What time is ben ha arbayim?
What time is ben (h996) ha arbayim (h6153)?
Understanding this term is important because it is the time to kill the Pascha lamb when in Exodus 12:6 the children of Israel were commanded at even (ben ha arbayim) to kill a Pasha lamb and eat the Passover meal that follows. The Jews say the killing of the lamb was the late hours of the Fourteenth, whereas others (adopted first by the the Samaritans, then followed by the Sadducees and Boethusians) say it is the early hours of the Fourteenth. So who are correct?
In all eleven passages where ben ha arbayim is used in the Scriptures, Strong’s concordance numbers and defines it as #6153, including it with ereb.
This phrase ben (h996) ha arbayim (h6153) occur 11 times, so let’s study them in details:
(1) 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, Exodus 12:6.
(2) “I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel. Speak unto them, saying, ‘At evening ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God,’” Exodus 16:12.
(3) The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning, and the other lamb thou shalt offer at evening, Exodus 29:39.
(4) And the other lamb thou shalt offer at evening, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto the Lord, Exodus 29:41.
(5) And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at evening, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations, Exodus 30:8.
(6) On the fourteenth day of the first month at evening is the Lord’S Passover, Leviticus 23:5.
(7) In the fourteenth day of this month at evening 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, Numbers 9:3.
(8) And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at evening in the Wilderness of Sinai. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel, Numbers 9:5.
(9) The fourteenth day of the second month at evening they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, Numbers 9:11.
(10) The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at evening, Numbers 28:4.
(11) And the other lamb shalt thou offer at evening; 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 savor unto the Lord, Numbers 28:8.
In Exodus 12:6 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 (ben ha’arbayim). Most English Bibles translate this term ben ha’arbayim as “even, evening, sunset, twilight or dusk” taking the Samaritans view.
But Rashi (Shlomo Yitzchaki; 1040-1105, France), who could be one representing the Jews, comments the phase ben ha’arbayim as “afternoon.”
Here is the explanation by Rashi quoted besides the Chabad Bible Exodus 12:6 And you shall keep it for inspection until the fourteenth day of this month, and the entire congregation of the community of Israel shall slaughter it in the afternoon:
in the afternoon: Heb. בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם From six hours [after sunrise] and onward is called בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם, literally, between the two evenings, for the sun is inclined toward the place where it sets to become darkened. It seems to me that the expression בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם denotes those hours between the darkening of the day and the darkening of the night. The darkening of the day is at the beginning of the seventh hour, when the shadows of evening decline, and the darkening of the night at the beginning of the night.
When the Orthodox definition of ben ha’arbayim “between the two evenings” is interpreted as “after noon and until nightfall,” all the pieces from the Passover puzzles fall into place. From the study of eleven cases above, there are five observations:
(1) The commandment to sacrifice a lamb daily in the morning and one in the evening: normally one at 9 AM and another at 3 PM, where ben ha’arbayim is defined as “after noon and until nightfall” (3,4,10,11).
(2) The Passover lamb to be killed on the fourteenth at around 3 PM: (1,6,7,8,9).
(3) Lighting of the Sanctuary before nightfall, not after nightfall (5).
(4) Quails arriving as food for the Israelites in the “after noon” when there was light to do the catching, cleaning and cooking and not after nightfall (2).
(5) And most importantly, note that NONE of the above ben ha’arbayim were to start a Sabbath, or to start a new day, which would be after 6 PM (sunset, dusk, twilight) or after nightfall.
When ben ha’arbayim is interpreted as “after noon and until nightfall,” there are ample time for killing, cleaning and roasting of the daily sacrifice and Passover lamb while there is still light. Both were killed at around 3 PM Roman times in the afternoon so that Aaron and other priests wouldn’t stumble in the Sanctuary after darkness had fallen.
Revelation 3:14 “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write: ‘These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, “I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing,” and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable, and poor and blind and naked, Revelation 3:14-17.
False shepherds and false teachings abound everywhere so much so that, if possible, even the elect are deceived! In fact, they have already been well deceived; but be warned, God is ready to spew these pretenders out of His mouth!
Usually when it is spewed out of God’s mouth, it is into the FIRE! Selah!
For more, see THAT NIGHT WHEN CHRIST ATE HIS LAST SUPPER WAS ON THE THIRTEENTH!
The Mystery of Ephraim 