Reference: HOURS
American
The word hour, in Scripture, signifies one of the twelve equal parts into which each day, from sunrise to sunset, was divided, and which of course were of different lengths at different seasons of ht year, Mt 20:3-6; Joh 11:9. This mode of dividing the day prevailed among the Jews at least after the exile, and perhaps earlier, Da 3:6; 4:19. The third, sixth, and ninth hours were the appointed seasons for prayer, Ac 2:15; 3:1; 10:9. Anciently, however, the usual division of the day was into four parts, namely, the morning-the heat of the day, commencing about the middle of the forenoon-midday, and evening. In a similar manner, the Greeks appear at first to have divided the night also into three parts or watches, namely, the first watch, La 2:19; the middle, or second watch, Jg 7:19; and the morning, or third watch, Ex 14:24. But after the Jews became subject to the Romans, they adopted the Roman manner of dividing the night into four watches, namely, the evening, or first quarter, after sunset; the midnight; cock-crowing, or third quarter, from midnight on; and the morning, or fourth quarter, including the dawn, Mt 14:25; Mr 6:48; 13:35; Lu 12:48. A watch in the night seems but an instant to one who spends it in slumber, Ps 90:4; equally short does the life of man appear in view of eternity.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And it will be in the watch of the morning, Jehovah will look forth to the camp of Egypt in the pillar of fire and the cloud, and he will disturb the camp of Egypt
And Gideon will go and the hundred men that are with him, to the extremity of the, camp, the beginning of the middle watch; only now rising up they raised up those watching: and they will strike upon the trumpets, and they brake the buckets that are in their hand.
For a thousand years in thine eyes as the day of yesterday, for it shall pass away, and watches in the night.
Arise, cry aloud in the night: at the head of the watches pour out thy heart as water before the face of Jehovah: lift up thy hands to him for the soul of thy young children fainting with hunger in the head of all the streets.
And whoever shall not fall and prostrate himself in the same moment, he shall be cast into a furnace of flaming fire.
Then Daniel, his name Belteshazzar, was astonished for one moment, and his thoughts terrified him. The king answered and said, Belteshazzar, the dream and its interpretation shall not terrify thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream to those hating thee, and its interpretation to thine enemies.
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking upon the sea.
And having gone out about the third hour, he saw others standing idle in the market-place, And he says to them, Retire ye also into the vineyard, and whatever should be just I will give you: and they departed. read more. Again, having gone out about the sixth and ninth hour, he did likewise. And about the eleventh hour, having gone out, he found others standing idle, and he says to them, Why stand ye here idle the whole day?
And he saw them trying to urge forward, for the wind was contrary to them: and about the fourth watch of the night he comes to them walking upon the sea, and he would pass by them.
Watch therefore: for ye know not when the lord of the house comes, at eve, or midnight, or cock-crowing, or morning.
And he not having known, and having done things worthy of blows, shall be skinned with few. And to every one to whom much was given, shall much be required of him: and with whom they have deposited much, they will ask of him the more.
Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours of the day.? If any walk in the day, he stumbles not, for he sees the light of this world.
For not, as ye suppose, are these intoxicated, (for it is the third hour of the day.)
And Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth.
And the morrow, these travelling, and drawing near to the city, Peter went up upon the house to pray about the sixth hour:
Watsons
HOURS. See DAY.