Hours

How Nave’s arranged it

• (A division of time)
• Twelve, in the dayJohn 11:9Matthew 20:3–12Matthew 27:45Matthew 27:46
• In the nightActs 23:23
• SYMBOLICALRevelation 8:1Revelation 9:15

The passages, in Bible order (7)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 7 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Matthew 20:3–12

   About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.

   ›Commentary on Matthew 20:3–122 voices

   “About the third hour - The Jews divided their days into twelve equal parts, or hours, beginning at sunrise and ending at sunset. This was, therefore about nine o’clock in the morning. Standing idle in the market-place - A place where provisions are sold in towns. Of course, many resort to such places, and it would be the readiest place to meet persons and find employers. They were not, therefore, disposed to be idle, but were waiting in the proper place to find employers.

   “Or, He did not call upon the labourers of the third hour for a complete task, but left to their own choice, how much they should work. For they might perform in the vineyard work equal to that of those who had wrought since the morning, if they chose to put forth upon their task an operative energy, such as had not yet been exerted.

   Everything gathered on Matthew 20:3–12→

   Verse page →Original language →

2. Matthew 27:45

   From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.

   ›Commentary on Matthew 27:452 voices

   “Now from the sixth hour - That is, from our twelve o’clock. The Jews divided their day into twelve hours, beginning to count at sunrise. There was darkness - This could not have been an eclipse of the sun, for the Passover was celebrated at the time of the full moon, when the moon is opposite to the sun. Luke says Luk 23:45 that “the sun was darkened,” but it was not by an eclipse.

   “(Verse 45) But at the sixth hour, darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. Those who wrote against the Gospels suspect a solar eclipse, which usually occurs at certain fixed times, as the reason for the disciples of Christ being misunderstood about the resurrection of the Lord: since a solar eclipse only occurs when the moon is rising. However, there is no doubt that during the time of Passover, the moon was full.

   Everything gathered on Matthew 27:45→

   Verse page →Original language →

3. Matthew 27:46

   About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

   ›Commentary on Matthew 27:462 voices

   “He employed the beginning of the twenty-first Psalm. (Ps. 22:1. Vulg.) That clause in the middle of the verse, Look upon me, is superfluous; for the Hebrew has only 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani,' that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? It is impiety therefore to think that this Psalm was spoken in the character of David or Esther or Mardocheus, when passages taken out of it by the Evangelist are understood of the Saviour; as, They parted my garments among them, and, They pierced my hands.

   And about the ninth hour,.... Or three o'clock in the afternoon, which was about the time of the slaying and offering of the daily sacrifice, which was an eminent type of Christ. The Jews say (i), that "every day the daily sacrifice was slain at eight and a half, and was offered up at nine and a half: about which time also the passover was killed, which was another type of Christ; and as they say (k), "was offered first, and then the daily sacrifice."

   Everything gathered on Matthew 27:46→

   Verse page →Original language →

4. John 11:9

   Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? If anyone walks in the daytime, he will not stumble, because he sees by the light of this world.

   ›Commentary on John 11:92 voices

   “Consider what I have said, that the Light is Christ. Everyone who will walk in his commandments will not be laid hold of by evil. These twelve hours that are in the day are the twelve apostles. The devil … is compared with the night. He who walks in the will of the devil will stumble because he does not have the light of Christ.

   “Twelve hours - The Jews divided the day from sunrise to sunset into twelve equal parts. A similar illustration our Saviour uses in Joh 9:4-5. See the notes at that place. If any man walk - If any man travels. The illustration here is taken from a traveler. The conversation was respecting a journey into Judea, and our Lord, as was his custom, took the illustration from the case before him. He stumbleth not - He is able, having light, to make his journey safely. He sees the obstacles or dangers and can avoid them.

   Everything gathered on John 11:9→

   Verse page →Original language →

5. Acts 23:23

   Then he called two of his centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night.

   ›Commentary on Acts 23:231 voice

   “And he called unto him two centurions ... - Each centurion had under him 100 men. The chief captain resolved to place Paul beyond the power of the Jews, and to protect him as became a Roman citizen. Two hundred soldiers - These foot soldiers were designed only to guard Paul until he was safely out of Jerusalem. The horsemen only were intended to accompany him to Caesarea. See Act 23:32. And horsemen - These were commonly attached to foot soldiers. In this case, however, they were designed to attend Paul to Caesarea.

   Everything gathered on Acts 23:23→

   Verse page →Original language →

6. Revelation 8:1

   When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

   ›Commentary on Revelation 8:11 voice

   "And when He had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour." Whereby is signified the beginning of everlasting rest; but it is described as partial, because the silence being interrupted, he repeats it in order. For if the silence had continued, here would be an end of his narrative.

   Everything gathered on Revelation 8:1→

   Verse page →Original language →

7. Revelation 9:15

   So the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.

   Verse page →Original language →