BiblicalInsights.net

An excellent article written by Justin Rogers appeared in Reason and Revelation in September, 2015 (98-100).  The article was titled, “Does the Hebrew Word Yom Endorse an Old Earth?  Highlights from that article will be presented in this article.
First, the controversy over whether or not the days of creation are 24-hour periods or great eons of time is the result of a compromise that is made between individuals who believe that God created, but that He used evolution in the process.  Evolutionists postulate that the universe is 13.7 billion years old and that the earth is 4 to 5 billion years old.  Individuals who desire to accommodate the theory of evolution interpret the days of Genesis 1 as being epochs of time or if they believe the days to be 24-hour periods they argue that there are eons of time in-between the days.  Consider the remarks of Dr. Nobie Stone, “Third, there is nothing in the grammar throughout the rest of Genesis Chapter One that requires these to be consecutive days.  A period of time placed between the first day and the second day is consistent with the language.  These may be “days of creation,” separated by a period of time” (Genesis 1 and Lessons From Space, p. 68). This statement represents a modified form of the Day-Age Theory.  Dr. Stone’s remark that there is “nothing in the grammar…that requires these to be consecutive days”, will be shown to be false.
Second, the Hebrew word yom, can be used in a non-literal sense in the Hebrew Bible.  Justin Rogers gives several examples: Gen. 39:11 where in the KJV the word day is translated by the generic word “time.”  The plural form is found in Gen. 26:18 where reference is made to the “days of Abraham.”  The passage is not referring to 24-hour periods in this context.  It refers to the “time of Abraham.”  Rogers states, “The generic meaning of the word “day,” however, is entirely irrelevant for Genesis 1 for reasons we will consider below.”  We will consider some of the reasons for this in the rest of this article.  There is one other example that Rogers points out that is worth noting.  It is Gen. 2:4.  “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.”  A literal interpretation of the Hebrew word “yom” in this passage would mean that God created everything in one day instead of six days.  The term “yom” is referring to an indeterminate length of time and not a specific 24-hour day.
Third, the context of each occurrence of the Hebrew word “yom” must be considered to determine whether or not it is literal or non-literal.  Rogers mentions that the use of the adjective (number) with the noun, “yom“, indicates that the word is to be taken in its literal sense.  This is a grammatical feature of Genesis 1 that Dr. Stone said did not exist, but which disproves his interpretation of the days of Genesis 1.  Rogers declares, “An adjective accompanies every occurrence of yom in Genesis 1, a fact that fundamentally limits its meaning” (p. 99).  Rogers further states, “Since every time the word “day” occurs in Genesis 1, a numerical adjective accompanies it, the generic application of the term “day” that we have observed does not apply at all.  The scope of reference is limited.”
Fourth, Moses expected his readers of Genesis and Exodus to understand his words in a literal 24-hour day in the Creation account because he applied that knowledge to the keeping of the Sabbath day.  In Exodus 20:11, Moses writes, “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”  The Sabbath day is clearly a reference to a literal 24-hour period of time.  The work week observed by the Israelites was determined by the creation week.  They worked for six days and then rested on the Sabbath day.
Fifth, there are other grammatical features of Genesis 1 that have a bearing on the interpretation of the Hebrew word “yom.”  Rogers says, “After each day’s creative activities, the Bible utilizes the same formula: “And there was evening and there was morning” (Gen. 1:5,8,13,19,23,31). While it is true that the Hebrew term “day” can be used in a nonliteral sense in other contexts, the terms “evening” (‘erev) and “morning” (boqer) are always used in a literal sense.  The former occurs 134 times in the Old Testament and the latter around 200 times.”  This statement is conclusive.
The old-Earth view, presented by Dr. Stone, is completely without grammatical authority.  The Hebrew word “yom” is used in it literal sense of a 24-hour period when it is used to describe the days of creation.  There is no possibility of a compromise between the creation account and evolution!