In biblical times, the concept of time, particularly the division of the night into hours, was understood differently than in the modern era. The ancient Israelites, like other ancient Near Eastern cultures, divided the night into watches rather than hours. This division is evident in various passages throughout the Bible, where the night is segmented into distinct periods for practical and religious purposes.

Watches of the Night

The night was traditionally divided into three or four watches. In the Old Testament, the division into three watches is more common. For example, in Judges 7:19, Gideon and his men attacked the Midianite camp "at the beginning of the middle watch," indicating a division into three parts. Similarly, in Lamentations 2:19, the call to "Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches" reflects this tripartite division.

By the time of the New Testament, the influence of Roman culture introduced a four-watch system, which is evident in the Gospels. Mark 13:35 refers to the "evening, midnight, rooster crow, or morning" watches, aligning with the Roman practice of dividing the night into four segments of approximately three hours each.

Significance in Scripture

The division of the night into watches held both practical and spiritual significance. Practically, it allowed for the organization of labor, security, and religious observance. For instance, the Levites were assigned to keep watch over the tabernacle during the night (1 Chronicles 9:33), ensuring its protection and the continuation of worship practices.

Spiritually, the watches of the night were times for prayer and reflection. Psalm 119:148 states, "My eyes anticipate the watches of night, that I may meditate on Your word." This verse highlights the use of nighttime watches as opportunities for spiritual devotion and communion with God.

Symbolism and Metaphor

The night and its divisions also carry symbolic meanings in Scripture. Night often represents a time of trial, danger, or spiritual darkness. Jesus' parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13, which takes place at midnight, underscores the need for readiness and vigilance in anticipation of the Lord's return.

Conversely, the breaking of dawn and the end of the night symbolize hope, deliverance, and the coming of God's kingdom. In Romans 13:12, Paul writes, "The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." Here, the transition from night to day serves as a metaphor for the believer's call to live in the light of Christ.

Conclusion

The biblical understanding of the hours in the night, through the division into watches, provides insight into the daily life and spiritual practices of ancient Israel and the early Christian community. These divisions not only facilitated practical needs but also enriched the spiritual life of believers, offering structured times for prayer, reflection, and anticipation of God's work in the world.Acts 23:23
And he called to him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen three score and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night;
Nave's Topical Index

3574. nuchthemeron -- lasting a night and a day
... night and day. From nux and hemera; a day-and-night, ie Full day of
twenty-four hours -- night and day. see GREEK nux. see GREEK hemera. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3574.htm - 6k

Hymn for all Hours
... HYMN FOR ALL HOURS. ... On the eyes long sealed in darkness, buried in unbroken night,
Thou didst spread Thy lips' sweet nectar, mixed with clay: then came the sight ...
/.../prudentius/the hymns of prudentius/ix hymn for all hours.htm

It was Friday Night, and Diamond, Like the Rest of the Household.. ...
... It was Friday night, and Diamond, like the rest of the household, had had very little ...
so much of his time grooming you, when you only work six hours"-no, not ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 32 it was friday.htm

A Song in the Night
... HYMNS A SONG IN THE NIGHT. ... O Jesus Lord, most fair, most passing sweet,. In darkest
hours revealed in love to me,. In those dark hours I fall before Thy feet,. ...
/.../bevan/hymns of ter steegen and others second series/a song in the night.htm

Concerning Light, Fire, the Luminaries, Sun, Moon and Stars.
... yellow bile. In it falls the longest day, which has fifteen hours, and the
shortest night of all, having only nine hours. This season ...
/.../john/exposition of the orthodox faith/chapter vii concerning light fire the.htm

Special Practices of Uniformity.
... The saint, however, said he had enjoyed the greatest consolation during those long
hours of the night by imagining that he saw our Lord up in the sky dropping ...
/.../de liguori/uniformity with gods will/5 special practices of uniformity.htm

Evening Prayer for a Wakeful Night.
... And these dark hours of anxious pain. That now oppress thee sore,. I know will vanish
soon again,. Then I shall fear no more: For when the night hath lasted long ...
/.../evening prayer for a wakeful.htm

Two Sunsets
... with neighbors. Upon her bed lay Mother with pallid face. Through the
hours of the night we watched by her bedside. About three ...
//christianbookshelf.org/naylor/heart talks/talk forty-nine two sunsets.htm

A Night on the Lake
... the journey required but a few hours; but now they were driven farther and farther
from the point they sought. Until the fourth watch of the night they toiled ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 40 a night on.htm

Peter's Repentance
... During the following hours of that night, and the next day, when he saw Christ
crucified and buried, and the next day, the Sabbath"oh, in what hopeless ...
//christianbookshelf.org/murray/absolute surrender/peters repentance.htm

The Agony, and the Consoler
... In the dark hours of the night, and the dreary silence of a city reduced to torpor
by paralysing fear, they cursed their insane folly, and gnawed their tongues ...
/.../chapter iii the agony and.htm

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