תְּמוֹל
te.mol (H8543)
yesterday
AI Word Study
# תְּמוֹל (temol): Yesterday in Biblical Hebrew The Hebrew word *temol* carries the straightforward meaning of "yesterday" and appears 23 times throughout the biblical text. As a temporal marker, it functions to locate events in the recent past—the day immediately preceding the present moment. This simple lexical definition establishes it as a basic unit of time measurement in ancient Hebrew communication. The word's presence across 23 biblical occurrences suggests it served as a standard way for Hebrew speakers to reference immediate past events. Rather than using abstract or distant temporal language, *temol* anchors narrative and speech to concrete, lived experience—the day that has just passed. This makes it a practical term for storytelling, legal testimony, and everyday discourse where precise temporal reference mattered. The frequency of this word in scripture indicates that biblical authors regularly needed to distinguish between what happened yesterday and what happens today or will happen tomorrow. While the provided data does not specify particular contexts or variations in usage, the word's consistent appearance across the biblical corpus demonstrates its importance as a fundamental temporal reference point in Hebrew communication and narrative.
AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.
Jacob saw the expression on Laban’s face, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.
and said to them, “I see the expression on your father’s face, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.
Moses said to Yahweh, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
“You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.
You shall require from them the number of the bricks which they made before. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, saying, ‘Let’s go and sacrifice to our God.’
The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and were asked, “Why haven’t you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?”
But if the bull had a habit of goring in the past, and this has been testified to its owner, and he has not kept it in, but it has killed a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner shall also be put to death.
Or if it is known that the bull was in the habit of goring in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall surely pay bull for bull, and the dead animal shall be his own.
that the man slayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unintentionally and didn’t hate him in time past, and that fleeing to one of these cities he might live:
This is the case of the man slayer who shall flee there and live: Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, and didn’t hate him in time past—
Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the man slayer while hot anger is in his heart and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally, even though he was not worthy of death, because he didn’t hate him in time past.
Yet there shall be a space between you and it of about two thousand cubits by measure—don’t come closer to it—that you may know the way by which you must go; for you have not passed this way before.”
When the priests who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant had come up out of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet had been lifted up to the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks, as before.
If the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not deliver up the man slayer into his hand; because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, and didn’t hate him before.
Boaz answered her, “I have been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father, your mother, and the land of your birth, and have come to a people that you didn’t know before.
On the next day after the new moon, the second day, David’s place was empty. Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why doesn’t the son of Jesse come to eat, either yesterday, or today?”
David answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us as usual these three days. When I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was only a common journey. How much more then today shall their vessels be holy?”
Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past, you sought for David to be king over you.
Whereas you came but yesterday, should I today make you go up and down with us, since I go where I may? Return, and take back your brothers. Mercy and truth be with you.”
(Yahweh gave Israel a savior, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel lived in their tents as before.
In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. Yahweh your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.’ ”
(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days on earth are a shadow.)