Definition and Significance:
Sundown, also known as sunset, marks the time in the evening when the sun disappears below the horizon. In biblical times, sundown held significant importance as it marked the transition from one day to the next. According to the Hebrew calendar, a new day begins at sundown, which is rooted in the creation account where "there was evening, and there was morning" (Genesis 1:5). This understanding of time is crucial for the observance of various religious practices and festivals in the Jewish tradition.

Biblical References:
Sundown is mentioned in various contexts throughout the Bible, often in relation to the observance of the Sabbath and other holy days. In Leviticus 23:32, the Day of Atonement is described as a Sabbath of solemn rest, beginning "from evening to evening." This underscores the importance of sundown in marking the start of sacred times.

In the New Testament, sundown is noted in the context of Jesus' crucifixion and burial. Mark 15:42-43 states, "Now it was already evening. Since it was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath), Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, boldly went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus." The urgency to bury Jesus before the Sabbath began at sundown highlights the adherence to Jewish customs.

Cultural and Religious Practices:
Sundown plays a critical role in the observance of the Sabbath, a day of rest commanded by God. Exodus 20:8-10 instructs, "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God." The Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday, emphasizing the biblical concept of a day beginning in the evening.

The Passover, another significant Jewish festival, also begins at sundown. Exodus 12:6 instructs the Israelites to slaughter the Passover lamb "at twilight," marking the start of the Passover meal and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Symbolism and Themes:
Sundown in the Bible often symbolizes the end of a period and the beginning of something new. It serves as a reminder of God's creation and the natural order He established. The transition from day to night can also symbolize spiritual themes such as rest, reflection, and renewal. In Psalm 113:3 , it is written, "From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised," indicating that God's presence and worthiness of praise encompass the entire day, from sunrise to sundown.

Practical Implications:
For believers, sundown can serve as a time for reflection and preparation for the coming day. It is a moment to pause and consider the day's events, offering thanks and seeking guidance for the future. The biblical emphasis on sundown as a marker of time encourages a rhythm of life that includes rest and spiritual renewal, aligning with God's design for His people.1. (n.) The setting of the sun; sunset.

2. (n.) A kind of broad-brimmed sun hat worn by women.

8121. shemesh -- sun
... unused word Definition sun NASB Word Usage battlements (1), daylight (1), daylight*
(1), east side* (2), east* (7), sun (109), sun's (1), sundown* (1), sunrise ...
/hebrew/8121.htm - 6k

6150. arab -- to become evening, grow dark
... A primitive root (identical with arab through the idea of covering with a texture);
to grow dusky at sundown -- be darkened, (toward) evening. see HEBREW arab. ...
/hebrew/6150.htm - 6k

935. bo -- to come in, come, go in, go
... 1), reported (1), return (2), return* (1), returned (1), returned* (1), runs (1),
set (6), sets (4), shedding (1), spring (1), stand (2), sundown* (1), sunset ...
/hebrew/935.htm - 8k

Healing Peter's Mother-In-Law and Many Others.
... [Their delay till sundown was unquestionably caused by the traditional law of the
Sabbath which forbade men to carry any burden on that day (John 5:10). ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xxxii healing peters mother-in-law and.htm

Letter cccxli. Libanius to Basil.
... a thing alien from any reasonable soul and from your own, why, while you are preaching
to others, that they must not keep their anger till sundown, [3276] have ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter cccxli libanius to basil.htm

The Second Miracle at Cana.
... to sunset. If both parties had started at once, they would have met before
sundown, as each had but eleven miles to traverse. But ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xxviii the second miracle at.htm

Fourth Commandment
... When I was a boy the sabbath lasted from sundown on Saturday to sundown on Sunday,
and I remember how we boys used to shout when it was over. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/weighed and wanting/fourth commandment.htm

A Christmas Sermon
... task accomplished and the long day done, My wages taken, and in my heart Some late
lark singing, Let me be gathered to the quiet west, The sundown splendid and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/stevenson/a christmas sermon/iv.htm

Port of Spain
... But as long as Port of Spain"the suburbs especially" smells as it does after sundown
every evening, so long will an occasional outbreak of cholera or ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter iv port of spain.htm

The Margin of the Nile
... He remarked, however, that Kenkenes was absent during the noon-meal, but when the
sundown repast was served and the young man was in his place, Mentu had ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xiv the margin of.htm

Drawing Nearer to the Storm
... a vessel bound for Syria blows steadily in early morning, and dies down towards
nightfall, so that there would have been no use in keeping at sea after sundown ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/drawing nearer to the storm.htm

Sign Seekers, and the Enthusiast Reproved.
... With them three full days and nights would be counted as four days unless the count
began at sundown, the exact beginning of a day (Acts 10:1-30). ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xlix sign seekers and the.htm

Preparation for Passover. Disciples Contend for Precedence.
... It would take some time to dress the lamb and to roast it, so that it must have
been about sundown or shortly afterward when Jesus and his disciples sat down ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/cxvii preparation for passover disciples.htm

Sundown (9 Occurrences)
...Sundown (9 Occurrences). Mark 1:32 And in the evening, at sundown, they took to
him all who were diseased, and those who had evil spirits. (BBE RSV). ...
/s/sundown.htm - 9k

War-carriage (11 Occurrences)
... more violent while the day went on; and the king of Israel was supported in his
war-carriage facing the Aramaeans till the evening; and by sundown he was dead. ...
/w/war-carriage.htm - 9k

Rocks (48 Occurrences)
... Joshua 8:29 He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until the evening, and at the sundown
Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree, and threw it ...
/r/rocks.htm - 21k

Pile (16 Occurrences)
... Joshua 8:29 He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until the evening, and at the sundown
Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree, and threw it ...
/p/pile.htm - 13k

Sundry (1 Occurrence)

/s/sundry.htm - 6k

Sun-dial (1 Occurrence)
Sun-dial. Sundial, Sun-dial. Sundown . Multi-Version Concordance Sun-dial
(1 Occurrence). ... (See JPS WBS). Sundial, Sun-dial. Sundown . Reference Bible.
/s/sun-dial.htm - 6k

Sort (143 Occurrences)
... Luke 4:40 And at sundown all those who had anyone ill with any sort of disease,
took them to him, and he put his hands on every one of them and made them well. ...
/s/sort.htm - 36k

Supported (43 Occurrences)
... more violent while the day went on; and the king of Israel was supported in his
war-carriage facing the Aramaeans till the evening; and by sundown he was dead. ...
/s/supported.htm - 19k

Hanged (36 Occurrences)
... Joshua 8:29 He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until the evening, and at the sundown
Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree, and threw it ...
/h/hanged.htm - 18k

Evening (163 Occurrences)
... in the place marked out by the Lord your God as the resting-place of his name, there
you are to put the Passover to death in the evening, at sundown, at that ...
/e/evening.htm - 41k

On what day was Jesus crucified? | GotQuestions.org

Is Sunday the Christian Sabbath? | GotQuestions.org

What time was Jesus crucified? What time did Jesus die on the cross? | GotQuestions.org

Sundown: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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