Original Word: אוֹר
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: owr
Pronunciation: ohr
Phonetic Spelling: (ore)
KJV: bright, clear, + day, light (-ning), morning, sun
NASB: light, lightning, lights, broad, dawn, daylight, early morning
Word Origin: [from H215 (אוֹר - shine)]

1. illumination
2. (concretely) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.)

bright, clear, day, lightning, morning, sun

From 'owr; illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.) -- bright, clear, + day, light (-ning), morning, sun.

see HEBREW 'owr

Word Origin
from or
Definition
a light
NASB Translation
broad (1), dawn (1), dawn* (1), daylight (1), daylight* (1), early morning (1), light (105), lightning (5), lights (2), sun (1), sunlight (1), sunshine (1).

אוֺר₁₂₁ noun masculine^{Genesis 1:3} (feminine^{Job 36:32; Jeremiah 13:16}) light (Assyrian urru = ûru Dl^w). — absolute Genesis 1:3 +; construct Judges 16:2 +; suffix אוֺרִי Psalm 27:1, etc.; plural אוֺרִים Psalm 136:7; —

1 light as diffused in nature, light of day Genesis 1:3,4,5 (P) Job 3:9; Job 38:19 +.

2 morning light, dawn, אוֺר הַבֹּקֶר light of the morning Judges 16:2; 1 Samuel 14:36; 1 Samuel 25:34,36; 2 Samuel 17:22; 2 Kings 7:9; Micah 2:1; בֹּקֶר ׳א 2 Samuel 23:4 (poem of David); ׳עַדהָֿא Judges 19:26 (compare עַדהַֿבֹּקֶר Judges 19:25); לָאוֺר Job 24:14; מִןהָֿאוֺר עַד מַחֲצִית הַיּוֺם from dawn till mid-day, Nehemiah 8:3 compare Proverbs 4:18.

3 light of the heavenly luminaries; הַלְּבָנָה ׳א, "" הַחַמָּה ׳א moonlight & sunlight Isaiah 30:26; כּוֺכְבֵי אוֺר stars of light Psalm 148:3; מְאוֺרֵי אוֺר luminaries of light Ezekiel 32:8; אוֺרִים = מְאוֺרִים Psalm 136:7; so עֲלֵיאֿוֺר in sunshine Isaiah 18:4; the sun itself Job 31:26.

4 daylight אוֺר רְשָׁעִים light of the wicked Job 38:15 (their work-day being the night); יוֺם אוֺר a day of light Amos 8:9 (= a clear, sunshiny day).

5 lightning Job 36:32; Job 37:3,11,15 compare Habakkuk 3:11.

6 light of lamp Proverbs 13:9; Jeremiah 25:10; of crocodile's hot breath Job 41:10.

7 light of life חַיִּים ׳א Job 33:30; Psalm 56:14; compare אוֺר Job 3:16,20.

8 light of prosperity Job 22:28; Job 30:26; Psalm 97:11; Lamentations 3:2.

9 light of instruction נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֺרָה אוֺר Proverbs 6:23 the commandment is a lamp and instruction a light; so the Messian. servant is אוֺר גּוֺיִם Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 49:6; compare עַמִּים ׳א Isaiah 51:4; the advent of Messiah is shining of great light Isaiah 9:1 (twice in verse).

10 light of face אוֺר מָּנִים = bright, cheerful face (of men) Job 29:24; betokening king's favour Proverbs 16:15 (compare עֵינַיִם ׳א Psalm 38:11); of God = his shining, enlightening, favouring face Psalm 4:7; Psalm 44:4; Psalm 89:16.

11 Yahweh is יִשְׂרָאֵל ׳א Isaiah 10:17, as source enlightenment & prosperity; light & salvation Psalm 27:1; light to guide Micah 7:8 compare Psalm 43:3; everlasting light of Zion, instead of sun & moon Isaiah 60:19,20; house of Jacob is to walk in his light Isaiah 2:5.

