Lexical Summary
machar: Tomorrow, in time to come, in the future
Original Word:מָחָר
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:machar
Pronunciation:mah-khar'
Phonetic Spelling:(maw-khar')
KJV: time to come, tomorrow
NASB:tomorrow, time to come, later
Word Origin:[probably fromH309 (אָחַר - delay)]
1. (properly) deferred, i.e. the morrow
2. usually (adverbially) tomorrow
3. indefinitely, hereafter
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
time to come, tomorrow
Probably from'achar; properly, deferred, i.e. The morrow; usually (adverbially) tomorrow; indefinitely, hereafter -- time to come, tomorrow.
see HEBREW'achar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitiontomorrow, in time to come
NASB Translationlater (1), later* (1), time to come (6), tomorrow (44).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
52 , used often as
, (Aramaic
; probably properlytime in front, Köii. 263, compare √, and Assyrianma—ru,front, often of time, though always offormer time, of old, DlHWB 402); —
to-morrow (the day following thepresent day),
substantiveExodus 16:23to-morrow is a sabbath, etc.,1 Samuel 20:5to-morrow is the new moon,1 Samuel 20:18; inGenesis 30:33;Proverbs 27:1;Isaiah 56:12; in the idiomatic phrase at the like of the time, (being)to-morrow, = about to-morrow (see )Exodus 9:18;1 Samuel 9:16;1 Samuel 20:12;1 Kings 19:2;1 Kings 20:6;2 Kings 7:1,18;2 Kings 10:6; and inExodus 8:19 , =for, against, to-morrow,Exodus 8:6;Numbers 11:18;Joshua 7:13;Esther 5:12.
adverb accusativeExodus 8:25;Exodus 9:5 ,Exodus 10:4 ,Exodus 17:9;Exodus 32:5;Numbers 14:25;1 Samuel 11:9 etc.,Joshua 11:6 ; opposed toExodus 19:10 ,Joshua 22:18;2 Samuel 11:12a; rhetorically,Isaiah 22:13 .
=in future time,Exodus 13:14 =Deuteronomy 6:20;Joshua 4:6,21;Joshua 22:24,27,28; soGenesis 30:33.
Topical Lexicon
Temporal Marker of Anticipation and Immediate Planningמָחָר regularly functions as the simple adverb “tomorrow,” yet its placement in narrative often heightens suspense and underscores the sequence of divine acts. InGenesis 19:34 the daughters of Lot scheme, “On the next day we will drink wine again”, advancing the sinful plan that leads to Moab and Ammon. Conversely,Exodus 8:23 records Moses telling Pharaoh, “Be it as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the LORD our God. The frogs will depart from you … tomorrow.” Yahweh’s control of “tomorrow” exposes Egypt’s impotence, a theme repeated in the plagues (Exodus 9:5-6; 10:4).
When Joshua commands the tribes, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you” (Joshua 3:5), מָחָר signals imminent covenant fulfillment. Israel crosses Jordan not in human strength but in response to a divine timetable.
Covenantal and Legal Settings
In statutory material the word anchors obligations in real time. “The flesh that remains until the third day you shall burn with fire; but if it is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted” (Leviticus 19:6-7). Here the day after sacrifice (מָחָר) distinguishes obedience from defilement. LikewiseNumbers 11:18 uses a two-day span—“Tomorrow you will eat meat”—to expose Israel’s craving. The time marker reminds hearers that commandments are practicable and specific, guarding against vague spirituality.
Deuteronomy warns of the subtlety of delayed disobedience: “Beware, lest after you have eaten and are satisfied you say, ‘What shall we eat tomorrow?’” (paraphrasingDeuteronomy 6:11-12). The text never undermines prudent planning, but it condemns the presumption that tomorrow can be secured apart from covenant loyalty.
Prophetic Horizon and Eschatological Echoes
Prophets wield מָחָר both to comfort and to unsettle. In1 Samuel 19:11 Michal urges David, “If you do not escape tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” Here the adverb frames Saul’s murderous intent but also prepares for Yahweh’s preservation of His anointed. By contrast,2 Kings 6:28-29 recounts cannibalism during the siege of Samaria: “Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we will eat my son.” The grotesque exchange stresses covenant curses realized when the nation rejects the Lord (cf.Deuteronomy 28:53-57).
