Does Genesis chapter 1 mean literal 24-hour days?

Answer  
  

In our opinion, examination of the Hebrew word for “day” and the context in which it appears in Genesis will lead to the conclusion that “day” means a literal, 24\-hour period of time.  
  

The Hebrew word *yom* translated into the English “day” can mean more than one thing. It can refer to the 24\-hour period of time that it takes for the earth to rotate on its axis (e.g., “there are 24 hours in a day”). It can refer to the period of daylight between dawn and dusk (e.g., “it gets pretty hot during the day but it cools down a bit at night”). And it can refer to an unspecified period of time (e.g., “back in my grandfather’s day . . .”). It is used to refer to a 24\-hour period in Genesis 7:11\. It is used to refer to the period of daylight between dawn and dusk in Genesis 1:16\. And it is used to refer to an unspecified period of time in Genesis 2:4\. So, what does *yom* mean in Genesis 1:5–2:2 when used in conjunction with ordinal numbers (i.e., the first day, the second day, the third day, the fourth day, the fifth day, the sixth day, and the seventh day)? Are these 24\-hour periods or something else? Could *yom* as it is used here mean an unspecified period of time?  
  

We can determine how *yom* should be interpreted in Genesis 1:5–2:2 by comparing that context to the word’s usage elsewhere in Scripture. The Hebrew word *yom* is used 2,301 times in the Old Testament. Outside of Genesis 1, *yom* plus a number (used 410 times) almost always indicates an ordinary day, i.e., a 24\-hour period. There are a few instances where *yom* and a number do not imply a literal, 24\-hour day. The words *evening* and *morning* together (38 times) most often indicate an ordinary day. The exact construction of *evening*, then *morning*, along with *yom* is only seen outside of Genesis 1 in one verse. This is Daniel 8:26, which clearly implies a long period of time.  
  

All in all, the context in which the word *yom* is used in Genesis 1:5–2:2, describing each day as “the evening and the morning,” seems to suggest that the author of Genesis meant 24\-hour periods. This was the standard interpretation of the days of Genesis 1:5–2:2 for most of Christian history. At the same time, there were early church fathers, such as Augustine, who noted that the vague nature of the “days” of Genesis could well suggest a non\-literal interpretation.  
  

Then, in the 1800s, a paradigm shift occurred within the scientific community. This was mostly driven by hostility to religion and an effort to re\-interpret observations in ways contrary to the Bible. This caused a rift in the scientific community. One side claimed that only atheism, as well as specific ideas such as an old earth and naturalistic evolution, was compatible with science. The other side, in response, attempted to denounce atheism and any possible old\-earth interpretations.  
  

The truth is that both young\-earth and old\-earth interpretations rely upon certain assumptions. Sincere believers debate the meaning of *yom* in the creation account because a case can be made on both sides. This does not diminish the importance of what Genesis teaches, regardless of whether or not a person accepts young\-earth creationism.  
  

For instance, according to Exodus 20:9–11, God used the six creation days of Genesis as a model for man’s workweek: work six days, rest one. Apparently, He had us in mind even before He made us (on the sixth day) and wanted to provide an example for us to follow. Certainly God could have used six discrete 24\-hour days. And He could have created everything using a process of long time periods. Our view, based on our interpretation of the Bible, is that six literal days is the most likely interpretation of the Genesis account.  
  