Overview

The noun אוֹר (’ôr) occurs about 122 times, ranging from the primeval command that launched creation to prophetic visions of the coming Kingdom. The contexts fall naturally into several spheres: (1) physical luminosity, (2) theophanic glory, (3) moral and spiritual enlightenment, (4) revelatory instruction, and (5) eschatological salvation. Though the Old Testament employs rich metaphor, its usage never divorces “light” from the personal source—God Himself.

Creation and Cosmic Light

Genesis 1:3–4 records the foundational instance: “Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good”. Here אוֹר precedes sun, moon and stars, underscoring that all subsequent illumination is derivative. Job 38:19–24 likewise treats light as an ordered commodity in Yahweh’s treasury, reinforcing divine sovereignty over natural phenomena.

Theophanic and Salvific Light

אוֹר often marks God’s distinguishing presence among His people. During the ninth plague “all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings” (Exodus 10:23). Psalm 27:1 personalizes the same truth: “The LORD is my light and my salvation.” Micah 7:8 couples restoration with radiance: “Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.” In each case God’s intervention dispels physical peril and moral gloom alike.

Light as Torah and Wisdom

Scripture presents divine instruction as luminous guidance. “For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is light” (Proverbs 6:23). Psalm 119:105 applies the imagery to individual pilgrimage: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” The sapiential use emphasizes ethical clarity; righteousness is walked in, not merely admired (Proverbs 4:18).

Covenant Worship and Sacred Space

Tabernacle and Temple practice showcased perpetual light, supplied by pure oil (Leviticus 24:2). While אוֹר itself names the phenomenon rather than the lampstand, the text links visible flame to the unseen covenant Lord who “dwells in unapproachable light” (cf. 1 Timothy 6:16, an element later echoed in the New Testament).

Light and Justice in Social Order

Job’s former days were marked by divine luminosity: “His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through darkness” (Job 29:3). Conversely, Isaiah 5:20 warns of moral inversion: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness into light and light into darkness.” אוֹר functions as a moral plumb line; any distortion invites judgment (Amos 5:18–20).

Poetic Celebration and Personal Joy

Psalms often employ אוֹר as a metaphor for joy and life. “In Your light we see light” (Psalm 36:9) joins experiential knowledge of God with continued vitality. Ecclesiastes 11:7 remarks, “Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun,” a reminder that earthly brightness itself is gift.

Prophetic Eschatology and Messianic Fulfillment

Isaiah magnifies אוֹר as messianic hope. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:2). The Servant is appointed “as a light for the nations” (Isaiah 42:6), and Zion is summoned: “Arise, shine, for your light has come” (Isaiah 60:1). These texts anticipate a dawning age in which “the LORD will be your everlasting light” (Isaiah 60:19–20). Zechariah 14:7 envisions “a unique day known only to the LORD—without day or night, but at evening there will be light,” merging cosmic and covenantal motifs into a single redemptive finale.

Post-Exilic and Wisdom Echoes

In the Persian period, Nehemiah 9:12 recalls the pillar of fire that gave “light on the way they should travel.” Esther 8:16 celebrates deliverance: “The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor.” Such references demonstrate that covenant luminosity endures beyond exile.

Ministry Implications

1. Preaching: אוֹר frames the metanarrative—creation, fall, redemption, consummation—providing a homiletic axis for proclaiming Christ as “the light of the world.”
2. Discipleship: Believers are called “to walk in the light” (1 John 1:7) echoing Proverbs 4:18. אוֹר therefore undergirds ethical instruction and accountability.
3. Worship: Liturgical readings of Genesis 1, Psalm 27, and Isaiah 60 direct congregations to praise the Lord whose glory banishes darkness in every realm.
4. Missions: Isaiah 42:6–7 defines evangelistic mandate—carrying covenant light to nations still enshrouded in darkness.
5. Pastoral Care: Texts such as Micah 7:8 offer comfort to the afflicted, assuring them that divine light will rise over present obscurity.

