8] The Hebrew word Neshef:  What do the scriptures teach us?   

Another Hebrew word with which we should become familiar and understand is the word neshef.

The Hebrew word neshef is translated into the English as twilight. In a couple instances, it is also translated as dawn. The context will reveal the correct translation. The idea expressed by the word neshef is that, even though there is a hint of the sun’s light radiating in the sky, the actual sun is not visible in the sky.

The sun is below the horizons (the western horizon in the evening - twilight and the eastern horizon in the morning - dawn) but close enough to either horizon for the sun’s light to be seen over the respective horizons. Neshef is a light transition period of time.

Neshef is considered an action of the sun process. The sun’s light is either intensifying (during the dawn of the day) or diminishing (during the twilight of the day).

Whereas the dawn is the first illuminations of the day, twilight is the last illuminations of the sun’s diminishing light as the sun continues to drop below the western horizon. Twilight commences after the sun falls below the western horizon and continues until it is dark enough for the night to commence.

Notice several of the scriptures, which use the English word twilight as translated in the text from the Hebrew word neshef. These scriptures relate to the time of day in which the sun’s light is fading out, diminishing.

II Kings 7:5, 7   “And they rose up in the twilight (neshef), to go unto the camp of the Syrians... wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight (neshef)….” (Review verse 9-12 for proof that neshef is the twilight before the night commenced.)

Job 24:15   “The eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight (neshef) saying no man shall see me and disguiseth his face.”

Notice Proverbs 7:9 (Interlinear, Green 1986, mss text) “He walketh in the twilight (neshef), at the evening (ba erev) of the day (yom), in the black of night and darkness.”

Notice this verse, as written in the (King James Version): In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night."

Notice this verse, as written in the (Jerusalem Bible): “at twilight when day is declining, at dead of night and in the dark.”

Notice the (Revised English Bible): “at twilight, as the day fades, at dusk as night grew dark.”

Interesting! We read of the twilight, an event that occurs after the sun is no longer above the western horizon. Yet, the twilight occurs in the evening of the day. Twilight is the diminishing sun's light, occurring in the evening, as the day fades or is declining. Twilight occurs as that day is ending.