Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and General Overview:Night, in the biblical context, refers to the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise. It is often used both literally and metaphorically throughout Scripture. Night is a time of rest and renewal, but it also symbolizes spiritual darkness, danger, and the absence of God's presence.
Creation and Order:The concept of night is introduced in the creation narrative. In
Genesis 1:5 , God establishes the cycle of day and night: "God called the light 'day,' and the darkness He called 'night.' And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day." This passage underscores the divine order and rhythm established by God, marking night as an integral part of creation.
Symbolism and Metaphor:Night often symbolizes spiritual darkness and ignorance. In
John 11:10 , Jesus states, "But if anyone walks at night, he will stumble, because he has no light." Here, night represents a lack of spiritual insight and guidance. Similarly, in
Romans 13:12 , Paul exhorts believers, "The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." This metaphorical use of night contrasts the sinful nature of humanity with the righteousness found in Christ.
Divine Encounters and Revelations:Despite its association with darkness, night is also a time when God reveals Himself and communicates with His people. In
Genesis 28:11-12 , Jacob dreams of a ladder reaching to heaven during the night, receiving God's promises. Similarly, in
1 Kings 3:5 , God appears to Solomon in a dream at night, offering him wisdom. These instances highlight night as a time of divine encounter and revelation.
Protection and Deliverance:Night is also depicted as a time when God provides protection and deliverance. In
Exodus 12:29-30 , the Lord strikes down the firstborn of Egypt at midnight, leading to the Israelites' deliverance from bondage.
Psalm 91:5 reassures believers, "You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day," emphasizing God's protection over His people during the night.
Prayer and Vigilance:Night is a time for prayer and spiritual vigilance. Jesus often withdrew to pray at night, as seen in
Luke 6:12 : "In those days, Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God." This practice underscores the importance of seeking God during quiet and undistracted times. Additionally, in
Matthew 25:6 , the parable of the ten virgins warns believers to remain vigilant, as the bridegroom arrives at midnight.
Judgment and Accountability:Night can also signify impending judgment and the need for accountability. In
1 Thessalonians 5:2 , Paul warns, "For you are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." This imagery serves as a reminder of the suddenness and unpredictability of God's judgment, urging believers to live in readiness and righteousness.
Eschatological Hope:Finally, night is contrasted with the hope of eternal day in the eschatological vision.
Revelation 22:5 promises, "There will be no more night in the city, and they will have no need for the light of a lamp or of the sun, for the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever." This vision of the New Jerusalem signifies the ultimate triumph of God's light over darkness, offering believers the hope of eternal fellowship with Him.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Night[DAY]
ATS Bible Dictionary
NightThe ancient Hebrews began their artificial day at evening, and ended it the next evening, so that the night proceeded the day. This usage may probably be traced to the terms employed in describing the creation,Genesis 1:5,8,13, etc., "The evening and the morning were the first day." The Hebrews allowed twelve to the day; but these hours were not equal, except at the equinox. At other times, when the hours of the night were long, those of the day were short, as in winter; and when the hours of night were short, as at midsummer, the hours of the day were long in proportion. SeeHOURS.
The nights are sometimes extremely cold in Syria, when the days are very hot; and travelers in the deserts and among the mountains near Palestine refer to their own sufferings from these opposite extremes, in illustration of Jacob's words inGenesis 31:40, "In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes."
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) That part of the natural day when the sun is beneath the horizon, or the time from sunset to sunrise; esp., the time between dusk and dawn, when there is no light of the sun, but only moonlight, starlight, or artificial light.
2. (n.) Darkness; obscurity; concealment.
3. (n.) Intellectual and moral darkness; ignorance.
4. (n.) A state of affliction; adversity; as, a dreary night of sorrow.
5. (n.) The period after the close of life; death.
