one large time of indefinite length could equal six smaller times of indefinite length. What happens when we slice a pizza into six pieces? The word ?pie? could apply to the whole, or to each piece. But one 24-hour day cannot equal six 24-hour days. To possibly use a ?24-hour period? inappropriately as a definition for the word ?day? when that word has a variety of meanings, puts Scripture at odds with Scripture when it is not unnecessary. Attempts to be literal with some passages, while ignoring other passages, may make the Bible appear to be contradictory when that is not the case at all. Archer says ?... it is abundantly clear that ?yom? in Genesis 2:4 cannot possibly be meant as a twenty-four hour day--unless perchance the Scripture contradicts itself! (4) As a matter of interest, the operative Hebrew word in this passage is not the word ?day? (yom), but rather ?generation? (toledah). According to Hebrew lexicons, the word toledah always pertains to a long time period, never to such a short span as a mere week. And since the word is plural, we know with certainty that ?generations? can refer to multiple periods of time, each of which is longer than a calendar week. (5) If we take Genesis 2:4 literally, the entire creation event from day one through six is defined by the author of Genesis as a sequence of long periods of time, not a sequence of 24-hour days. Furthermore, those time periods need not be equal in length. In everyday English usage, just as in Hebrew, the word ?day? is used frequently for varying amounts of time. It is the context surrounding the word that determines meaning, not the word taken in isolation. William Wilson?s Old Testament Word Studies sums up the possible variations, A day; it is frequently put for time in general, or for a long time; a whole period under consideration ... Day is also put for a particular season or time when any extraordinary event happens ... (6) The ?days? of creation certainly do appe...
