Hebrew word · H3119

יוֹמָם

yomam

by day

'By day and (by) night'. A pair of opposites naming a whole ('day and night' = all the time), like 'heaven and earth' for everything.

Appears 50 times in 49 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

adv

1) by day, in the daytime

subst

2) daytime

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Psalm 1:2

Range of meaning

'By day and (by) night'. A pair of opposites naming a whole ('day and night' = all the time), like 'heaven and earth' for everything.

Against the English

English keeps the phrase, so little is lost, but readers sometimes take it as a demand for literally unbroken study.

Used elsewhere in the period

Josh 1:8 (same phrase with hagah); Deut 6:7 (talk of them 'when you lie down and when you rise'); Ps 119:97 ('it is my musing all the day'); Ps 63:6 (musing in the night watches).

From the study of Psalm 121:6

Range of meaning

"By day … by night." This is a standard Hebrew pairing of opposites that together mean "all the time, without a break" (compare yōmām wālaylāh, "day and night," in Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:2).

Against the English

English versions keep the pair well. What can be missed is that "day … night" works as one idea, round-the-clock protection, and is not two separate promises.

Used elsewhere in the period

The same pair runs through Hebrew poetry and narrative: Genesis 31:40, Exodus 13:21–22 (pillar of cloud by day, fire by night), Psalm 91:5–6 (night terror and arrow by day, pestilence in darkness and destruction at noon).

From the study of Jeremiah 33:25

Range of meaning

'By day and by night': an idiom for something that never stops (Josh 1:8; Ps 1:2; Isa 60:11). In creation texts it also means the actual alternation of light and darkness set up in Genesis 1:3–5 and guaranteed in Genesis 8:22.

Against the English

BSB and ESV 'with the day and the night', KJV 'with day and night', YLT 'daily and nightly', WEB 'of day and night'. In this verse the Hebrew supplies no 'with'. The phrase sits directly after 'my covenant' and can be read either as 'my covenant [with] day and night' or 'my covenant [that holds] day and night'.

Used elsewhere in the period

Genesis 8:22 (day and night shall not cease). Jeremiah 33:20 spells it out: 'my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night do not come at their time'. The Talmud later took the same phrase as the continual study of Torah 'day and night' (Josh 1:8), reading this verse as 'were it not for my covenant [kept] day and night, I would not have set the statutes of heaven and earth' (b. Pesahim 68b; b. Nedarim 32a, applied to circumcision).

Where it appears

Exodus · 4
  1. Exodus 13:21 יוֹמָ֜ם יוֹמָ֥ם by day

    And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night.

    Here: An adverb marking the daytime half of the pattern; it pairs with 'night' later in the verse.

  2. Exodus 13:22 יוֹמָ֔ם by day

    Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place before the people.

  3. Exodus 40:38 יוֹמָ֔ם by day

    For the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel through all their journeys.

Leviticus · 1
  1. Leviticus 8:35 יוֹמָ֤ם by day

    You must remain at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days and keep the LORD’s charge so that you will not die, for this is what I have been commanded.”

    Here: Paired with 'and night,' it means without a break, around the clock.

Numbers · 3
  1. Numbers 9:21 יוֹמָ֣ם by day

    Sometimes the cloud remained only from evening until morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they would set out. Whether it was by day or by night, when the cloud was taken up, they would set out.

  2. Numbers 10:34 יוֹמָ֑ם by day

    And the cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from the camp.

  3. Numbers 14:14 יוֹמָ֔ם by day

    And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have already heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, that You, O LORD, have been seen face to face, that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

    Here: In the daytime.

Deuteronomy · 2
  1. Deuteronomy 1:33 יוֹמָֽם׃ by day

    who went before you on the journey, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day, to seek out a place for you to camp and to show you the road to travel.

    Here: An adverb that closes the verse. Placing "cloud by day" last, after the night clause, frames the whole description between fire and cloud.

  2. Deuteronomy 28:66 וְיוֹמָ֔ם and by day

    So your life will hang in doubt before you, and you will be afraid night and day, never certain of survival.

Joshua · 1
  1. Joshua 1:8 יוֹמָ֣ם by day

    This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.

    Here: 'By day.' Paired with 'night,' it means continually: across the whole of life, not a fixed devotional slot.

Judges · 1
  1. Judges 6:27 יוֹמָ֖ם by day

    So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city, he did it by night rather than in the daytime.

1 Samuel · 1
  1. 1 Samuel 25:16 יוֹמָ֑ם by day

    They were a wall around us, both day and night, the whole time we were herding our sheep near them.

2 Samuel · 1
  1. 2 Samuel 21:10 יוֹמָ֔ם by day

    And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest until the rain from heaven poured down on the bodies, she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.

1 Kings · 1
  1. 1 Kings 8:59 יוֹמָ֣ם by day

    And may these words with which I have made my petition before the LORD be near to the LORD our God day and night, so that He may uphold the cause of His servant and of His people Israel as each day requires,

1 Chronicles · 1
  1. 1 Chronicles 9:33 יוֹמָ֥ם by day

    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.

2 Chronicles · 1
  1. 2 Chronicles 6:20 יוֹמָ֣ם by day

    May Your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your Name, so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place.

    Here: 'By day'. Paired with 'night', it means without a break.

Nehemiah · 3
  1. Nehemiah 1:6 יוֹמָ֣ם by day

    let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned.

    Here: 'By day'. Together with the next word it means continual, around-the-clock prayer.

  2. Nehemiah 4:9 יוֹמָ֥ם by day

    So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.

  3. Nehemiah 9:12 יוֹמָ֑ם by day

    You led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they should travel.

    Here: An adverb, 'in the daytime'. Paired with 'night' it means the guidance never stopped.

Job · 2
  1. Job 5:14 יוֹמָ֥ם by day

    They encounter darkness by day and grope at noon as in the night.

  2. Job 24:16 יוֹמָ֥ם by day

    In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves in, never to experience the light.

Psalms · 10
  1. Psalm 1:2 יוֹמָ֥ם by day

    But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.

    Here: 'By day': the first half of a two-part expression meaning 'at all times'.

  2. Psalm 13:2 יוֹמָ֑ם by day

    How long must I wrestle in my soul, with sorrow in my heart each day? How long will my enemy dominate me?

    Here: 'By day' or 'all day long': the grief does not lift during waking hours. Some readers hear an unspoken contrast with night, when the planning goes on.

  3. Psalm 22:2 י֭וֹמָם by day

    I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest.

    Here: An adverb meaning 'by day.' Paired with 'night' later in the verse, it means all the time, around the clock.

  4. Psalm 32:4 יוֹמָ֣ם by day

    For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was drained as in the summer heat. Selah

    Here: An adverb meaning 'during the day'. It is the first half of a pair that covers all the hours there are.

  5. Psalm 42:3 יוֹמָ֣ם by day

    My tears have been my food both day and night, while men ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”

    Here: 'By day'. Paired with the next word it means 'around the clock', with no break.

  6. Psalm 42:8 יוֹמָ֤ם׀ by day

    The LORD decrees His loving devotion by day, and at night His song is with me as a prayer to the God of my life.

    Here: An adverb built on yom, 'day'. It comes first for emphasis and pairs with 'in the night' to cover all the time. It answers v. 3, where the psalmist's tears were his food 'day and night'.

  7. Psalm 55:10 יוֹמָ֤ם by day

    Day and night they encircle the walls, while malice and trouble lie within.

    Here: An adverb built from the word for 'day', meaning 'in the daytime'. Paired with 'night', it says the activity never stops.

  8. Psalm 78:14 יוֹמָ֑ם by day

    He led them with a cloud by day and with a light of fire all night.

    Here: An adverb made from "day": "in the daytime." It is paired with "all the night" in the second half, so between them the two cover every hour.

  9. Psalm 91:5 יוֹמָֽם׃ by day

    You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

    Here: An adverb meaning 'by day,' the other half of the pair with 'night.' Together they say danger at any hour, which verse 6 repeats with 'darkness' and 'noon.'

  10. Psalm 121:6 יוֹמָ֗ם by day

    The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

    Here: An adverb made from yôm ("day"), meaning "during the daylight hours." Put first for emphasis, it sets up the day/night pair that runs through the verse: all through the day.

Isaiah · 6
  1. Isaiah 4:5 יוֹמָם֙ by day

    Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud of smoke by day and a glowing flame of fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a canopy,

    Here: 'By day'. It pairs with 'by night' later in the verse, repeating the Exodus pattern of cloud by day and fire by night (Exod 13:21–22).