6. (n.) A lifeless or unenlivened period, as when nature seems to sleep.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
DAY AND NIGHT"Day," yom; ordinarily, the Hebrew "day" lasted from dawn to the coming forth of the starts (Nehemiah 4:21). The context usually makes it clear whether the term "day" refers to the period of twenty-four hours or to daytime; when there was a possibility of confusion, the term laylah, "night," was added (Genesis 7:4, 12;Genesis 31:39). The "day" is reckoned from evening to evening, in accordance with the order noted in the account of Creation, namely, "And there was evening and there was morning, one day" (Genesis 1:5);Leviticus 23:32 andDaniel 8:14 reflect the same mode of reckoning the day. The phrase `erebh boker, "evening-morning," used in this last passage, is simply a variation of yom and laylah, "day" and "night"; it is the equivalent of the Greek nuchthemeron (2 Corinthians 11:25). That the custom of reckoning the day as beginning in the evening and lasting until the following evening was probably of late origin is shown by the phrase "tarry all night" (Judges 19:6-9); the context shows that the day is regarded as beginning in the morning; in the evening the day "declined," and until the new day (morning) arrived it was necessary to "tarry all night" (compare alsoNumbers 11:32).
The transition of day to night begins before sunset and lasts till after sunset; the change of night to day begins before sunrise and continues until after sunrise. In both cases, neither `erebh, "evening," nor boqer, "morning," indicate an exact space of time (compareGenesis 8:11Exodus 10:13Deuteronomy 16:6).
The term nesheph, is used for both evening twilight and morning dawn (compare1 Samuel 30:172 Kings 7:5, 7;Job 7:4). Since there were no definite measurements of the time of day, the various periods were indicated by the natural changes of the day; thus "midday" was the time of the day when the sun mounted its highest (cohorayim); afternoon was that part of the day when the sun declined (neToth ha-yom); and evening was the time of the going down of the sun (`erebh). "Between the evenings" (ben ha-`arbayim) was the interval between sunset and darkness. The day was not divided into hours until a late period. [sha`ah = Aramaic] (Daniel 3:6), is common in Syriac and in later Hebrew; it denoted, originally, any short space of time, and only later came to be equivalent to our "hour" (Driver). The threefold division of the day into watches continued into post-exilic Roman times; but the Roman method of four divisions was also known (Mark 13:35), where all four divisions are referred to: "at even" (opse), "midnight" (mesonuktion), "at cock crowing" (alektorophonia), "in the morning" (proi). These last extended from six to six o'clock (of alsoMatthew 14:25Mark 13:35).Acts 12:4 speaks of four parties of four Roman soldiers (quaternions), each of whom had to keep guard during one watch of the night. In Berakhoth 3b, Rabbi Nathan (2nd century) knows of only three night-watches; but the patriarch, Rabbi Judah, knows four. See alsoDAY.
Horace J. Wolf
NIGHT
nit.
SeeDAY AND NIGHT for the natural usage and the various terms.
1. In the Old Testament:
Figurative uses: The word "night" (laylah or layil is sometimes used figuratively in the Old Testament. Thus, Moses compares the brevity of time, the lapse of a thousand years, to "a watch in the night" (Psalm 90:4). Adversity is depicted by it in such places asJob 35:10; compareIsaiah 8:20Jeremiah 15:9. Disappointment and despair are apparently depicted by it in the "burden of Dumah" (Isaiah 21:11, 12); and spiritual blindness, coming upon the false prophets (Micah 3:6); again sudden and overwhelming confusion (Amos 5:8Isaiah 59:10 the King James Version, nesheph, "twilight" as in the Revised Version (British and American)).
2. In the New Testament:
On the lips of Jesus (John 9:4) it signifies the end of opportunity to labor; repeated in that touching little allegory spoken to His disciples when He was called to the grave of Lazarus (John 11:9, 10). Paul also uses the figure in reference to the Parousia (Romans 13:12), where "night" seems to refer to the present aeon and "day" to the aeon to come. He also uses it in1 Thessalonians 5:5, 7 where the status of the redeemed is depicted by "day," that of the unregenerate by "night," again, as the context shows, in reference to the Parousia. InRevelation 21:25 and 22:5, the passing of the "night" indicates the realization of that to which the Parousia looked forward, the establishment of the kingdom of God forever. See also Delitzsch, Iris, 35.
