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RELEVANT VERSES
The phrase 'between the evenings' is found in the original Hebrew in a
number of scriptures.
a) When God gave quail to the children of Israel in the
wilderness.
Exod 16:12 "I have heard the murmurings of the children
of Israel. Speak to them, saying, At twilight
(between the evenings) you shall eat meat,
and in the morning you shall be filled with
bread. And you shall know that I am the LORD
your God.
b) When the second daily lamb was to be offered.
Exod 29:39 One lamb you shall offer in the
morning, and the other lamb you
shall offer at twilight (between
the evenings). |
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Exod 29:41 And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight
(between the evenings); and you shall offer with
it the grain offering and the drink offering, as
in the morning, for a sweet aroma, an offering
made by fire to the LORD.
Num 28:4 The one lamb you shall offer in the morning,
the other lamb you shall offer in the evening
(between the evenings).
Num 28:8 The other lamb you shall offer in the evening
(between the evenings); as the morning grain
and its drink offering, you shall offer it as
an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the
LORD.
c) When Aaron lit the lamps.
Exod 30:8 And when Aaron lights the lamps
at twilight (between the evenings),
he shall burn incense on it, a
perpetual incense before the LORD
throughout your generations. |
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d) When the Passover lamb was killed.
Exod 12:6 Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth
day of the same month. Then the whole assembly
of the congregation of Israel shall kill it
at twilight (between the evenings).
e) When the feast of the LORD's Passover was observed.
Lev 23:4 These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations
which you shall proclaim at their appointed times.
:5 On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight
(between the evenings) is the LORD's Passover.
Num 9:3 On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight
(between the evenings), you shall keep it at its
appointed time. According to all its rites and
ceremonies you shall keep it.
Num 9:5 And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of
the first month, at twilight (between the evenings),
in the Wilderness of Sinai; according to all that
the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel
did.
Num 9:11 On the fourteenth day of the second month, at
twilight (between the evenings), they may keep it.
They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter
herbs.
DISCUSSION
Translators by trying to guess at the meaning of this expression have
clouded the intended message of these verses.
Readers have to understand that 'twilight' is an assumed meaning.
Nevertheless, it has generally NOT been fully clear as to what the
intended meaning of "between the evenings" happens to be.
The Hebrew text appears as follows.
[NB: This Hebrew presentation is the same for all the verses.]
Some have thought this means from one sunset to the next sunset.
However, clearly this is not the case. Otherwise all the described
events could technically occur (or be performed) at any time of day.
The phrase 'between the evenings' is advising us that sunset is not
the only time of the day which is being called 'evening'.
As 'sunset' is a point in time reference, so the other evening must
also be a point in time reference.
Does this other 'evening' precede or follow 'sunset'?
Various alternate views have been offered as to what the other time
may be. These have included;
- noon, ie midday
- mid afternoon, ie around 3.00pm
- dusk, ie when the stars appear
- early sleep time, ie around 9.00pm
- midnight, ie the middle of the night.
Times after midnight can be generally excluded because it seems this
would fall into the classification of 'morning'.
Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while
before daylight, He went out and departed to
a solitary place; and there He prayed.
On the surface some of the above verses would indicate the other
'evening' is a time after sunset.
- Exod 16:12 - meals are eaten after sunset
- Exod 30:8 - lamps are generally lit after sunset
Some others have pointed out that for the formal Passover the firstborn
animals are sacrificed before sunset. So on the surface Exodus 12:6
could be suggesting a pre-sunset timing.
To fully understand the meaning of 'between the evenings' an in-depth
study into what Scripture is teaching (in respect to when the bible
day ends) has to be undertaken.
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