  2. Isaiah 4:6 יוֹמָ֖ם by day

    a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and the rain.

  3. Isaiah 21:8 יוֹמָ֔ם by day

    Then the lookout shouted: “Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; night after night I stay at my post.

  4. Isaiah 34:10 וְיוֹמָם֙ and by day

    It will not be quenched—day or night. Its smoke will ascend forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever again pass through it.

    Here: An adverb, 'in the daytime'. 'Night and by day' together mean 'all the time', the same phrase used for things that never stop (compare Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2).

  5. Isaiah 60:11 יוֹמָ֥ם by day

    Your gates will always stand open; they will never be shut, day or night, so that the wealth of the nations may be brought into you, with their kings being led in procession.

    Here: In the daytime. It begins the pair 'day and night', which means around the clock.

  6. Isaiah 60:19 יוֹמָ֔ם by day

    No longer will the sun be your light by day, nor the brightness of the moon shine on your night; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your splendor.

    Here: 'By day.' It names the sphere the sun rules, and it sets up a matching 'by night' for the moon, which some ancient copies spell out.

Jeremiah · 7
  1. Jeremiah 9:1 יוֹמָ֣ם by day

    Oh, that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night over the slain daughter of my people.

    Here: 'By day.' Paired with the next word, it means without stopping.

  2. Jeremiah 14:17 וְיוֹמָ֖ם and by day

    You are to speak this word to them: ‘My eyes overflow with tears; day and night they do not cease, for the virgin daughter of my people has been shattered by a crushing blow, a severely grievous wound.

    Here: "And by day." With "night" it means all the time, with no break in the weeping.

  3. Jeremiah 15:9 יוֹמָ֖ם by day

    The mother of seven will grow faint; she will breathe her last breath. Her sun will set while it is still day; she will be disgraced and humiliated. And the rest I will put to the sword in the presence of their enemies,” declares the LORD.

  4. Jeremiah 16:13 יוֹמָ֣ם by day

    So I will cast you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known. There you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.’

    Here: An adverb, 'by day'.

  5. Jeremiah 31:35 יוֹמָ֔ם by day

    Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day, who sets in order the moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of Hosts is His name:

    Here: An adverb, 'in the daytime.' It sets up the day/night pair that runs through the verse, which matches the 'covenant with day and night' in Jeremiah 33:20, 25.

  6. Jeremiah 33:20 יֽוֹמָם־ daytime

    “This is what the LORD says: If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that day and night cease to occupy their appointed time,

    Here: Usually an adverb ('by day'). Here, paired with night, it works almost as a noun: 'daytime'. The pair is a fixed phrase for the unbroken round of time.

  7. Jeremiah 33:25 יוֹמָ֣ם daytime

    This is what the LORD says: If I have not established My covenant with the day and the night and the fixed order of heaven and earth,

    Here: Strictly an adverb, 'by day'. With 'night' it forms the fixed pair 'day and night', meaning the endless back-and-forth of daylight and darkness (Gen 8:22). YLT's 'daily and nightly' keeps the adverb form.

Lamentations · 1
  1. Lamentations 2:18 יוֹמָ֣ם by day

    The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord. O wall of the Daughter of Zion, let your tears run down like a river day and night. Give yourself no relief, and your eyes no rest.

    Here: Together with 'and night' it means without a break, around the clock.

Ezekiel · 4
  1. Ezekiel 12:3 יוֹמָ֖ם by day

    Therefore, son of man, pack your bags for exile. In broad daylight, set out from your place and go to another as they watch. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house.

    Here: In daylight, when everyone can see. It contrasts with the evening and dark scenes of vv. 4–7.

  2. Ezekiel 12:4 יוֹמָ֖ם by day

    Bring out your baggage for exile by day, as they watch. Then in the evening, as they watch, go out like those who go into exile.

  3. Ezekiel 12:7 יוֹמָ֔ם by day

    So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my bags for exile by day, and in the evening I dug through the wall by hand. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulder as they watched.

  4. Ezekiel 30:16 יוֹמָֽם׃ daytime

    I will set fire to Egypt, Pelusium will writhe in anguish, Thebes will be split open, and Memphis will face daily distress.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.