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
And Gideon cometh -- and the hundred men who are with him -- into the extremity of the camp, at the beginning of the middle watch (it hath only just confirmed the watchmen), and they blow with trumpets -- dashing in pieces also the pitchers which are in their hand;
And it cometh to pass, on the morrow, that Saul putteth the people in three detachments, and they come into the midst of the camp in the morning-watch, and smite Ammon till the heat of the day; and it cometh to pass that those left are scattered, and there have not been left of them two together.
Arise, cry aloud in the night, At the beginning of the watches. Pour out as water thy heart, Over against the face of the Lord, Lift up unto Him thy hands, for the soul of thine infants, Who are feeble with hunger at the head of all out-places.
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went away to them, walking upon the sea,
and this know, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief doth come, he had watched, and not suffered his house to be broken through;
and he saw them harassed in the rowing, for the wind was against them, and about the fourth watch of the night he doth come to them walking on the sea, and wished to pass by them.
watch ye, therefore, for ye have not known when the lord of the house doth come, at even, or at midnight, or at cock-crowing, or at the morning;
and if he may come in the second watch, and in the third watch he may come, and may find it so, happy are those servants.