Lexical Definition

‎לַיִל‎ layil (lah'-yil) night ^H:N-M
or (Isaiah 21:11) לֵיל lêyl (lale); also לַיְלָה laylâh (lah'-yel-aw); from the same as ‎לוּל‎

(mid-)night (season).

• properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. night
• figuratively, adversity

1) night
1a) night (as opposed to day)
1b) of gloom, protective shadow (fig.)

See Greek: νύξ

Brown-Driver-Briggs

Aramaic form: לֵילְיָא
‎לַ֫יְלָה‎, ‎לַ֫יִל‎₂₄₂ noun masculine^{Gen 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^{«GKC:90»§ 90}, 2. with R. Kö^{ii. p. 57, R. 1}); — absolute ‎לַ֫יְלָה‎ Gen 19:33 + 214 t. + 2 t. Qr. (see below); ‎לָ֑יְלָה‎ Gen 1:5 + 3 t.; ‎לַ֫יִל‎ Isa 16:3 + Prov 31:18; Lam 2:19 Kt (Qr ‎לַיְלָה‎); ‎לֵיל‎ Isa 15:1 (twice in verse); Isa 21:1 construct ‎לֵיל‎ Exod 12:42; Isa 30:29 plural absolute ‎לֵילוֺת‎ 1Sam 30:12 + 4 t.; construct id., Isa 21:8 + 5 t.; —

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

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

2. figurative ‎שִׁיתִי כַּלַיִל צִלֵּךְ‎ Isa 16:8 simile of shadow of Zion as protection; more often in gloomy sense, of avenging calamity without divine guidance or comfort ‎לַיְלָה מֵחָזוֺן‎ Mic 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 Isa 21:11 i.e. what hour of the night of calamity is it? compare vIsa 21:12 (opposed to ‎בֹּקֶר‎).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References