This is a discussion of one of the most controversial topics in the scriptures. Beyn ha Arbayim has been a point of discord for thousands of years. Beyn ha Arbayim determines when the Passover is killed not to mention the understanding of the many other times that it is used through out the scriptures. We are told to prove all things pertaining to the scriptures. (1 Thessalonians 5:21) When Paul made this statement it was out of the ordinary for a Pharisee of his time. Paul was no ordinary Pharisee because Yahshua changed his life from imprisoning those that followed Yahshua to being a follower of Yahshua. We too have been presented with information that changes our walk. How will we use it? Will we accept Yahshua's call?

Beyn is number 996 in the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. Beyn is defined in Strong's as a distinction, but used only as a preposition between, also as a conjunction, either ... or. The Online Bible Lexicon defines byen as between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between. The first use of beyn is in Genesis chapter 1 verse 4:

"And Elohim saw the light, that it was good: and Elohim divided <0996 - beyn> the light from <0996 - beyn> the darkness."

This is interesting because the question of what Beyn ha Arbayim means comes down to how the day and more importantly the evening is divided. The Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge notes on this verse the light from the darkness is the Hebrew between the light and between the darkness. On the fourth day the sun was created. The sun, the moon, and the stars were created for signs and seasons, and from days and years. The days are started with the setting of the sun as shown through out Genesis one. The reason for this was due to the fact the earth started in darkness. On day one Yahweh provided light to separate the light from darkness. The Hebrew word Ha simply means "the". Ha is represented by the Hebrew letter hey.

Arbayim is dual (two) seen by the ending "ayim". The word Arbayim is number 6153 in the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. Strong's defines Arbayim as dusk and is from Strong's number 6150 which means to grow dusky at sundown. The Online Bible Lexicon defines Arbayim as evening, night, sunset. The first scriptural reference to Arbayim is in Genesis chapter 1 verse 5:

"And Elohim called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening <06153 - Arbayim> and the morning were the first day."

The Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge notes in this verse that, "and the evening and the morning were," is the Hebrew, "and the evening was, and the morning was." This as with verse four shows that the separation of day and night caused the first day. How do we consider day and night today? Light is what we would call day and dark is what we consider night. In between night and day we have sunrise and between day and night we have sunset. This is called morning and evening as it can be seen through out the scriptures. Morning refers to the part of day with light or growing light and evening refers to the part of day with light dwindling. So a complete day is from sunset to sunset. Starting with darkness and then returning to darkness.

Lets look at the first use of Beyn ha Arbayim in Exodus chapter 12 verse 6:

"And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening <996 - Beyn><6153 - Arbayim>."

This scripture makes it clear that the lamb or goat of a year old is to be killed between the evenings. Some say that this verse is teaching that the lamb or goat cannot be kept into the 14th of Abib because of the word "until". This is not true because when you look at verse 18 of Exodus 12 you find that "until" there continues through the day of the twenty-first. The Hebrew word for until is Strong's number 5704 which is the same word used in both scriptures.

"I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even <between the evenings> ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am Yahweh your Elohim." (Exodus 16:12)

There are quite a few different ideas about the time when the foul would be collected. Some believe that due to the darkness the birds would have been easier to catch. This scripture doesn't give much information on what time of the day the birds would be found on the ground. The fact is that we don't know what shape the birds were in when the Israelites collected them up. They could have been in a stunned state of where they were still alive but not hard to catch. There are no examples of the people chasing the quail. Also verse 8 of chapter 16 we find that they would have the quail to eat and be full at even. That would mean that they had killed and prepared the quail before evening.

Another important point is that the Sabbath would present a problem for the Israelites if we think that between the evenings is between sunset and darkness. The birds would have had to be collected on the Friday before and the people wouldn't have eaten them until at least a day later. Then at the end of the Sabbath the birds would have been collected as soon as the sunset. This doesn't seem likely because of the work that goes into collecting, killing and preparing the birds. Even this scripture, which is not conclusive, points to a Beyn ha Arbayim that is between noon and darkness. Meaning that in the morning the Israelites had bread and in the evening they had meat.

"Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually. The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even <between the evenings>: And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering. And the other (second) lamb thou shalt offer at even <between the evenings>, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto Yahweh." (Exodus 29:38-41)

The daily offerings were done everyday as a tribute to Yahweh. The important thing to note in these scriptures is that the first lamb was offered in the morning and the second offering was offered between the evenings. This would be impossible to do if Beyn ha Arbayim means from sunset to darkness. We will discuss this more with Numbers 28.

"And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even <between the evenings>, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations." (Exodus 30:7-8)

Aaron lit the lamps twice a day, once in the morning for the morning offering and once between the evenings for the later sacrifice. Due to the fact the tabernacle was completely covered lamps were lit for light. Some daylight may have made it into the tabernacle but not enough for the priests to do their daily offerings. Once again the order is important because Exodus 29 and Numbers 28 both refer to the same order.

"In the fourteenth day of the first month at even <between the evenings> is the Yahweh's passover." (Leviticus 23:5)

Yahweh's Passover is to be killed between the evenings. Unlike other observances Passover is specified at a time of the day. Other observances like the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Weeks, Feast of Trumpets, Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles are all specified on a specific day and not at a time of the day.

"In the fourteenth day of this month, at even <between the evenings>, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it." And the children of Israel did so, and put them out without the camp: as Yahweh spake unto Moses, so did the children of Israel. And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even <between the evenings> in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that Yahweh commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel." (Numbers 9:3-5)

This is the first Passover that Israel has kept after the Exodus, the beginning of their second year. Moses is told by Yahweh to instruct the people on how they are to keep the Passover. Once again the start of the Passover is pointed out to be the fourteenth day between the evenings. They are to kill, cook, and eat the Passover as Yahweh has commanded in Exodus 12-13. Moses was perhaps told to remind Israel of the rituals that went along with the killing, cooking and eating of the Passover. This was the time when the children also would have a big part in learning the meaning of the different symbols during the Passover meal.

"The fourteenth day of the second month at even <between the evenings> they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs." (Numbers 9:11)

This is a continuation of the Passover we talked about above except this is the command for those that were unclean and could not keep the Passover during Abib. This verse once again shows that the Passover was to be killed between the evenings and that the meal was to be eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

"The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other (second) lamb shalt thou offer at even <between the evenings>; And a tenth part of an ephah of flour for a meat offering, mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil. It is a continual burnt offering, which was ordained in mount Sinai for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto Yahweh. And the drink offering thereof shall be the fourth part of an hin for the one lamb: in the holy place shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto Yahweh for a drink offering. And the other (second) lamb shalt thou offer at even <between the evenings>: as the meat offering of the morning, and as the drink offering thereof, thou shalt offer it, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto Yahweh." (Numbers 28:4-8)

Once again Yahweh specifies what the daily offerings should be and when they should be offered. Once again there are two lambs, one in the morning and one in between the evenings. This would have been impossible to keep considering the darkness to sunset theory if the first lamb was offered in the morning and the second was offered in the evening. How can you have lamb one and lamb two sacrificed in the same day? Also there are examples of the evening sacrifice. Eliyah gives us one of these examples.

There is a severe drought in Israel because the people have chosen to follow Baal instead of Yahweh. The only end to this drought would be the end of Baal worship and the turning of the hearts of the people to Yahweh. Eliyah in response to the Baal worshippers of his time issued a challenge. They would offer a burnt offering to their Elohim but the test was that neither would set the sacrifice on fire. Eliyah to prove Yahweh was the true mighty one of Israel had large amounts of water poured on the sacrifice. Please start by reading I Kings 18 to get an idea of the context. Lets look at I Kings 18:36 to continue:

"And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening offering, that Eliyah the prophet came near, and said: 'O Yahweh, the Elohim of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that Thou art Elohim in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy word. Hear me, O Yahweh, hear me, that this people may know that Thou, Yahweh, art Elohim, for Thou didst turn their heart backward.' Then the fire of the Yahweh fell, and consumed the burnt-offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said: 'Yahweh, He is Elohim; Yahweh, He is Elohim.' And Eliyah said unto them: 'Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.' And they took them; and Eliyah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there." (1 Kings 18:36-40 JPS)

