לַ֫יְלָה (lay.lah)
lay.lah
night
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 203 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew word laylah simply means night, marking the period distinct from day. It appears over two hundred times in the Old Testament, serving as a basic marker of time and light. In Genesis 1:5, it establishes the rhythm of creation, while in Exodus 13:21-22, the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night guides Israel through the wilderness.
Beyond its literal sense, laylah carries figurative weight. The sources note it can represent gloom or a protective shadow. In Psalm 91:5, it symbolizes terror that does not strike by night, while in Isaiah 21:11, the phrase "night is coming" signals impending judgment. This duality allows the word to describe both physical darkness and spiritual adversity.
Its etymology links it to a root meaning "to twist away," suggesting a turning from light. Translators consistently render it as night or nights, preserving its straightforward temporal function while allowing context to reveal deeper themes of waiting, danger, or divine presence in the dark hours.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word for night in Hebrew is laylah, a simple term marking the time when the sun rests. It appears over two hundred times in the Old Testament, serving as a basic marker of time and light. In Genesis 1:5, it establishes the rhythm of creation, while in Exodus 13:21-22, the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night guides Israel through the wilderness.
Beyond its literal sense, laylah carries figurative weight. The sources note it can represent gloom or a protective shadow. In Psalm 91:5, it symbolizes terror that does not strike by night, while in Isaiah 21:11, the phrase "night is coming" signals impending judgment. This duality allows the word to describe both physical darkness and spiritual adversity.
Its etymology links it to a root meaning "to twist away," suggesting a turning from light. Translators consistently render it as night or nights, preserving its straightforward temporal function while allowing context to reveal deeper themes of waiting, danger, or divine presence in the dark hours.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 203 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- night62×
- the/ night37×
- in the/ night33×
- and/ night19×
- this/ night16×
- night[s]9×
- [the] night7×
- in/ a night4×
- nights3×
- in the/ nights3×
- and/ in the/ night2×
- a night2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לָ֑יְלָה20×
- לַ֗יְלָה12×
- הַ/לָּ֑יְלָה12×
- בַּ/לַּ֣יְלָה12×
- לָֽיְלָה\׃11×
- לַ֔יְלָה11×
- הַ/לַּ֔יְלָה8×
- וָ/לַ֔יְלָה6×
- הַ/לָּֽיְלָה\׃6×
- הַ/לַּ֙יְלָה֙6×
- הַ/לַּ֗יְלָה6×
- בַּ/לַּ֥יְלָה6×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 1:5
God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night”. There was evening and there was morning, the first day.
This verse establishes night as a fundamental part of God's created order, distinguishing it from day and marking the first evening.
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Exodus 12:8
They shall eat the meat in that night, roasted with fire, with unleavened bread. They shall eat it with bitter herbs.
The command to eat the Passover meal "in that night" ties the word to a specific moment of divine deliverance and obedience.
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Genesis 26:24
Yahweh appeared to him the same night, and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.”
Yahweh appearing to Isaac at night demonstrates that God's presence and promises are not limited to daylight hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word laylah mean?
How is laylah used in the Bible?
What is the etymology of laylah?
Every Occurrence (203 verses across 30 books)
Genesis 22 verses
God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night”. There was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Genesis 1:14God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs to…
Genesis 1:16God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made…
Genesis 1:18and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.
Genesis 7:4In seven days, I will cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. I will destroy every living thing…
Genesis 7:12It rained on the earth forty days and forty nights.
Genesis 8:22While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night will not…
Genesis 14:15He divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them, and pursued them to Hobah, which is on…
Genesis 19:5They called to Lot, and said to him, “Where are the men who came in to you this night? Bring them out to us, that we…
Genesis 19:33They made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father. He didn’t know when…
Genesis 19:34It came to pass on the next day, that the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father.…
Genesis 19:35They made their father drink wine that night also. The younger went and lay with him. He didn’t know when she lay down,…
Genesis 20:3But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man, because of the woman…
Genesis 26:24Yahweh appeared to him the same night, and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Don’t be afraid, for I am with…
Genesis 30:15Leah said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes,…
Genesis 30:16Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, “You must come in to me; for I have…
Genesis 31:24God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either…
Genesis 31:39That which was torn of animals, I didn’t bring to you. I bore its loss. Of my hand you required it, whether stolen by…
Genesis 31:40This was my situation: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.
Genesis 40:5They both dreamed a dream, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the…
Genesis 41:11We dreamed a dream in one night, he and I. Each man dreamed according to the interpretation of his dream.
Genesis 46:2God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He said, “Here I am.”