Hours and watches in the Bible

• 'There was evening, and there was morning—the first day'Gen 1:5
  The verses

  Gen 1:5God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
• Jesus: 'Are there not twelve hours of daylight?'John 11:9
  The verses

  John 11:9Jesus 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.
• A day's journey: Elijah went that far into the wilderness1 Kgs 19:4
  The verses

  1 Kgs 19:4while he himself traveled on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
• A Sabbath day's journey: from the Mount of Olives to JerusalemActs 1:12
  The verses

  Acts 1:12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near the city, a Sabbath day’s journey away.
• Preparation Day: the day before the SabbathMark 15:42, John 19:31
  The verses

  Mark 15:42Now it was already evening. Since it was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath),

  John 19:31It was the day of Preparation, and the next day was a High Sabbath. In order that the bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed.
• Nehemiah shut the gates as evening shadows fell before the SabbathNeh 13:19
  The verses

  Neh 13:19When the evening shadows began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem, just before the Sabbath, I ordered that the gates be shut and not opened until after the Sabbath. I posted some of my servants at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day.
• The shadow went back ten steps on the stairway of Ahaz2 Kgs 20:9–11
  The verses

  2 Kgs 20:9–11And Isaiah had replied, “This will be a sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised: Would you like the shadow to go forward ten steps, or back ten steps?” “It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps,” answered Hezekiah, “but not for it to go back ten steps.” So Isaiah the prophet called out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow back the ten steps it had descended on the stairway of Ahaz.

Watches of the night

• Lamentations: 'Cry out in the night from the first watch'Lam 2:19
  The verses

  Lam 2:19Arise, cry out in the night from the first watch of the night. Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children who are fainting from hunger on the corner of every street.
• Gideon came at the beginning of the middle watch, after the guard changedJudg 7:19
  The verses

  Judg 7:19Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the changing of the guard. They blew their horns and broke the jars that were in their hands.
• At the morning watch the Egyptian camp was thrown into confusionExod 14:24
  The verses

  Exod 14:24At morning watch, however, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud, and He threw their camp into confusion.
• Saul attacked the Ammonite camp during the morning watch1 Sam 11:11
  The verses

  1 Sam 11:11The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions, and during the morning watch they invaded the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them, until the hottest part of the day. And the survivors were so scattered that no two of them were left together.
• Jesus walked on the sea in the fourth watch of the nightMatt 14:25, Mark 6:48
  The verses

  Matt 14:25During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea.

  Mark 6:48He could see that the disciples were straining to row, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea. He intended to pass by them,
• The master may come in the second or third watchLuke 12:38
  The verses

  Luke 12:38Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, those servants will be blessed.
• In the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morningMark 13:35
  The verses

  Mark 13:35Therefore keep watch, because you do not know when the master of the house will return—whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning.
• A psalmist thinks through the watches of the nightPs 63:6, Ps 119:148
  The verses

  Ps 63:6When I remember You on my bed, I think of You through the watches of the night.

  Ps 119:148My eyes anticipate the watches of night, that I may meditate on Your word.

Hours of the day

• Peter: 'It is only the third hour of the day!'Acts 2:15
  The verses

  Acts 2:15These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It is only the third hour of the day!
• Workers hired at the third, sixth, ninth, and eleventh hoursMatt 20:3, Matt 20:5–6
  The verses

  Matt 20:3About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.

  Matt 20:5–6So they went. He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ he asked.
• When evening came all were paid, the last hired firstMatt 20:8–9
  The verses

  Matt 20:8–9When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last ones hired and moving on to the first.’ The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.
• It was the third hour when they crucified JesusMark 15:25
  The verses

  Mark 15:25It was the third hour when they crucified Him.
• Darkness from the sixth hour until the ninthMatt 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44
  The verses

  Matt 27:45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.

  Mark 15:33From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.

  Luke 23:44It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour.
• Pilate: 'Here is your King!' It was about the sixth hourJohn 19:14
  The verses

  John 19:14It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your King!”
• The fever left the official's son at the seventh hourJohn 4:52
  The verses

  John 4:52So he inquired as to the hour when his son had recovered, and they told him, “The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.”
• Two disciples went with Jesus at about the tenth hourJohn 1:39
  The verses

  John 1:39“Come and see,” He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour.
• Peter and John went to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayerActs 3:1
  The verses

  Acts 3:1One afternoon Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.
• Cornelius was praying at the ninth hourActs 10:3, Acts 10:30
  The verses

  Acts 10:3One day at about the ninth hour, he had a clear vision of an angel of God who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”

  Acts 10:30Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this, the ninth hour. Suddenly a man in radiant clothing stood before me
• Peter went up on the roof to pray about the sixth hourActs 10:9
  The verses

  Acts 10:9The next day at about the sixth hour, as the men were approaching the city on their journey, Peter went up on the roof to pray.
• Soldiers left for Caesarea at the third hour of the nightActs 23:23
  The verses

  Acts 23:23Then 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.

Morning, noon, and midnight

• Daniel prayed three times a day, his windows open toward JerusalemDan 6:10
  The verses

  Dan 6:10Now when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house, where the windows of his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
• A psalm: 'Morning, noon, and night, I cry out'Ps 55:17
  The verses

  Ps 55:17Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice.
• Abraham sat at his tent entrance in the heat of the dayGen 18:1
  The verses

  Gen 18:1Then the LORD appeared to Abraham by the Oaks of Mamre in the heat of the day, while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent.
• Isaac went out to the field early in the eveningGen 24:63
  The verses

  Gen 24:63Early in the evening, Isaac went out to the field to meditate, and looking up, he saw the camels approaching.
• The Passover lambs were slaughtered at twilightExod 12:6
  The verses

  Exod 12:6You must keep it until the fourteenth day of the month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel will slaughter the animals at twilight.
• Elijah prayed at the time of the evening sacrifice1 Kgs 18:36
  The verses

  1 Kgs 18:36At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command.
• Nehemiah's men held spears from dawn until the stars came outNeh 4:21
  The verses

  Neh 4:21So we continued the work, while half of the men held spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.
• At midnight Samson pulled up the doors of Gaza's city gateJudg 16:3
  The verses

  Judg 16:3But Samson lay there only until midnight, when he got up, took hold of the doors of the city gate and both gateposts, and pulled them out, bar and all. Then he put them on his shoulders and took them to the top of the mountain overlooking Hebron.
• At midnight Boaz woke to find a woman lying at his feetRuth 3:8
  The verses

  Ruth 3:8At midnight, Boaz was startled, turned over, and there lying at his feet was a woman!
• About midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns in prisonActs 16:25
  The verses

  Acts 16:25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
• Paul talked until midnight, and Eutychus fell from the windowActs 20:7, Acts 20:9
  The verses

  Acts 20:7On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Since Paul was ready to leave the next day, he talked to them and kept on speaking until midnight.

  Acts 20:9And a certain young man named Eutychus, seated in the window, was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell from the third story and was picked up dead.
• The rooster crowed a second time, and Peter rememberedMark 14:30, Mark 14:72
  The verses

  Mark 14:30“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”

  Mark 14:72And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
• Very early on the first day, just after sunrise, they went to the tombMark 16:2
  The verses

  Mark 16:2Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they went to the tomb.