Between the evens of an hour and a half doesn't provide enough time for Eliyah to complete everything that he did that day. Read verses 41-46 of I Kings 18. Here is a chart of just some of things Eliyah did between the evenings. (I Kings 18:29)

1. Repaired Yahweh's altar. (I Kings 18:30-32)

2. Dug a trench around the altar to hold 2 seahs of seed (water). (I Kings 18:32)

3. Laid wood on the altar. (I Kings 18:33)

4. Cut up the bull and laid it on the wood. (I Kings 18:33)

5. Had three times four jars of water filled and dumped on the altar. So much water was added that the trench was filled with water. (I Kings 18:34-35)

6. Prayer to Yahweh that resulted in the offering and all that was added to the altar being consumed. (I Kings 18:36-39)

7. Capture of the prophets of Baal by the people. (I Kings 18:40)

8. Execution of the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal by the Brook Kishon. (I Kings 18:40)

9. Ahab was sent to eat and drink before the coming rain. (I Kings 18:41)

10. Eliyah climbed Mount Carmel. (I Kings 18:42)

11. Sent His servant seven times to look for rain. (I Kings 18:43)

12. The seventh time the servant saw a cloud in the west that looked like a man's hand. (I Kings 18:44)

13. The sky grew black because of the rain. (I Kings 18:45)

Eliyah through Almighty Yahweh cleansed Israel of the prophets of Baal. This has also given us a witness of the evening sacrifices.

And to stand every morning to thank and praise Yahweh, and likewise at even <between the evenings>; (1 Chronicles 23:30)

We are to give thanks and praise to Yahweh every morning and every evening. Verse 31 points out that this praise is to be when the prescribed offerings are sacrificed.

Let me start with a warning. Most Bible references are from a Christian perspective. I have seen many resources that say Beyn ha Arbayim is from sunset to complete darkness. Most reputable scholars make notes of both sides of this argument. The question of which is correct must still be shown from careful study of the scriptures as done above. The following are only a few references. Many more can be found in a very well stocked library.

"In the Evening beyn haarbayim, 'between the two evenings.' The Jews divided the day into morning and evening: till the sun passed the meridian all was morning or forenoon: after that, all was afternoon or evening. Their first evening began just after twelve o'clock, and continued till sunset; their second evening began at sunset and continued until night, i.e., during the whole time of twilight; between twelve o'clock, therefore, and the termination of twilight, the Passover was to be offered." (Adam Clarke's Commentary, page 350)

"5. The phrase 'between the two evenings' in Ex. 12:6 (also Ex. 16:12; Lv. 23:5; Nu. 9:3, 5 11) has been accorded two variant interpretations, according to variant community practice-either between 3 p.m. and sunset, as the Pharisees maintained and practiced (cf. Pesahim 61a; Josephus, BJ 6.423); or, as the Samaritans and other argued, between sunset and dark. The earlier time, as Edersheim points out, allows more leeway for the slaughtering of the innumerable lambs, and is probably to be preferred." (New Bible Dictionary, Marshall, Millard, Packer, Wiseman, Third Edition, page 872)

"Evening --- The Hebrews reckoned 2 evenings in each day; as in the phrase 'between the two evenings,' Exod. 12:6; Num. 9:3; 28:4, margin. In this interval the Passover was to be killed, and the daily evening sacrifice offered, Exod. 29:39-41, Hebrew. According to the Caraites, this is the interval from sunset to complete darkness, that is, the evening twilight. Compare Deut. 16:6, Psa. 59:6. According to the Pharisees and the rabbins, the first evening began when the sun began to descend more rapidly, that is, at the 9th hour; while the second or real evening commenced at sunset." (Dictionary of the Holy Bible, American Tract Society, 1914, page 165)