Jeremiah 20:4 employs the term in divine judgment: “Thus says the LORD, ‘I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; they will fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes will see it. I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon.’” Though מָחָר is not explicitly translated “tomorrow” in English here, the underlying idea of an impending day of reckoning saturates Jeremiah’s rhetoric, showing that God’s “tomorrow” can be salvation or doom.
Instruction, Testing, and Faith
Wisdom literature seldom uses מָחָר, yet the principle appears whenProverbs 27:1 admonishes, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” The lexeme elsewhere lays the groundwork for that wisdom: narratives repeatedly depict characters whose plans collapse because tomorrow belongs to the Lord. Gideon relays Yahweh’s test with fleece “tomorrow” (Judges 6:37-40), and Elijah promises rain “tomorrow” after confronting Ahab’s prophets (1 Kings 18:16-46, contextually). Faith waits for God’s revealed tomorrow without arrogance.
Corporate Worship and Liturgical Rhythm
Chronicles highlights temple order: “And each day the Levites were to stand in the morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at evening” (1 Chronicles 23:30). While מָחָר itself appears in parallel passages (e.g.,2 Chronicles 29:20), the concept supports a pattern—daily sacrifices anticipate the greater “tomorrow” of ultimate atonement.Ezra 8:23-32 shows post-exilic Israel fasting “until the next day” before departing, seeking God’s protection for the journey home.
Military and Strategic Usage
Battle scenes exploit מָחָר either to threaten or to reassure. In1 Samuel 11:9 Saul galvanizes Jabesh-Gilead: “Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be rescued.” Yahweh’s deliverance is time-stamped; hope is not abstract. Conversely, Sennacherib’s envoy inIsaiah 36:12 implies immediate siege, thoughIsaiah 37:30 counters with a sign: “This will be the sign for you … This year you will eat what grows on its own, and in the second year what springs from that, but in the third year sow and reap.” The “tomorrow” of Assyrian boast is nullified by Yahweh’s longer horizon.
Christological and Pastoral Implications
Jesus alludes to מָחָר theology when He instructs, “Do not worry about tomorrow” (Matthew 6:34). The Old Testament pattern shows that tomorrow is God’s arena—He rescues (Exodus 14:30-31), disciplines (Numbers 16:41-50), and fulfills promises (Joshua 5:11-12). For believers, every tomorrow finds its “Yes” in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). The resurrection, heralded at dawn “on the first day of the week,” is the ultimate divine tomorrow, assuring that final redemption is as certain as the morning light.
Pastoral ministry can therefore mine מָחָר to nurture trust amid uncertainty. Whether exhorting to readiness for the Lord’s return or encouraging perseverance in daily obedience, the preacher proclaims that God alone defines tomorrow.
Key Sample References
Genesis 19:34;Exodus 8:23;Exodus 9:5-6;Exodus 13:14;Exodus 16:23;Exodus 17:9;Joshua 3:5;Judges 6:37-40;1 Samuel 11:9;1 Samuel 19:11;1 Kings 19:2;2 Kings 6:28-29;2 Chronicles 29:20;Isaiah 56:12;Jeremiah 20:4;Jonah 4:11 (conceptual “tomorrow” in God’s compassion).
Theological Summary
מָחָר binds the unfolding of history to the sovereignty of God. It confronts human presumption, reinforces covenant responsibility, and stirs eschatological hope. Every usage—whether in law, narrative, or prophecy—invites readers to submit their unknown tomorrows to the God who holds the future and who, in Jesus Christ, has secured an eternal day without night.
Forms and Transliterations
וּמָחָ֑ר וּמָחָ֕ר וּמָחָ֣ר וּמָחָ֥ר ומחר לְמָחָ֑ר לְמָחָ֛ר לְמָחָ֥ר לְמָחָר֮ למחר מָחָ֑ר מָחָ֔ר מָחָ֖ר מָחָ֗ר מָחָ֛ר מָחָ֞ר מָחָ֡ר מָחָ֣ר מָחָֽר׃ מָחָר֙ מחר מחר׃ lə·mā·ḥār lemaChar ləmāḥār mā·ḥār maChar māḥār ū·mā·ḥār umaChar ūmāḥār
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