3915. layil or lel or layelah

Strong's Lexicon

layil or lel or layelah: Night

Original Word: לַיִל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: layil
Pronunciation: lah'-yil or lay-leh'
Phonetic Spelling: (lah'-yil)
Definition: Night
Meaning: a twist, night, adversity

Word Origin: Derived from an unused root meaning to fold back or to cover

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - νύξ (nux) - Strong's Greek 3571, meaning "night."

Usage: The Hebrew word "layil" primarily refers to the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise, commonly known as "night." It is used in the Bible to denote both the literal time of night and metaphorically to represent times of trouble, ignorance, or spiritual darkness. The term is often contrasted with "day" (יוֹם, yom) to illustrate the cycle of time and the duality of light and darkness.

Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Hebrew culture, the day was divided into two main parts: day and night. Nighttime was a period of rest and reflection, but it also carried connotations of danger and uncertainty due to the lack of light. The Israelites, like many ancient peoples, relied on the moon and stars for navigation and timekeeping during the night. Night was also a time for storytelling and passing down oral traditions, as families gathered around the hearth.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
night
NASB Translation
midnight* (6), night (200), nights (14), nocturnal (1), overnight* (2), tonight (10).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

לַ֫יְלָה, לַ֫יִל₂₄₂

noun masculine^{Genesis 40:5} night (Late Hebrew id.; MI¹⁵ (ב)ללה; Aramaic לֵילָא, , ; Arabic , ; Ethiopic all = night; Assyrian lîlâtu, evening Dl^HWB; meaning of √ dubious; form probably לילי, and ending הָ֯ radical, and not ה locative, Nö^{M 127} Dl^{Prol. 128} Ges^{§ 90}, 2. with R. Kö^{ii. p. 57, R. 1}); — absolute לַ֫יְלָה Genesis 19:33 214t. + 2 t. Qr. (see below); לָ֑יְלָה Genesis 1:5 3t.; לַ֫יִל Isaiah 16:3 + Proverbs 31:18; Lamentations 2:19 Kt (Qr לַיְלָה); לֵיל Isaiah 15:1 (twice in verse); Isaiah 21:1; construct לֵיל Exodus 12:42; Isaiah 30:29; plural absolute לֵילוֺת 1 Samuel 30:12 4t.; construct id., Isaiah 21:8 5t.; —

1 literally night, opposed to day, Genesis 8:22 (J), Deuteronomy 1:33 + very often (see יוֺם); alternation of day and night divinely ordained Genesis 1:5 (P), Jeremiah 33:20 (twice in verse); Jeremiah 33:25 +; ׳מִיּוֺם עַדלֿ Isaiah 38:12,18 i.e within one whole day; as close of day, ׳עַדלֿ2Chronicles 35:14; as time of sacred (לֵיל) חָג Isaiah 30:29; of suffering and weeping לֵילוֺת עָמָל Job 7:3, compare Psalm 6:7; Psalm 77:3 etc.; of pious desires, prayer, praise, meditation, etc (sometimes "" by day) Isaiah 26:9; Job 35:10; Psalm 1:2; Psalm 22:3; Psalm 42:9; Psalm 77:7; Psalm 88:2; Psalm 92:3; Psalm 119:5 (twice in verse), compare Psalm 16:7; Psalm 17:8; of night-service in Temple Psalm 134:1; of sudden assault, or destruction, Isaiah 15:1; Jeremiah 6:5; Obadiah 5; Job 27:20; Job 34:20,25; Job 36:20; divided into watches Psalm 90:4; לֵיל שִׁמֻּרִים Exodus 12:42 see below שׁמר; with number, denoting duration of time, forty days and forty nights Genesis 7:4,12; Exodus 24:18; Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9,11,18,25; Deuteronomy 10:10; 1 Kings 19:8; three days and three nights (שְׁלשָׁה לֵילוֺת) 1 Samuel 30:12; Jonah 2:1; seven days and seven nights (שִׁבְעַת לֵילוֺת) Job 2:13 ; ׳חֲלוֺם הַלּ Genesis 20:3; Genesis 31:24 (both E), 1 Kings 3:5; ׳מַרְאֹת הַלּ Genesis 46:2 (E); ׳חֶזְיוֺן ל Job 20:8; Job 33:15, ׳חֶזְיֹנוֺת ל Job 4:13, ׳חֲלוֺם חֲזוֺן ל Isaiah 29:7 (compare Micah 3:6 below) ; ׳בִּןלֿ Jonah 4:10 (twice in verse) see בֵּן