"at twilight. Lit. 'between the two evenings,' an idiom meaning either (1) between the decline of the sun and the sunset, or (2) between sunset and nightfall --- which has given rise to disputes about when the Sabbath and other holy days begin." (Exodus 12:6, NIV Study Bible, Zondervan Publishing House)

"So these high priests, upon the coming of their feast which is called the Passover, when they slay their sacrifices, from the ninth hour to the eleventh, but so that a company of not less than ten belong to every sacrifice, (for it is not lawful for them to feast singly by themselves,) and many of us are twenty in a company, found the number of sacrifices was two hundred and fifty six thousand five hundred;" (The Complete Works of Josephus, Flavius Josephus, translated by Whiston, La Sor, Wars of the Jews, Chapter 9 part 3, page 588)

"and the whole assembly of the congregation shall kill it in the evening; that is, of the fourteenth of Nisan; not between the two suns, as the Targum of Jonathan, between the sun setting and the sun rising; nor between the setting of the sun, and the entire disappearance of its rays of light reflecting in the air and clouds after it, as Aben Ezra; so it is said in the Talmud, after the sun is set, all the time that the face of the east is red; others say as long as a man can walk half a mile after sun setting; and others, the twinkling of an eye; but "between the two evening's", as it may be rendered; which respects that space of time after the sun begins to decline, and the entire setting of it; when the sun begins to decline, as it does after noon, that is the first evening, and when it is set, that is the second; and the middle space between the one and the other is about the nineth hour of the day, according to the Jewish computation, and, with us, about three o'clock in the afternoon, about which time the passover used to be killed; for they say , "the daily sacrifice was slain at eight and a half, and offered at the nineth; but on the evening of the passover it was slain at seven and a half, and offered at eight and a half, whether on a common day, or on a sabbath; and if the evening of the passover happened to be on the evening of the sabbath, it was slain at six and a half, and offered up at seven and a half, and after that the passover; " (John Gill's Expositor, Exodus 12:6)

"kill it in the evening--that is, the interval between the sun's beginning to decline, and sunset, corresponding to our three o'clock in the afternoon." (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary, Exodus 12:6)

"in the evening. Heb. between the two evenings. The Jews divided the day into morning and evening: till the sun passed the meridian, all was morning or forenoon; after that, all was evening or afternoon. Their first evening began just after twelve o'clock, and continued till sunset; their second evening began at sunset, and continued till night, i.e., during the whole time of twilight; between twelve o'clock, therefore, and the termination of twilight, the passover was to be offered." (Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Exodus 12:6)

Although most resources mention both interpretations of Beyn ha Arbayim they mostly seem to agree that it means the time between noon and darkness. It is also interesting to point out that a lot of the commentaries point to 3 in the afternoon or the Hebrew 9th hour of day.

Although there is continually controversy over when Beyn ha Arbayim actually takes place Yahweh's inspired scriptures without a doubt point to a noon to dark period. Yahweh through the sacrifice of His only begotten son has given us the most documented sacrifice ever. Yahshua's death at 3-3:30 PM on the 14th of Abib. (Mat. 27:46, Mark 15:34, Luke 23:45-46) This was no accident and with a further understanding of Beyn ha Arbayim we see the connection.

As we look at the scriptures it becomes clear that Yahshua was the perfect sacrifice. Innocent blood shed for those that are called and choose to follow him. We must remain vigilant in the truth. Keeping our hearts and minds on the path that leads to everlasting life. One of those truths is that the evening sacrifice was killed around 3:30 PM our time or the ninth hour of day.

This study will be tested thoroughly as it should. Some Biblical resources will not agree with this conclusion. Those are the same scholars that write of a Sunday Sabbath and explain why the laws are no longer in effect. We must be one step ahead of those scholars by putting Yahweh's word in hearts and minds. Our thorough understanding of the scriptures and our application of that knowledge is how we will be judged. I pray that we all become veritable sons and daughters of Almighty Yahweh.

"...but at the place which Yahweh thy Elohim shall choose to cause His name to dwell in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover-offering at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt." (Deuteronomy 16:6 JPS)

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