Hours reckoned in John's gospel

[37818]

John 1:39, He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

10 o'clock AM


John 4:6, Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

6 o'clock PM. Compare Genesis 24:11.



John 4:52, Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

7 o'clock PM


John 19:14, And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!

6 o'clock AM

 

[David Lamb]

John 1:39, He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

10 o'clock AM


John 4:6, Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

6 o'clock PM. Compare Genesis 24:11.



John 4:52, Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

7 o'clock PM


John 19:14, And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!

6 o'clock AM

I think that is the Roman way of measuring time. The Jewish way was different. Regarding John 1:39, the Jamieson, Faussett and Brown commentary says: " — not ten A.M. (as some), according to [Roman,] but four P.M., according to [Jewish] reckoning, which John follows." Gill says similar in his commentary. I found this description of the Jewish "hours system": "Jewish Daytime began at 6am; and ends at 6pm for counting hours. The first hour is therefore 7am; the second hour is 8am; the third hour is 9am, the sixth hour is noon or 12pm; and so forth."

 

[37818]

I think that is the Roman way of measuring time. The Jewish way was different. Regarding John 1:39, the Jamieson, Faussett and Brown commentary says: " — not ten A.M. (as some), according to [Roman,] but four P.M., according to [Jewish] reckoning, which John follows." Gill says similar in his commentary. I found this description of the Jewish "hours system": "Jewish Daytime began at 6am; and ends at 6pm for counting hours. The first hour is therefore 7am; the second hour is 8am; the third hour is 9am, the sixth hour is noon or 12pm; and so forth."

To suppose John's use of Hebrew hours is to set John's account against Matthew, Mark and Luke.

John 19:14, And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!

Matthew 27:45, Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

Mark 15:33, And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

Luke 23:44, And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.