, days are coming' (esp. in Jer and Am), and 'in the Latter end of the days' {-'T,"^ ^"^'^.

V}), i.e. at the end of the period to which the prophet's vision extends, e./j. Gn 4'J' (the time of the settlement in Caanan), I)t 4" (Israel's repentance in exile), IIos ;J^ Mic 4' (the Messianic i)eriod). \Liny of these ex|)re.ssion» hiive passed into the language of NT, e.g. ' in the days of Herod,' Mt 2', 1X\'>; 'inthese(t'hose)ilays,' Lkl3i'2i, Ac.}-' ; 'in the last days,' 2 Ti :5', Ja o^ ; .

also ' my day,' the day when Christ appeared among men, Jn 8*' ; ' the day of salvation,' the time during' which salvation is offered to mankind, 2 Co 0- ; 'the evil day' of trial and temptation, I'-jdi ti" ; ' in that il.ay,' e.g. when Christ reveals Himself more fully to His di.sciples, Jn 14-" 10-3- ■-'. In particular, the hast flay of the piv.

sent dispensation, when Christ shall return to earth for the final judgment, is described in various phrases : 'the day,' He 10-" ; 'that day," Mt 7, , 2 Th 1"; ' the last day,' Jn &" 1 !-< ; ' the dav of judument,' Mt ll-^, 1 Jn 4'"; 'the dav of Chri.st,' Ph 1'°; ' the day of the Lord,' 2 Th 2-, cf. Lk 17^', Ro 2"^, 2 Co 1", Uev 0'" etc. ; ' the day of (Jod,' 2 P 31=. I'rob. it is with allusion to the ' day of the Lord ' or ' the day of jtulgment ' that St.

Paul uses the phrase ' of man's day ' {utrb dvffpuirivijs riiifpas) to denote mere human judgment (1 Co 4^). The contrast between day and night gives rise to certain metaphorical expressions. Thus ' day ' is the period of life during which there is oppor- tunity for working (Jn ',H, cf. H'-). Christians are said to belong to the day, since they should abstain from evil deeds, which are usually done under the cover of darkness, 1 Th 6=-, cf. Ho 13'^.

On the other hand, this life, with its ignorance, trials, and <iifficulties, is contrasted with the future day of fuller knowledge (2 P 1'*) and of completed salva- tion (Ro 13''^). See also Tl.MK; for the Creative ' Day ' see Cos.MOGONY ; and for Day of the Lord see ESCH.\TOLOGT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. II. A. White.