8 b. Chiefly in adverb. phrase: — ׳בַּחֲצִי הַלּ at midnight Exodus 12:29 + (see חֲצִי, חָצוֺת b), compare ׳בְּתוֺךְ הַלּ 1 Kings 3:20, ׳בְּאִישׁוֺן ל Proverbs 7:9 ; הַזֶּה ׳בַּלּ Exodus 12:8,12 on this night (P; the night of which one is speaking); הַהוּא ׳בַּלּ on that night Genesis 19:35 (J) + often, (P only Numbers 14:1); הוּא ׳בַּל Genesis 19:33; Genesis 30:16; so ׳הַלּ alone 1 Samuel 14:34, but strike out ᵐ5 We Kit, compare Dr; Klo Bu read ליהוה; ׳הַלּ to-night Genesis 19:5,34; Genesis 30:15 (all J), Numbers 22:8,19 (E), Joshua 2:2; Joshua 4:3 (both J E), 2 Samuel 17:1,16; 2 Samuel 19:8; Ruth 1:12; Ruth 3:2,13, opposed to מָחָר tomorrow 1 Samuel 19:11; ׳הַלּ = this night just past, last night 1 Samuel 15:16 (compare Dr); ׳כָּלהַֿלּ all night Hosea 7:6 (opposed to בֹּקֶר), Exodus 14:20,21 (J), Numbers 11:32; Joshua 10:9 (both J E), Judges 16:2 (twice in verse); Judges 19:25; 1 Samuel 15:11; 1 Samuel 31:12; 2 Samuel 2:29,32; 2 Samuel 4:7; opposed to כלהֿיום ההוא (of continuous action) 1 Samuel 19:24; 1 Samuel 28:20; Isaiah 62:6, opposed to יומם Psalm 78:14; ׳בְּכָללֿ Psalm 6:7 every night (probably); compare כָּלהַֿלֵּילוֺת Isaiah 21:8 all the nights (opposed to יוֺמָם) ; especially לַיְלָה by night Numbers 22:20 (E) Joshua 8:3 (JE), Deuteronomy 16:1; Numbers 9:16 (P) + 51 t.; of these Genesis 14:15 and Exodus 13:21,22 (J) + 25 t. opposed to יוֺמָם, covering all the time; otherwise Judges 6:27 (opposed to יוֺמָם); לַיְלָה וָיוֺם night and day 1 Kings 8:29; Isaiah 27:3; Esther 4:16; less often לֵילוֺת Psalm 16:17; ׳הַלּ by night 2 Kings 25:4 (׳ל in "" Jeremiah 52:7), Zechariah 1:8; Nehemiah 4:16 (opposed to הַיּוֺם) ; ׳בַּלּ id., Jeremiah 6:5 18t. (chiefly late; often opposed to בַּיּוֺם, יוֺמָם, etc.); בַּלֵּילוֺת Psalm 92:3 (opposed to בַּבֹּקֶר, Psalm 134:1; Songs 3:1,8; בְּלַיְלָה Nehemiah 9:19 (opposed to בְּיוֺמָם ); בְּלֵיל Isaiah 15:1 (twice in verse) ׳כַּל as at night Job 5:14 (opposed to צָהֳרָ֑יִם ).

2 figurative שִׁיתִי כַּלַיִל צִלֵּךְ Isaiah 16:8 simile of shadow of Zion as protection; more often in gloomy sense, of avenging calamity without divine guidance or comfort לַיְלָה מֵחָזוֺן Micah 3:6; personal distress Job 35:10; judgment perhaps also Job 36:20 (Ew De Di Da; night of death Bu; 'unintelligible' Siegf); מַהמִּֿלַּיְלָה מַהמִּֿלֵּיל Isaiah 21:11 i.e. what hour of the night of calamity is it? compare Isaiah 21:12 (opposed to בֹּקֶר).