Henry E. Dosker
NIGHT HAWK
nit'-hok (tachmac, "tachmas"; glaux, but sometimes strouthos, and seirenos; Latin camprimulgus): The Hebrew tachmac means "to tear and scratch the face," so that it is very difficult to select the bird intended by its use. Any member of the eagle, vulture, owl or hawk families driven to desperation would "tear and scratch" with the claws and bite in self-defence. The bird is mentioned only in the lists of abominations (seeLeviticus 11:16Deuteronomy 14:15). There are three good reasons why the night-hawk or night-jar, more properly, was intended. The lists were sweeping and included almost every common bird unfit for food. Because of its peculiar characteristics it had been made the object of fable and superstition. It fed on wing at night and constantly uttered weird cries. Lastly, it was a fierce fighter when disturbed in brooding or raising its young. Its habit was to lie on its back and fight with beak and claw with such ferocity that it seemed very possible that it would "tear and scratch the face." Some commentators insist that the bird intended was an owl, but for the above reasons the night-jar seems most probable; also several members of the owl family were clearly indicated in the list.
SeeHAWK.
Gene Stratton-Porter
Greek
3571. nux --night, bynight...night, by
night. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: nux Phonetic Spelling:
(noox) Short Definition: the
night,
night-time Definition: the
night...1273. dianuktereuo -- to pass thenight
... to pass thenight. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: dianuktereuo Phonetic Spelling:
(dee-an-ook-ter-yoo'-o) Short Definition: I spend the wholenight...
3574. nuchthemeron -- lasting anight and a day
... lasting anight and a day. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: nuchthemeron
Phonetic Spelling: (nookh-thay'-mer-on) Short Definition: twenty-four...
1773. ennuchos -- nightly, neut. as adv. bynight
... as adv. bynight. Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration: ennuchos Phonetic Spelling:
(en'-noo-khon) Short Definition: in thenight Definition: in thenight....
835. aulizomai -- to lodge in the open, to lodge
... open, to lodge. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: aulizomai Phonetic Spelling:
(ow-lid'-zom-ahee) Short Definition: I lodge, pass thenight Definition: I...
63. agrauleo -- to live in the fields
... to live in the fields. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: agrauleo Phonetic Spelling:
(ag-row-leh'-o) Short Definition: I spend thenight in the open...
5438. phulake -- a guarding, guard, watch
... Definition a guarding, guard, watch NASB Word Usage guard (1), imprisonment (1),
imprisonments (2), prison (34), prisons (3), time of thenight (1), watch (4)....
4594. semeron -- today
... stem meaning this) Definition today NASB Word Usage lastnight (1), this (1), this
day (6), this very (2), today (29), today's (1), very (1). this day....
1798. enupnion -- a dream
... The Christian therefore should , open to communing with God all through
thenight to receive strength and illumination from Him....
219. alektorophonia -- the crowing of a rooster
... cockcrowing. From alektor and phone; cock-crow, ie The thirdnight-watch -- cockcrowing.
see GREEK alektor. see GREEK phone. (alektorophonias) -- 1 Occurrence....
Strong's Hebrew
3885. luwn -- to lodge, pass thenight, abide... 3884b, 3885. luwn. 3885a . to lodge, pass the
night, abide. Transliteration:
luwn Phonetic Spelling: (loon) Short Definition: lodge.
...3885a. lun -- to lodge, pass thenight, abide
lun or lin. 3885, 3885a. lun or lin. 3885b . to lodge, pass thenight, abide.
Transliteration: lun or lin Short Definition: lodge. Word Origin a prim....
3915. layil --night
... 3914, 3915. layil or lel or layelah. 3916 .night. Transliteration: layil or
lel or layelah Phonetic Spelling: (lah'-yil) Short Definition:night....
3916. lela --night
... 3915, 3916. lela. 3917 .night. Transliteration: lela Phonetic Spelling:
(lay-leh-yaw') Short Definition:night. Word Origin (Aramaic...
956. buth -- pass thenight
... 955, 956. buth. 957 . pass thenight. Transliteration: buth Phonetic Spelling:
(booth) Short Definition:night. Word Origin see bith. pass thenight...
1006b. bith -- to pass thenight
... 1006a, 1006b. bith. 1007 . to pass thenight. Transliteration: bith
Short Definition:night. Word Origin (Aramaic) denominative...
3917a. lilith -- a femalenight-demon
... 3917, 3917a. lilith. 3917b . a femalenight-demon. Transliteration:
lilith Short Definition: monster. Word Origin from the same...
2919. tal --night mist, dew
... 2918, 2919. tal. 2920 .night mist, dew. Transliteration: tal Phonetic
Spelling: (tal) Short Definition: dew. Word Origin from an...
