מָחָר
𐤌𐤇𐤓
mâchâr
H4279 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An adverb and occasionally substantive indicating 'the (next) day' or 'tomorrow,' and by extension, 'in the future' or 'hereafter.' In narrative and legal contexts, it refers specifically to the day following the current day or event. In broader or poetic usage, it can be used more generally for an indefinite future time.
Semantic Range
the next day, tomorrow (literal calendrical sense); the following day; in the future, hereafter (indefinite or poetic usage)
Root / Etymology
From the root אחר (ʼ-ḥ-r), meaning 'to be behind, to delay, be late.' מָחָר is a time-related derivative from this root, shifting from the notion of 'being behind' or 'after' to designate the day after the present, i.e., 'tomorrow.' The process involves semantic development from spatial/temporal delay to a discrete future unit of time.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, מָחָר is found in legal, narrative, and prophetic texts. Its most frequent sense is the straightforward calendrical 'the next day' (e.g., Exod 9:6, Josh 5:11), marking a point in sequential time. In poetry and prophecy, it can stretch to mean 'hereafter' or a vague 'in time to come,' though this usage is less common. English 'tomorrow' is functionally the main equivalent for most cases. However, מָחָר does not carry the idea of a set eschatological future as some later English 'hereafter' or 'future' might; it is generally more immediate or context-dependent. There is some overlap with other terms for future time (such as אחרית 'latter end'), but מָחָר retains its concrete sense of the next succeeding day or, idiomatically, a near-term future. It is never used with reference to religious or ethnic identity, and its temporal meaning does not shift substantially across earlier vs. later strata of biblical Hebrew. In post-biblical Hebrew (e.g., Mishnah), usage continues, solidifying the 'tomorrow' sense, which persists in Modern Hebrew.
Translation Consistency
'Tomorrow' is the overwhelmingly dominant and natural rendering (47 of 52 occurrences) and fits the primary calendrical/adverbial sense of מָחָר—the next day. It also naturally covers the extended poetic/indefinite sense of ‘in the future’ or ‘hereafter,’ while remaining simple and consistent across all forms.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
probably from אָחַר; properly, deferred, i.e. the morrow; usually (adverbially) tomorrow; indefinitely, hereafter; time to come, tomorrow.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
אחר (Acherach) — to be behind, to come after, to defer, to follow
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H268 | אָחוֹר | rear |
| H309 | אָחַר | he delayed |
| H310 | אַחַר | after, behind |
| H311 | אַחַר | behind / after |
| H312 | אַחֵר | another (masculine) |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4279-02 |
מָחָר֙ | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow | 41 |
H4279-03 |
וּ/מָחָ֕ר | umachar | HC/Ncmsa |
and tomorrow | and the after-day | and tomorrow | 6 |
H4279-01 |
לְ/מָחָ֛ר | lemachar | HR/Ncmsa |
for tomorrow | for tomorrow | for tomorrow | 5 |
Occurrences in Scripture
52 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4279-02 |
Genesis 30:33 | מָחָ֔ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-01 |
Exodus 8:6 | לְ/מָחָ֑ר | lemachar | HR/Ncmsa |
Tomorrow | for tomorrow | for tomorrow |
H4279-01 |
Exodus 8:19 | לְ/מָחָ֥ר | lemachar | HR/Ncmsa |
Tomorrow | for tomorrow | for tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Exodus 8:25 | מָחָ֑ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Exodus 9:5 | מָחָ֗ר | machar | HNcmsa |
Tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Exodus 9:18 | מָחָ֔ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Exodus 10:4 | מָחָ֛ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Exodus 13:14 | מָחָ֖ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Exodus 16:23 | מָחָ֑ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Exodus 17:9 | מָחָ֗ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-03 |
Exodus 19:10 | וּ/מָחָ֑ר | umachar | HC/Ncmsa |
and tomorrow | and the after-day | and tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Exodus 32:5 | מָחָֽר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-01 |
Numbers 11:18 | לְ/מָחָר֮ | lemachar | HR/Ncmsa |
for tomorrow | for tomorrow | for tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Numbers 14:25 | מָחָ֗ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Numbers 16:7 | מָחָ֔ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Numbers 16:16 | מָחָֽר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Deuteronomy 6:20 | מָחָ֖ר | machar | HNcmsa |
in time to come | the after-day | in the future |
H4279-02 |
Joshua 3:5 | מָחָ֗ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Joshua 4:6 | מָחָר֙ | machar | HNcmsa |
in time to come | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Joshua 4:21 | מָחָר֙ | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-01 |
Joshua 7:13 | לְ/מָחָ֑ר | lemachar | HR/Ncmsa |
for tomorrow | for tomorrow | for tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Joshua 11:6 | מָחָ֞ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-03 |
Joshua 22:18 | וּ/מָחָ֕ר | umachar | HC/Ncmsa |
tomorrow | and the after-day | and tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Joshua 22:24 | מָחָ֗ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Joshua 22:27 | מָחָר֙ | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Joshua 22:28 | מָחָ֑ר | machar | HNcmsa |
hereafter | the after-day | in the future |
H4279-02 |
Judges 19:9 | מָחָר֙ | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Judges 20:28 | מָחָ֖ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
1 Samuel 9:16 | מָחָ֡ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
1 Samuel 11:9 | מָחָ֛ר | machar | HNcmsa |
Tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
1 Samuel 11:10 | מָחָ֖ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
1 Samuel 19:11 | מָחָ֖ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
1 Samuel 20:5 | מָחָ֔ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
1 Samuel 20:12 | מָחָר֙ | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
1 Samuel 20:18 | מָחָ֣ר | machar | HNcmsa |
Tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-03 |
1 Samuel 28:19 | וּ/מָחָ֕ר | umachar | HC/Ncmsa |
and tomorrow | and the after-day | and tomorrow |
H4279-03 |
2 Samuel 11:12 | וּ/מָחָ֣ר | umachar | HC/Ncmsa |
and tomorrow | and the after-day | and tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
1 Kings 19:2 | מָחָר֙ | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
1 Kings 20:6 | מָחָ֗ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
2 Kings 6:28 | מָחָֽר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
2 Kings 7:1 | מָחָר֙ | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
2 Kings 7:18 | מָחָ֔ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
2 Kings 10:6 | מָחָ֖ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Isaiah 22:13 | מָחָ֖ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Isaiah 56:12 | מָחָ֔ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-03 |
Proverbs 3:28 | וּ/מָחָ֥ר | umachar | HC/Ncmsa |
and tomorrow | and the after-day | and tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Proverbs 27:1 | מָחָ֑ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |
H4279-03 |
Esther 5:8 | וּ/מָחָ֥ר | umachar | HC/Ncmsa |
and tomorrow | and the after-day | and tomorrow |
H4279-01 |
Esther 5:12 | לְ/מָחָ֛ר | lemachar | HR/Ncmsa |
tomorrow | for tomorrow | for tomorrow |
H4279-02 |
Esther 9:13 | מָחָ֗ר | machar | HNcmsa |
tomorrow | the after-day | tomorrow |