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תְּמוֹל

𐤕𐤌𐤅𐤋

tᵉmôwl

H8543 adverb

SILEX Entry

Definition

An adverb of time indicating the recent past, most often 'yesterday' or 'previously.' Used to refer to a time just prior to the present, ranging from the immediate past ('yesterday') to an indefinite period in the past, but typically not long ago. At times, used in phrases meaning 'formerly,' 'before now,' or 'heretofore.' Frequently appears in combination with שִׁלְשׁוֹם (shilshom, 'day before yesterday') to mean 'in the two or three days past' or to evoke a vaguely recent period.

Semantic Range

yesterday, formerly, heretofore, previously, the day before this, a short time ago, in days gone by; in phrase תְּמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם: in recent days, formerly, up to now

Root / Etymology

Root: אתמול (possibly from א-ת-מ-ל, etymology uncertain); תמוֹל seems to be a contracted or variant form of אֶתְמוֹל, carrying the same meaning ('yesterday,' 'formerly'). The core meaning of the root is 'the day before the present,' but the derived form תמוֹל may function broadly to signify recent past.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, תְּמוֹל predominantly indicates the previous day ('yesterday') in narrative contexts but can also refer more generally to a recent, undefined past ('formerly,' 'heretofore'). When paired with שִׁלְשׁוֹם ('day before yesterday') as תְּמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם (literally, 'yesterday, day before yesterday'), it serves as an idiom for 'recent days' or 'formerly.' The distinction from other Hebrew temporal adverbs such as פַּעַם ('once, formerly') is that תְּמוֹל limits its reference to the immediate past, whereas פַּעַם may indicate a less specific previous time. In later Hebrew and Jewish Aramaic literature, the root retains its temporal association but may acquire a somewhat broader or idiomatic sense ('previously,' 'in former times'). Standard English translations typically render תְּמוֹל as 'yesterday,' but sometimes also as 'formerly' or 'heretofore' where the context requires broader reference. Use in poetry may highlight fleetingness or contrast between past and present. The term does not carry the cyclical or ritual nuance of 'Sabbath' or feast days but is mundane and temporal.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or תְּמֹל; probably for אֶתְמוֹל; sometimes with שִׁלְשׁוֹם; properly, ago, i.e. a (short or long) time since; especially yesterday, or day before yesterday; [phrase] before (-time), [phrase] these (three) days, [phrase] heretofore, [phrase] time past, yesterday.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

אתמול (tᵉmôwl) — recent past, to be before, previously

Root אתמול recent past, to be before, previously
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H865 אֶתְמוֹל the prior day

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H8543-03 מִ/תְּמ֣וֹל mitemol HR/D from yesterday from previously from yesterday 8
H8543-04 תְּמ֣וֹל temol HD yesterday recently before recently before 8
H8543-02 כִּ/תְמ֣וֹל kitemol HR/D as yesterday as previously as previously 6
H8543-01 כִ/תְמוֹל khitemol HR/D as like yesterday like yesterday 1

Occurrences in Scripture

23 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H8543-02 Genesis 31:2 כִּ/תְמ֥וֹל kitemol HR/D as as previously as previously
H8543-02 Genesis 31:5 כִּ/תְמֹ֣ל kitemol HR/D as before as previously as previously
H8543-03 Exodus 4:10 מִ/תְּמוֹל֙ mitemol HR/D since yesterday from previously from yesterday
H8543-02 Exodus 5:7 כִּ/תְמ֣וֹל kitemol HR/D as before as previously as previously
H8543-04 Exodus 5:8 תְּמ֤וֹל temol HD previously recently before yesterday
H8543-02 Exodus 5:14 כִּ/תְמ֣וֹל kitemol HR/D as yesterday as previously as previously
H8543-04 Exodus 5:14 תְּמ֖וֹל temol HD yesterday recently before yesterday
H8543-03 Exodus 21:29 מִ/תְּמֹ֣ל mitemol HR/D from yesterday from previously from previously
H8543-03 Exodus 21:36 מִ/תְּמ֣וֹל mitemol HR/D from-yesterday from previously since yesterday
H8543-03 Deuteronomy 4:42 מִ/תְּמ֣וֹל mitemol HR/D from yesterday from previously formerly
H8543-03 Deuteronomy 19:4 מִ/תְּמֹ֥ל mitemol HR/D from yesterday from previously previously
H8543-03 Deuteronomy 19:6 מִ/תְּמ֥וֹל mitemol HR/D from yesterday from previously from yesterday
H8543-03 Joshua 3:4 מִ/תְּמ֥וֹל mitemol HR/D from yesterday from previously from yesterday
H8543-01 Joshua 4:18 כִ/תְמוֹל khitemol HR/D as like yesterday like yesterday
H8543-03 Joshua 20:5 מִ/תְּמ֥וֹל mitemol HR/D from yesterday from previously previously
H8543-04 1 Samuel 20:27 תְּמ֥וֹל temol HD yesterday recently before yesterday
H8543-02 1 Samuel 21:6 כִּ/תְמ֣וֹל kitemol HR/D as yesterday as previously as previously
H8543-04 2 Samuel 3:17 תְּמוֹל֙ temol HD yesterday recently before recently before
H8543-04 2 Samuel 15:20 תְּמ֣וֹל temol HD yesterday recently before recently before
H8543-02 2 Kings 13:5 כִּ/תְמ֥וֹל kitemol HR/D as as previously as previously
H8543-04 Job 8:9 תְמ֣וֹל temol HD yesterday recently before recently before
H8543-04 Ruth 2:11 תְּמ֥וֹל temol HD previously recently before yesterday
H8543-04 1 Chronicles 11:2 תְּמ֣וֹל temol HD yesterday recently before recently before
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