How long is a "day" in the first chapter of Genesis? Does the Bible say how old the earth Is?
Point of View
When examining the Genesis account, it is helpful to keep in mind that it approaches matters from the standpoint of people on earth. So it describes events as they would have been seen by human observers had they been present. This can be noted from its treatment of events on the fourth Genesis "day." There the sun and moon are described as great luminaries in comparison to the stars. Yet many stars are far greater than our sun, and the moon is insignificant in comparison to them. But not to an earthly observer. So, as seen from the earth, the sun appears to be a ”greater light that rules the day’ and the moon a ”lesser light that dominates the night.’”Genesis 1:14-18.
What Does the Hebrew word for "Day" mean?
The Hebrew word yohm, translated "day," can mean different lengths of time. Among the meanings possible, William Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies includes the following: "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."1 This last sentence appears to fit the creative "days," for certainly they were periods when extraordinary events were described as happening. It also allows for periods much longer than 24 hours.
That the Hebrew word for "day" is, as in English also, a flexible expression of unites of time is evident by the context of this expression in the Genesis account of creation. Therein is set forth a week of six creative days followed by a seventh day of rest. The week assigned for observance by the Jews under the Law covenant given them by God was a miniature copy of that creative week (Ex. 20:8-ll). That, in this instance, Moses did always mean that "day" equates twenty-four hours is the evident by: Genesis 1:5, where the daylight portion is called "day". Genesis 2:4, where all the creative epochs together are called "the day", Genesis 5:1,2, where it mentions "the day of God's creating Adam" and "the day of their being created" (though we learned by Genesis chapter 2 that the man and woman were not created in the same twenty-four hour day). Genesis 35:3, where Jacob refers to "the day of my distress"; Genesis 42:17,18, where Joseph puts his brothers into custody for three days (the days here are shorter than twenty-four hours); and in Psalms 90:2,4, also written by Moses, which says "For a thousand years are in your eyes but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch during the night." Also when considering the topic of the length of the creative days we should consider: 1) What did each day begin with? 2) What did each day end with? and 3) What does the rest of the Bible have to say on this subject?
What each Day began and ended with
Each day began with a pronouncement or statement by God of his purpose for that particular day. Thus day 1 began at Genesis 1:3; day 1 at Genesis 1:6; day 3 at Genesis 1:9; day 4 at Genesis 1:14; day 5 at Genesis 1:20; day six at Genesis 1:24; and say seven at Genesis 2:3. What can we discern so far? The creative days were an account of the stages of God's actions toward the earth, which he had already created as he had also the remainder of the universe referred to in Genesis 1:1 as "the heavens", for this period of six "days" concerned the preparation of the planet existing in the state described in Genesis 1:2 as being "formless and waste" and there being darkness over the water covered surface, so it would be suitable for and filled with life. Thus even if we knew the length of the creative days the Bible does not indicate either the age of the earth or of the universe because to mention this again for emphasis, the "heavens and the earth" were created before the first day.
What does each creative day end with, and what else does the Bible say on this subject? In the historical account of Genesis at the end of each day we find the expression "and there came to the evening and there came to the morning," and then the day number following this statement. So then day 1 ended at Genesis 1:5, day 2 at Genesis 1:8, day 3 at Genesis 1:13, day 4 at Genesis 1:19, day 5 at Genesis 1:23, day 6 at Genesis 1:31, and day 7 did not have an end. Since it is a reasonable conclusion that he days of the creation account are of equal length, we can gain understanding of the issue of the length of the creative days by considering the length of the seventh day. At Hebrews 4:1-10, Paul quotes from Psalm 95:11 to demonstrate that the Israelites of Moses' day had the opportunity to enter into God's day of rest, but these failed to do so because of their lack of faith, and disobedience, and he then indicates that Christians of his time still had the opportunity to do so because that seventh day was still continuing. So the conclusion this leads to is that the seventh day is thousands of years long and thus the other days would be as long also.
A Reasonable View
In English usage we might say "In my father's day" or something similar such as "In George Washington's day." Other people will understand what we mean by such idioms containing the word "day" according to the context, whether we are speaking in a literal or figurative way, but prejudice cause individuals to insist on a literal interpretation of certain Bible texts, before they ascertain all the facts, or regardless of them. Some individuals consider it an evidence of their "faith" if they readily accept what others may find to be unreasonable without studying everything the Bible has to say on the subject. On the other hand individuals who are looking for something to criticize in the Bible also insist on a literal interpretation even though they would not do so if hearing something similar in everyday conversation.
A Look at the Text
Genesis
1 In [the] beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth proved to be formless and waste and there was darkness upon the surface of [the] watery deep; and God’s active force was moving to and fro over the surface of the waters.
3 And God proceeded to say: "Let light come to be." Then there came to be light. 4 After that God saw that the light was good, and God brought about a division between the light and the darkness. 5 And God began calling the light Day, but the darkness he called Night. And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a first day.
(The first day began with verse three for the reasons stated above.)
So no, the Bible doesn't say old the earth is, or how old the universe is either. All of "the Heavens and the Earth" were created before the first creative day, each of the creative days were thousands of years, or so, in duration, and the events during each of those days happened gradually, and not suddenly, as if, some would claim, "the waving of a magic wand".
™ Version 4.2