Bible Encyclopedias
Midnight

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

mid´nı̄t ( לילה הצות , ḥăcōth laylāh , "middle of the night" ( Exodus 11:4; Job 34:20; Psalm 119:62 ), הלּילה חצי , ḥăcı̄ ha -laylāh , "the half of the night" (Exodus 12:29; Judges 16:3; Rth 3:8), הלּילה תּוך , tōkh ha -laylāh , "the division of the night" and hence, the middle point (1 Kings 3:20 ); μέσης νυκτός , mésēs nuktós (Matthew 25:6 ), or μέσον τῆς νυκτός , méson tḗs nuktós , "the middle of the night" (Acts 27:27 ), μεσονύκτιος , mesonúktios , "midnight"; Westcott and Hort, The New Testament in Greek, mesonúktion (Acts 16:25 , 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 .