Summary

אוֹר weaves through Scripture as both phenomenon and promise—visible in creation, experiential in redemption, instructional in Torah, ethical in community, and climactic in eschatology. The Old Testament’s 122 occurrences collectively affirm that every ray of true light emanates from the character and activity of the LORD, summoning His people to reflect that brightness until the day when “night will be no more” (Revelation 22:5).

א֑וֹר א֔וֹר א֖וֹר א֗וֹר א֝֗וֹר א֣וֹר א֥וֹר א֨וֹר א֭וֹר אֽוֹר־ אֽוֹר׃ אוֹר֑וֹ אוֹר֙ אוֹרְךָ֣ אוֹרִ֣י אוֹרִ֣ים אוֹרֵ֑ךְ אוֹרֵֽהוּ׃ אוֹרֶ֔ךָ אוֹרָ֑ם אוֹרָֽם׃ אוֹרֽוֹ׃ אוֹר־ אור אור־ אור׃ אורהו׃ אורו אורו׃ אורי אורים אורך אורם אורם׃ בְּ֝א֗וֹר בְּ֝אוֹרְךָ֗ בְּֽאוֹר־ בְּא֣וֹר בְּא֤וֹר בְּא֥וֹר בְּאוֹר־ בָּא֥וֹר באור באור־ באורך הָא֑וֹר הָא֖וֹר הָאֽוֹר׃ הָאוֹר֙ האור האור׃ וְ֝א֗וֹר וְ֝אוֹר֗וֹ וְֽאוֹר־ וְא֣וֹר וְא֤וֹר וְא֥וֹר וְהָא֔וֹר וַיָּ֪אֶר וָא֔וֹר וּכְא֥וֹר ואור ואור־ ואורו והאור ויאר וכאור כְּא֖וֹר כְּא֣וֹר כָּא֣וֹר כָא֣וֹר כאור לְ֝א֗וֹר לְ֝אוֹרוֹ לְא֣וֹר לְא֤וֹר לְא֥וֹר לְאוֹר֙ לְאוֹרֵ֑ךְ לָא֔וֹר לָא֗וֹר לָא֡וֹר לָא֣וֹר לָאוֹר֙ לאור לאורו לאורך מֵא֣וֹר מאור ’ō·w·rām ’ō·w·rê·hū ’ō·w·re·ḵā ’ō·w·rêḵ ’ō·w·rî ’ō·w·rîm ’ō·w·rōw ’ō·wr ’ō·wr- ’ō·wr·ḵā ’ōwr ’ōwr- ’ōwrām ’ōwrêhū ’ōwrêḵ ’ōwreḵā ’ōwrî ’ōwrîm ’ōwrḵā ’ōwrōw bā’ōwr bā·’ō·wr baor bə’ōwr bə’ōwr- bə’ōwrḵā bə·’ō·wr bə·’ō·wr- bə·’ō·wr·ḵā beor beorcha chaOr hā’ōwr hā·’ō·wr haOr kā’ōwr ḵā’ōwr kā·’ō·wr ḵā·’ō·wr kaor kə’ōwr kə·’ō·wr keor lā’ōwr lā·’ō·wr laOr lə’ōwr lə’ōwrêḵ lə’ōwrōw lə·’ō·w·rêḵ lə·’ō·w·rōw lə·’ō·wr leor leoRech leoro mê’ōwr mê·’ō·wr meor or oRam orCha oRech oRecha oRehu oRi oRim oRo ū·ḵə·’ō·wr ucheor ūḵə’ōwr vaiYaer vaor vehaOr veor veoRo wā’ōwr wā·’ō·wr way·yā·’er wayyā’er wə’ōwr wə’ōwr- wə’ōwrōw wə·’ō·w·rōw wə·’ō·wr wə·’ō·wr- wə·hā·’ō·wr wəhā’ōwrInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts