Original Word: נֶשֶׁף
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: nesheph
Pronunciation: NEH-shehf
Phonetic Spelling: (neh'-shef)
KJV: dark, dawning of the day (morning), night, twilight
NASB: twilight, dawn, dusky, evening
Word Origin: [from H5398 (נָשַׁף - blew)]

1. (properly) a breeze
2. (by implication) dusk (when the evening breeze prevails)

dark, dawning of the day morning, night, twilight

From nashaph; properly, a breeze, i.e. (by implication) dusk (when the evening breeze prevails) -- dark, dawning of the day (morning), night, twilight.

see HEBREW nashaph

Word Origin
from nashaph
Definition
twilight
NASB Translation
dawn (2), dusky (1), evening (1), twilight (8).

נֶ֫שֶׁף noun masculine twilight (properly twilight-breeze, compare לְרוּחַ הַיּוֺם Genesis 3:8; Late Hebrew id.; ᵑ7 נְשֶׁף, נִשְׁמָּא; — ׳נ absolute 1 Samuel 30:17 +, נָ֑שֶׁף Jeremiah 13:16; construct Isaiah 21:4; suffix נִשְׁמּוֺ Job 3:9; —

1 evening twilight 2 Kings 7:5,7 (compare לַיְלָה 2 Kings 7:12); opposed to בֹּקֶר Isaiah 5:11; time of concealment Job 24:15; Proverbs 7:9 (+ עֶרֶב יוֺם, אִישׁוֺן לַיְלָה וַאֲפֵלָה, to emphasize sin that shuns the day); of refreshing Isaiah 21:4 חִשְׁקִיׅ ׳(נ; of stumbling, in dim light Isaiah 59:10 (opposed to צָהֳרַיִם), so הָרֵי נָ֑שֶׁף Jeremiah 13:16 (both figurative); כּוֺכְבֵי נִשְׁמּוֺ Job 3:9 the stars of its twilight (i.e. of night of Job's birth). — so וְעַדהָֿעֶרֶב ׳מֵהַנּ לְמָחֳרָתָם 1 Samuel 30 Klo Kit HPS (read לְהַחֲרִמָם for ׳לְמָח, We Kit Bu); Th, after Luth, below so Buhl^Kex SS; Löhr allows either.

2 morning twilight Job 7:4 (opposed to עֶרֶב). apparently also Psalm 119:147.

Literal Sense and Imagery

The word depicts the brief, ambiguous light at the turning of day, whether dusk yielding to night or the first glimmer before sunrise. Scripture employs this liminal moment to underscore vulnerability, secrecy, expectancy, and the suddenness of divine intervention.

Occurrences in Narrative Texts

• 1 Samuel 30:17 records David striking the Amalekites “from twilight until evening of the next day,” showing twilight as the launch point of decisive judgment.
• In the siege narrative of 2 Kings 7:5, 7:7, the four lepers go out “at twilight,” and the Aramean army flees “at twilight,” emphasizing how quickly God can reverse an impossible situation when daylight has not yet exposed His work.

Wisdom and Poetic Literature

• Proverbs 7:9 portrays the seductress meeting her prey “in the twilight,” illustrating how moral danger thrives in half-light.
• Job 24:15 echoes this: “The eye of the adulterer watches for dusk; he thinks, ‘No eye will see me.’ ” Twilight becomes the cloak for hidden sin.
• Conversely, Psalm 119:147 speaks of earnest devotion: “I rise before dawn and cry for help,” presenting twilight as the hour of watchful prayer.
• Job’s lament (Job 3:9; 7:4) and the imagery of Jeremiah 13:16 turn twilight into a symbol of oppressive darkness when fellowship with God is lost.

Prophetic Usage

• Isaiah 5:11 warns those who “linger into the evening” in drunkenness, showing twilight as a convergence of indulgence and impending woe.
• Isaiah 21:4 testifies, “He has made my twilight into a horror,” capturing dread on the eve of Babylon’s fall.
• Isaiah 59:10 depicts national blindness: “At midday we are like the dead in the twilight,” a stark picture of spiritual stupor amid apparent daylight.
• Jeremiah 13:16 calls Judah to “give glory to the LORD your God before He brings darkness,” urging repentance before twilight turns to irreversible gloom.

Themes and Theology

1. Moral Testing: Twilight exposes the heart—some exploit its shadows (Proverbs 7:9), others seek God early (Psalm 119:147).
2. Sudden Deliverance: God’s salvation may dawn while it is still dark (2 Kings 7:5-7), highlighting His sovereignty over timing.
3. Impending Judgment: Prophets employ twilight to warn that opportunities for repentance are short-lived (Jeremiah 13:16).
4. Human Frailty: Job’s sleepless wrestling “until dawn” (Job 7:4) mirrors the believer’s longing for God to break through night.

Ministry and Devotional Applications

• Encourage vigilant prayer: rising “before dawn” cultivates dependence and expectation.
• Warn against secret sin: activities born in the half-light will be judged in open day.
• Offer hope: even when life feels like perpetual dusk, God can turn twilight into morning (Psalm 30:5).
• Preach urgency: the gospel summons hearers before light fades and the window of mercy closes.

Historical Insight

Ancient Near Eastern life hinged on the brief periods of twilight for travel, watch changes, and surprise attacks. Scripture mirrors this reality, portraying twilight as a hinge moment when hidden forces—whether armies, temptations, or divine acts—emerge. Recognizing this setting deepens appreciation of the urgency and poignancy carried by each occurrence.

בְּנֶֽשֶׁף־ בַ֭נֶּשֶׁף בַנֶּ֔שֶׁף בַנֶּשֶׁף֒ בנשף בנשף־ כַּנֶּ֔שֶׁף כנשף מֵהַנֶּ֥שֶׁף מהנשף נִ֫שְׁפּ֥וֹ נֶ֣שֶׁף נָ֑שֶׁף נָֽשֶׁף׃ נשף נשף׃ נשפו ḇan·ne·šep̄ ḇannešep̄ bə·ne·šep̄- bənešep̄- beneshef kan·ne·šep̄ kannešep̄ kanNeshef mê·han·ne·šep̄ mêhannešep̄ mehanNeshef nā·šep̄ nāšep̄ Nashef ne·šep̄ nešep̄ Neshef niš·pōw nishPo nišpōw vanNeshefInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts