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Genesis 1:5

And he is calling out15b elohim to the Light of hot-one, and to the Dark one he has summoned night-hers.16 And he is evening, and he is morning of a hot-one one.

Footnote:

15b

To Call Out/Summon/Read/Meet

Hebrew #7121 ืงืจื to call out, summon

Hebrew #7122 ืงืจื to meet, encounter, happen 

Hebrew #7123 ืงืจื to read, recite

In particular, the word and sense of "summoning/calling out" is used of "the Days":

"...and he has written to himself a self eternal repetition of the Flowing Teaching ("Torah"), this one, upon a book from and to the faces of the Joined Priests. And she has become in company with himself, and he has summoned [ืงืจื] within himself all the Days of the Living Ones of himself."

Deuteronomy 17:18 RBT

When it means "read":

ืกืคืจ ื”ืชื•ืจื” ... ื•ื™ืงืจืื”ื•

"a book of the Torah...and he is reading Himself."

(2 Kings 22:8)

 ื”ืกืคืจ ื”ื—ืชื•ื ืืฉืจ ื™ืชื ื• ืืชื• ืืœ ื™ื•ื“ืข ื”ืกืคืจ ืœืืžืจ ืงืจื ื ื ื–ื” ื•ืืžืจ ืœื ืื•ื›ืœ ื›ื™ ื—ืชื•ื ื”ื•ื

"the Sealed-Close Book which his eternal self is giving toward he who knows the Book, to speak, 'Read, pray, this one!' And he said, 'I am not able!' For he who is sealed-close is Himself."

(Isaiah 29:11) 

It is a very frequent word, found about 750 times. Understanding the right meaning typically involves surrounding grammatical cues.

Does it mean to name?

The verb ืงืจื (qฤrฤสพ) does not, in itself, signify the creation or composition of a name. Rather, it denotes the act of calling out, summoning, or designating by name, often accompanied by the noun ืฉื (shฤ“m, “name”). For example, “he called his name X” (ื•ื™ืงืจื ืฉืžื•...) indicates that a name was assigned, but the act itself is one of addressing, not inventing. This usage is distinct from other, more specialized terms that might imply creative naming or etymology.

The gloss "give name to" (cf. Brown-Driver-Briggs #7121) is somewhat misleading in this context. The Hebrew ืงืจื (qal stem) generally means “call,” “call out,” or “summon,” rather than the creative or compositional act of giving or inventing a name. The references listed show ืงืจื + ืœ being used to introduce a name (e.g., “he called his name X”). However, ืงืจื does not carry any sense of "giving" but rather, "calling out."

It is found especially with the preposition ืœ and person "calling to". "Day" is not an abstract idea, but a being, (cf. "Sons of Day" 1 Thes. 5:5) When there is a prepostion present, it is inaccurate to translate it in the "naming" sense.

Below is a breakdown of this usage:

1. Summoning a Person (General Use)

  • ืงืจื ืœ [person] → "Summon (someone)"

    • Example: Genesis 12:18 (Pharaoh summons Abram)
    • This is the most common pattern, appearing approximately 100 times.

  • ืงืจื ืœ ื ืคืฉื• → "Summon oneself" (reflexive)

    • Example: 1 Kings 1:28, 32 (David summoning someone for himself)

  • ืงืจื ืœ [infinitive purpose] → "Summon in order to..."

    • Example: Joshua 24:9; Judges 12:1; 1 Samuel 28:15 (calling for a specific reason)

  • ืงืจื ืœ [thing] → "Demand, require"

    • Example: Proverbs 18:6 (a fool’s lips "call for" a beating)

2. Summoning with Other Prepositions

  • ืงืจื ืืœ [person] → "Call toward (someone)"

    • Example: Exodus 10:24; Joshua 4:4
    • Often used when the focus is on addressing rather than summoning.

  • ืงืจื ืืœ [location] → "Call toward (a place)"

    • Example: 2 Samuel 9:2 (calling to a place)

  • ืงืจื ืžืŸ [location] → "Summon from (a place)"

    • Example: Hosea 11:1; Judges 4:6

  • ืงืจื ื‘ืฉื → "Summon by name"

    • Example: Isaiah 45:4 ("Summoned by thy name")

3. Specific Uses of Summoning

  • Summon = Invite (especially to a feast)

    • Example: Exodus 34:15; Judges 14:15
    • Can also include an infinitive purpose (e.g., inviting someone to eat or celebrate).

  • Call and Appoint Someone (Commissioning)

    • ืงืจื ืœ [person] → "Appoint (someone)"
    • Example: Isaiah 48:15; 49:1
    • If followed by ื‘ึฐึผืฉึตืื, it means "appoint by name" (Exodus 31:2; Isaiah 43:1).

  • Absolute Use (Without a Direct Object)

    • Example: Amos 7:4; Isaiah 22:12 ("Summoned")
    • Used when the action of calling is emphasized rather than the recipient.

Summary

  • ืœ + person → Summoning (directly or reflexively)
  • ืœ + infinitive → Summoning for a purpose
  • ืœ + thing → Calling for/demanding something
  • ื‘ืฉื → Calling/appointing by name
  • ืืœ + person → Calling to (addressing)
  • ืžืŸ + location → Calling from (summoning from a place)
  • ื‘ + thing → Reading in/within (this preposition "in" is often changed to "upon" as in "called upon")