[לֵילָא] noun [masculine] night (see Biblical Hebrew לַ֫יְלָה); — emphatic לֵילְיָא Daniel 2:19; Daniel 5:30; Daniel 7:2,7,13.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

midnight season

Or (Isa. 21:11) leyl {lale}; also laylah {lah'- yel-aw}; from the same as luwl; properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. Night; figuratively, adversity -- ((mid-))night (season).

see HEBREW luwl

Forms and Transliterations

בְּלֵ֛יל בְּלֵ֞יל בְּלַ֙יְלָה֙ בְּלַ֣יְלָה בְּלַ֥יְלָה בַּ֫לָּ֥יְלָה בַּלֵּיל֔וֹת בַּלֵּילֽוֹת׃ בַּלַּ֔יְלָה בַּלַּ֖יְלָה בַּלַּ֗יְלָה בַּלַּ֣יְלָה בַּלַּ֥יְלָה בַּלַּ֧יְלָה בַּלַּֽיְלָה־ בַּלָּ֑יְלָה בַּלָּֽיְלָה׃ בַלַּ֣יְלָה בַלָּ֔יְלָה בַלָּֽיְלָה׃ בַלַּ֗יְלָה בַלַּ֣יְלָה בליל בלילה בלילה־ בלילה׃ בלילות בלילות׃ הַ֝לַּ֗יְלָה הַלֵּילֽוֹת׃ הַלַּ֔יְלָה הַלַּ֕יְלָה הַלַּ֖יְלָה הַלַּ֗יְלָה הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙ הַלַּ֛יְלָה הַלַּ֜יְלָה הַלַּ֣יְלָה הַלַּ֤יְלָה הַלַּ֥יְלָה הַלַּיְלָה֒ הַלָּ֑יְלָה הַלָּֽיְלָה׃ הלילה הלילה׃ הלילות׃ וְ֝כַלַּ֗יְלָה וְ֝לַ֗יְלָה וְ֭לַיְלָה וְהַלַּ֥יְלָה וְלֵיל֥וֹת וְלַ֖יְלָה וְלַ֛יְלָה וְלַ֥יְלָה וָלַ֔יְלָה וָלַ֖יְלָה וָלַ֗יְלָה וָלַ֙יְלָה֙ וָלַ֛יְלָה וָלַיְלָה֮ וָלָ֑יְלָה וָלָֽיְלָה׃ וּ֝בַלַּ֗יְלָה וּ֭בַלַּיְלָה וּבַלַּ֔יְלָה וּבַלָּ֑יְלָה ובלילה והלילה וכלילה ולילה ולילה׃ ולילות כְּלֵ֖יל כַלַּ֛יִל כליל לְּ֝לַ֗יְלָה לֵ֝יל֗וֹת לֵ֣יל לֵיל֑וֹת לֵילֽוֹת׃ לַ֔יְלָה לַ֖יְלָה לַ֗יְלָה לַ֛יְלָה לַ֜יְלָה לַ֝֗יְלָה לַ֣יְלָה לַ֤יְלָה לַ֥יְלָה לַ֭יְלָה לַּ֗יְלָה לַיְלָה֒ לָ֑יְלָה לָ֥יְלָה לָֽיְלָה׃ ליל לילה לילה׃ לילות לילות׃ ללילה מִלֵּֽיל׃ מִלַּ֔יְלָה מליל׃ מלילה bal·lā·yə·lāh ḇal·lā·yə·lāh bal·lay·lāh ḇal·lay·lāh bal·lay·lāh- bal·lê·lō·wṯ balLayelah ballāyəlāh ḇallāyəlāh balLaylah ballaylāh ḇallaylāh ballaylāh- balleiLot ballêlōwṯ bə·lay·lāh bə·lêl beLaylah bəlaylāh beLeil bəlêl chalLayil hal·lā·yə·lāh hal·lay·lāh hal·lê·lō·wṯ halLayelah hallāyəlāh halLaylah hallaylāh halleiLot hallêlōwṯ ḵal·la·yil ḵallayil kə·lêl keLeil kəlêl lā·yə·lāh Lailah lay·lāh Layelah lāyəlāh Laylah laylāh lə·lay·lāh lê·lō·wṯ leil leiLot lêl leLaylah ləlaylāh lêlōwṯ mil·lay·lāh mil·lêl milLaylah millaylāh milLeil millêl ū·ḇal·lā·yə·lāh ū·ḇal·lay·lāh ūḇallāyəlāh ūḇallaylāh uvalLayelah uvalLaylah vaLayelah vaLaylah valLayelah valLaylah vechalLaylah vehalLaylah veLaylah veleiLot wā·lā·yə·lāh wā·lay·lāh wālāyəlāh wālaylāh wə·hal·lay·lāh wə·ḵal·lay·lāh wə·lay·lāh wə·lê·lō·wṯ wəhallaylāh wəḵallaylāh wəlaylāh wəlêlōwṯ

Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 1:5
HEB: וְלַחֹ֖שֶׁךְ קָ֣רָא לָ֑יְלָה וַֽיְהִי־ עֶ֥רֶב
NAS: He called night. And there was evening
KJV: he called Night. And the evening
INT: and the darkness called night and there was evening

Genesis 1:14
HEB: הַיּ֖וֹם וּבֵ֣ין הַלָּ֑יְלָה וְהָי֤וּ לְאֹתֹת֙
NAS: the day from the night, and let them be for signs
KJV: the day from the night; and let them be for signs,
INT: the day from the night them be for signs

Genesis 1:16
HEB: הַקָּטֹן֙ לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת הַלַּ֔יְלָה וְאֵ֖ת הַכּוֹכָבִֽים׃
NAS: to govern the night; [He made] the stars
KJV: to rule the night: [he made] the stars
INT: and the lesser to govern the night the stars

Genesis 1:18
HEB: וְלִמְשֹׁל֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם וּבַלַּ֔יְלָה וּֽלֲהַבְדִּ֔יל בֵּ֥ין
NAS: the day and the night, and to separate
KJV: over the day and over the night, and to divide
INT: govern the day and the night separate among

Genesis 7:4
HEB: י֔וֹם וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים לָ֑יְלָה וּמָחִ֗יתִי אֶֽת־
NAS: and forty nights; and I will blot
KJV: and forty nights; and every
INT: days and forty nights will blot every

Genesis 7:12
HEB: י֔וֹם וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים לָֽיְלָה׃
NAS: days and forty nights.
KJV: days and forty nights.
INT: days and forty nights

Genesis 8:22
HEB: וָחֹ֛רֶף וְי֥וֹם וָלַ֖יְלָה לֹ֥א יִשְׁבֹּֽתוּ׃
NAS: And day and night Shall not cease.
KJV: and day and night shall not cease.
INT: and winter and day and night shall not cease

Genesis 14:15
HEB: וַיֵּחָלֵ֨ק עֲלֵיהֶ֧ם ׀ לַ֛יְלָה ה֥וּא וַעֲבָדָ֖יו
NAS: his forces against them by night, he and his servants,
KJV: himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote
INT: divided against night he and his servants

Genesis 19:5
HEB: בָּ֥אוּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ הַלָּ֑יְלָה הוֹצִיאֵ֣ם אֵלֵ֔ינוּ
NAS: came to you tonight? Bring
KJV: which came in to thee this night? bring them out
INT: came about night out to

Genesis 19:33
HEB: אֲבִיהֶ֛ן יַ֖יִן בַּלַּ֣יְלָה ה֑וּא וַתָּבֹ֤א
NAS: wine that night, and the firstborn
KJV: wine that night: and the firstborn
INT: their father wine night he went

Genesis 19:34
HEB: יַ֜יִן גַּם־ הַלַּ֗יְלָה וּבֹ֙אִי֙ שִׁכְבִ֣י
NAS: wine tonight also;
KJV: wine this night also; and go thou in,
INT: wine also tonight go and lie

Genesis 19:35
HEB: וַתַּשְׁקֶ֜יןָ גַּ֣ם בַּלַּ֧יְלָה הַה֛וּא אֶת־
NAS: wine that night also,
KJV: that night also: and the younger
INT: drink also night that their father

Genesis 20:3
HEB: אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ בַּחֲל֣וֹם הַלָּ֑יְלָה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ
NAS: in a dream of the night, and said
KJV: in a dream by night, and said
INT: Abimelech A dream of the night and said Behold

Genesis 26:24
HEB: אֵלָ֤יו יְהוָה֙ בַּלַּ֣יְלָה הַה֔וּא וַיֹּ֕אמֶר
NAS: to him the same night and said,
KJV: appeared unto him the same night, and said,
INT: about the LORD night the same and said

