Elohim leaves no ambiguity regarding when a day begins. He defines it with clarity and precision in the opening of Genesis, because knowing this is essential to observing the Sabbath as He desires for us.
Void
Genesis 1:2 sets the stage before the order of days begins. It describes the earth in a state of formlessness and obscurity, not yet shaped by Elohim’s spoken word:
Genesis 1:2
And the earth came to be formless and empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim was moving on the face of the waters.
The Hebrew word for darkness here is חֹשֶׁךְ (choshekh), which conveys more than just the absence of light. It implies obscurity, disorder, and void. This was not night in the sense of a daily cycle, but a condition of emptiness, confusion, and lack of form.
It is important to see that this choshekh existed before the first day began. It is not part of a defined day, nor is it called “night.” There was no separation yet, no time, and no structure. The presence of choshekh marks the earth as unformed, not resting in night, but suspended in a state of void and obscurity.
Then, the Spirit of Elohim moves upon the waters, not to dwell in the obscurity, but to act. His next command, “Let there be light,” marks the moment when order begins. Light is created and named day, and with it, the cycle of time begins.
The Beginning of a Day Revealed
Elohim begins by creating light, defining “day” (יוֹם - yom) as light and “night” (לַיְלָה – laylah) as darkness.
Genesis 1:3-5
And Elohim said, “Let light come to be,” and light came to be. And Elohim saw the light, that it was good. And Elohim separated the light from the darkness. And Elohim called the light ‘day’ and the darkness He called ‘night.’ And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, one day.
The timeline of day one:
- Light appears.
- Light is called day.
- Darkness is called night.
- Then comes evening, when light fades.
- Then morning, the return of light.
By defining the terms “day” and “night” before introducing “evening” and “morning”, Elohim removes all doubt. Evening is the time when light fades away, but darkness has not fully set in. Morning is when light begins to return, but the day has not yet fully arrived.
These terms are transitional periods and were never intended to represent a complete day. In fact, they cannot represent an entire day, as the period from evening to morning consists solely of night.
A complete day begins with light and ends with the return of light. Morning, not evening, marks the beginning of a day.
Light Must Exist Before Evening Can Occur
The word choice is intentional, and their meaning matters:
- Evening (עֶרֶב – ereb) ALWAYS refers to the fading of light.
- Morning (בֹּקֶר – boqer) ALWAYS refers to the return of light.
Evening cannot exist without light first being present. By definition, it is the decline of light. Therefore, the first evening could only occur after light was created, not before. This confirms that the first day of creation began before evening, with the appearance of light.
Stand on Truth Over Tradition
The Genesis account provides absolutely no support for the idea that a day begins in darkness. Instead, the divinely established cycle is clear:
- Light is created (day).
- Evening transitions light into darkness (night).
- Morning transitions darkness into light (day).
This full pattern, first light, then evening, then morning, marks the completion of the first day and the beginning of the next.
Both the language and the structure of creation affirm that a scriptural day begins at morning, not at evening.