Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadInternational Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Midnight
Subjects in this Topic:
mid´nı̄t (לילה הצות, hÌ£ăcoÌ„th laylaÌ„h, “middle of the night†(; ; ), הלּילה חצי, hÌ£ăcı̄ ha-laylaÌ„h, “the half of the night†(; ; ), הלּילה תּוך, toÌ„kh ha-laylaÌ„h, “the division of the night†and hence, the middle point (); μεÌσης νυκτοÌÏ‚, meÌseÌ„s nuktoÌs (), or μεÌσον τῆς νυκτοÌÏ‚, meÌson teÌ„Ìs nuktoÌs, “the middle of the night†(), μεσονυÌκτιος, mesonuÌktios, “midnightâ€; Westcott and Hort, The New Testament in Greek, mesonuÌktion (, etc.)): In the period before the exile midnight does not seem to have been very accurately determined. The division of the night was into three watches, the middle one of which included midnight. In New Testament times the four-watch division was used where midnight must have been more or less accurately determined. See TIME; WATCH.