Genesis 30:15
HEB: יִשְׁכַּ֤ב עִמָּךְ֙ הַלַּ֔יְלָה תַּ֖חַת דּוּדָאֵ֥י
NAS: he may lie with you tonight in return
KJV: Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for
INT: may lie you tonight return mandrakes

Genesis 30:16
HEB: וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב עִמָּ֖הּ בַּלַּ֥יְלָה הֽוּא׃
NAS: So he lay with her that night.
KJV: And he lay with her that night.
INT: lay her that night he

Genesis 31:24
HEB: הָאֲרַמִּ֖י בַּחֲלֹ֣ם הַלָּ֑יְלָה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ
NAS: in a dream of the night and said
KJV: in a dream by night, and said
INT: the Aramean A dream of the night and said to him be careful

Genesis 31:39
HEB: י֔וֹם וּגְנֻֽבְתִ֖י לָֽיְלָה׃
NAS: by day or stolen by night.
KJV: by day, or stolen by night.
INT: day stolen night

Genesis 31:40
HEB: חֹ֖רֶב וְקֶ֣רַח בַּלָּ֑יְלָה וַתִּדַּ֥ד שְׁנָתִ֖י
NAS: me and the frost by night, and my sleep
KJV: me, and the frost by night; and my sleep
INT: the heat and the frost night fled and my sleep

Genesis 32:13
HEB: וַיָּ֥לֶן שָׁ֖ם בַּלַּ֣יְלָה הַה֑וּא וַיִּקַּ֞ח
NAS: So he spent the night there.
KJV: And he lodged there that same night; and took
INT: spent there the night he selected

Genesis 32:21
HEB: וְה֛וּא לָ֥ן בַּלַּֽיְלָה־ הַה֖וּא בַּֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃
NAS: spent that night in the camp.
KJV: and himself lodged that night in the company.
INT: himself spent night himself the camp

Genesis 32:22
HEB: וַיָּ֣קָם ׀ בַּלַּ֣יְלָה ה֗וּא וַיִּקַּ֞ח
NAS: that same night and took
KJV: And he rose up that night, and took
INT: arose night same and took

Genesis 40:5
HEB: אִ֤ישׁ חֲלֹמוֹ֙ בְּלַ֣יְלָה אֶחָ֔ד אִ֖ישׁ
NAS: the same night, each man
KJV: in one night, each man
INT: another his dream night the same another

Genesis 41:11
HEB: וַנַּֽחַלְמָ֥ה חֲל֛וֹם בְּלַ֥יְלָה אֶחָ֖ד אֲנִ֣י
NAS: on the same night, he and I; each
KJV: in one night, I and he; we dreamed
INT: had A dream night the same I

Genesis 46:2
HEB: לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּמַרְאֹ֣ת הַלַּ֔יְלָה וַיֹּ֖אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֣ב ׀
NAS: in visions of the night and said,
KJV: in the visions of the night, and said,
INT: to Israel visions of the night and said Jacob

233 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3915
233 Occurrences

bal·lā·yə·lāh — 7 Occ.
bal·lay·lāh — 26 Occ.
bal·lê·lō·wṯ — 4 Occ.
bə·lay·lāh — 3 Occ.
bə·lêl — 2 Occ.
ḵal·la·yil — 1 Occ.
hal·lā·yə·lāh — 19 Occ.
hal·lay·lāh — 38 Occ.
hal·lê·lō·wṯ — 1 Occ.
kə·lêl — 1 Occ.
lā·yə·lāh — 1 Occ.
lā·yə·lāh — 33 Occ.
lay·lāh — 49 Occ.
lêl — 1 Occ.
lê·lō·wṯ — 4 Occ.
lə·lay·lāh — 1 Occ.
mil·lay·lāh — 1 Occ.
mil·lêl — 1 Occ.
ū·ḇal·lā·yə·lāh — 1 Occ.
ū·ḇal·lay·lāh — 4 Occ.
wā·lā·yə·lāh — 5 Occ.
wā·lay·lāh — 15 Occ.
ḇal·lā·yə·lāh — 2 Occ.
ḇal·lay·lāh — 4 Occ.
wə·ḵal·lay·lāh — 1 Occ.
wə·hal·lay·lāh — 1 Occ.
wə·lay·lāh — 6 Occ.
wə·lê·lō·wṯ — 1 Occ.