Reference: Watches, Night
Morish
There were with the Israelites three night watches:
1. From sunset (about 6 P.M.) to 10 P.M. La 2:19.
2. The middle watch, from 10 P.M. to 2 A.M. Jg 7:19.
3. From 2 A.M. till sunrise. 1Sa 11:11. Under the Romans there were four night watches, agreeing with the changes of the Roman guards, each being of three hours' duration, from sunset to sunrise. They were sometimes called evening, midnight, cock-crowing and morning. Mt 14:25; 24:43; Mr 6:48; 13:35; Lu 12:38.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands.
It was so on the next day, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and struck the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it happened, that those who remained were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches. Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift up your hands toward him for the life of your young children, that faint for hunger at the head of every street.
And in the fourth watch of the night, he came to them, walking on the sea.
But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
He saw them distressed in rowing, for the wind was against them, about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea, and he would have passed by them,
Watch therefore, for you do not know when the lord of the house is coming ?at evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning;
They will be blessed if he comes in the second or third watch, and finds them so.