BIBLE HEBREW WORD STUDY
Laylah (H3915) — Night in the Bible
Lāyəlâ (לַיְלָה) is the common Hebrew noun for night, used both literally for the time of darkness and figuratively for adversity.
Meaning of the word
Lāyəlâ is the standard Hebrew noun for night. The lexicon entry derives it from the idea of a 'twist' or turning away of the light, describing the period when daylight is removed and darkness falls.
In ordinary narrative it marks the part of the day after evening, the counterpart of יוֹמָם (yomam, daytime). It covers the time from sunset to sunrise and includes watching, travel, sleep, and the rhythms of Israel's calendar and worship.
The same word also serves a figurative sense of adversity or distress — 'a night' of trouble — even when no actual darkness is in view.
Usage in Scripture
In Genesis 1, laylah is named on the very first day as the counterpart to 'Day' (yom), and the luminaries are appointed to 'rule over the day and over the night.' Night belongs to the ordered creation that God saw and called good (Gen 1:5, 14, 16, 18).
In Exodus 14, laylah frames the climax of the Red Sea event: the pillar of cloud gives light by night, and the east wind drives the sea back all night, so that night becomes the stage for Israel's deliverance (Ex 14:20–21).
The Psalms use night in both literal and reflective senses. Psalm 1:2 sets Torah meditation 'day and night,' pairing the word with steady, devoted study. In Psalm 139:11–12, the psalmist imagines being overwhelmed so that light becomes night, then affirms that even such darkness is not dark to God — night itself shines like day.
The word in detail
- H3915 Laylah functions both as a literal period of darkness (Gen 1:5) and as a figurative image of adversity. Note that in poetic texts such as Psalms, pairing it with 'day' (yom) often signals totality or continual duration rather than mere clock time.
Example verses
- Genesis 1:5 Night is named on the first day of creation as the counterpart to Day. Darkness is not evil here but part of the ordered pattern 'evening and morning.'
- Exodus 14:20 Night is the setting for Israel's deliverance: the pillar gives light by night, and the camps are kept apart all the night.
- Exodus 14:21 The sea is driven back 'all the night' by the east wind — night becomes the duration over which God's saving act unfolds.
- Psalms 1:2 Meditating on the law 'day and night' uses the pair to express continual, unceasing devotion rather than two specific clock-hours.
Common questions
Is laylah used only for literal night?
Primarily literal, but the lexicon notes a figurative sense of adversity or distress, and poetic contexts often stretch it to mean continual duration when paired with 'day.'
How does laylah relate to 'evening and morning'?
In Genesis 1 the formula 'there was evening and there was morning' frames one day (yom). Evening begins the night, and morning ends it; night is the first half of each ordered day.
Why is night highlighted at the Red Sea?
Night sets the stage for the miracle: God provides light by night for His people while dividing the sea throughout the night, showing His power in the very hours normally associated with danger and confusion.