3917. liyliyth -- a femalenight-demon
... a femalenight-demon. Transliteration: liyliyth Phonetic Spelling: (lee-leeth')
Short Definition: owl. screech owl From layil; anight spectre -- screech owl....
570. emesh -- yesterday
... Word Origin of uncertain derivation Definition yesterday NASB Word Usage lastnight
(3),night (1), yesterday (1). former time, yesterdaynight....
Library
The Terror byNight
... THE TERROR BYNIGHT. In some... numerous. In one of these communities there
once lived a boy who was in the village late onenight. He...
The Long Good-Night.
... THE LONG GOOD-NIGHT. THE LONG GOOD-NIGHT. 7,6,7,6,7,6,7,4.... All His redeemed again,.
His kingdom to inherit. Good-night, till then! Go to thy quiet resting,....
Young'sNight Thoughts
Young'sNight Thoughts. <. Young'sNight Thoughts Edward Young. Table of Contents.
Title Page. ON THE LIFE AND POETIC GENIUS OF EDWARD YOUNG....
A Song in theNight
... HYMNS A SONG IN THENIGHT. "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard,
very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus.""John 12:3....
TheNight Watch
... TheNight Watch. Heinrich Suso Psalm 130:6. Oh when shall the fair day break,
and the hour of gladness come,. When I to my heart's...
TheNight
... The Treasury of Sacred Song. Book First CXXV THENIGHT. Through that pure virgin
shrine,... Wise Nicodemus saw such light. As made him know his GOD bynight....
Night
... The Treasury of Sacred Song. Book First CCXVIIINIGHT. All praise to Him
who dwells in bliss, Who made both day andnight; Whose...
TheNight Bird: a Myth
... THENIGHT BIRD: A MYTH. A floating, a floating Across the sleeping sea,
Allnight I heard a singing bird Upon the topmost tree. 'Oh...
Night
... CHAPTER XXXIVNIGHT.... Is it that I must be separated from my beloved and wedded
to the man I hate, that I have prayed to thee day andnight?...
Watch-Night Service
... Watch-Night Service. (No.59) Held at New Park Street Chapel, Southwark. On
TuesdayNight, December 31, 1855, by the. REV. CH SPURGEON....
Thesaurus
Night's (13 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Night's (13 Occurrences).
... And they said, Not so,
but we will take our
night's rest in the street. (BBE).
...Night-lodge (1 Occurrence)
Night-lodge.Night-hawk,Night-lodge. Nightly . Multi-Version
ConcordanceNight-lodge (1 Occurrence). Isaiah 1:8 And...
Night-bird (1 Occurrence)
Night-bird.Night,Night-bird. Nightfall . Multi-Version Concordance
Night-bird (1 Occurrence). Psalms 102:6 I am like...
Night-time (1 Occurrence)
Night-time. Nighttime,Night-time.Night-vision . Multi-Version
ConcordanceNight-time (1 Occurrence). Psalms 63:6 When...
Night-monster
Night-monster. Nightmonster,Night-monster. Nights . Int. Standard
Bible EncyclopediaNIGHT-MONSTER. nit'-mon-ster (lilith...
To-night (15 Occurrences)
To-night. Tonight, To-night. Tonsures . Multi-Version Concordance
To-night (15 Occurrences). Acts 23:23 Then, calling...
Night (3322 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) Intellectual and moral darkness; ignorance. 4. (n.) A state of affliction;
adversity; as, a drearynight of sorrow.... DAY ANDNIGHT....
Night-watches (4 Occurrences)
Night-watches.Night-watch,Night-watches. Nile . Multi-Version
ConcordanceNight-watches (4 Occurrences). Luke 2:8...
Night-hawk (2 Occurrences)
Night-hawk. Nighthawk,Night-hawk.Night-lodge . Easton's Bible Dictionary... This
was supposed to be thenight-jar (Caprimulgus), allied to the swifts....
Yesterday-night (1 Occurrence)
Yesterday-night. Yesterday, Yesterday-night. Yesternight .
Multi-Version Concordance Yesterday-night (1 Occurrence)....
Resources
Why do some churches have a Sunday night/evening service? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is a “dark night of the soul”? | GotQuestions.orgWhy do some churches have a Wednesday night service? | GotQuestions.orgNight: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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