since the hour was (already) late

ὥρα, ας, ἡ (Hom. [ὥρη]+; ins, pap, LXX; PsSol 18:10; TestSol, TestAbr, TestJob, Test12Patr, JosAs, ParJer, GrBar; ApcEsdr 3:4 p. 27, 9 Tdf.; ApcSed, ApcMos, EpArist, Philo, Joseph.; Ar. 15:10; Just.; Tat. 20, 2).

① an undefined period of time in a day, time of day ὀψὲ ἤδη οὔσης τῆς ὥρας since it was already late in the day or since the hour was (already) late Mk 11:11 v.l.; cp. MPol 7:1b (s. ὀψέ 1 and 2; Demosth. 21, 84; Polyb. 3, 83, 7 ὀψὲ τῆς ὥρας). ὀψίας οὔσης τῆς ὥρας Mk 11:11 (ὄψιος 1). ὥρα πολλή late hour (Polyb. 5, 8, 3; Dionys. Hal. 2, 54; TestAbr A 14 p. 94, 24 [Stone p. 36]; Jos., Ant. 8, 118) 6:35ab. ἡ ὥρα ἤδη παρῆλθεν Mt 14:15 (παρέρχομαι 2).—Mt 24:42 v.l., 44; Lk 12:39, 40; Rv 3:3; D 16:1. W. ἡμέρα day and time of day, hour (ApcEsdr 3:4 p. 27, 9 Tdf.) Mt 24:36, 50; 25:13; Mk 13:32; Lk 12:46.

② a period of time as division of a day, hour

ⓐ beside year, month, and day Rv 9:15; the twelfth part of a day (=period of daylight) οὐχὶ δώδεκα ὧραί εἰσιν τῆς ἡμέρας; J 11:9 (TestAbr B 7 p. 111, 24 [Stone p. 70]). μίαν ὥραν ἐποίησαν Mt 20:12 (s. ποιέω 6); cp. Lk 22:59; Ac 5:7; 19:34 (ἐπὶ ὥρας δύο CBurchard, ZNW 61, ’70, 167f; TestBenj 3:7, Judah 3, 4); MPol 7:3. συνεψήφισα τὰς ὥρας I counted the hours Hv 3, 1, 4. One ὥρα in this world corresponds to a ὥρα thirty days in length in the place of punishment Hs 6, 4, 4. μίαν ὥραν (not even) one hour Mt 26:40; Mk 14:37. Such passages help us to understand how ὥρα can acquire the sense

ⓑ a short period of time μιᾷ ὥρᾳ (cp. TestJob 7:12; ApcMos 25 [both ἐν]) in a single hour=in an extraordinarily short time Rv 18:10, 17, 19. μίαν ὥραν for a very short time 17:12. Likew. πρὸς ὥραν for a while, for a moment J 5:35; 2 Cor 7:8; Gal 2:5 (s. on this pass. KLake, Gal 2:3–5: Exp. 7th ser., 1, 1906, 236–45; CWatkins, Der Kampf des Pls um Galatien 1913; BBacon, JBL 42, 1923, 69–80); Phlm 15; MPol 11:2. πρὸς καιρὸν ὥρας 1 Th 2:17.

ⓒ as a temporal indicator, reckoned from the beginning of the day (6 hours or 6 A.M., our time) or the night (18 hours or 6 P.M.) (Plut. et al.; Appian, Mithrid. 19 §72 ἑβδόμης ὥρας=at the 7th hour or 1 P.M.; SIG 671A, 9 [162/160 B.C.] ὥρας δευτέρας; 736, 109 [92 B.C.] ἀπὸ τετάρτας ὥρας ἕως ἑβδόμας; Jos., Vi. 279 ἕκτη ὥ.; Mitt-Wilck. I/2, 1 II, 21 [246 B.C.] περὶ ὀγδόην ὥραν; PTebt 15, 2 [II B.C.]; Sb 5252, 20 [I A.D.] ἀφʼ ὥρας ὀγδόης; EpArist 303 μέχρι μὲν ὥρας ἐνάτης) ἕως ὥρας δευτέρας until the second hour (=8 A.M.) Hs 9, 11, 7. ὥρα τρίτη nine o’clock (A.M.) Mk 15:25 (Goodsp., Probs. 68f); Ac 2:15 (τῆς ἡμέρας); περὶ τρίτην ὥραν about nine o’clock (Appian, Bell. Civ. 2, 45 §182 περὶ τρίτην ὥραν ἡμέρας) Mt 20:3; ἀπὸ τρίτης ὥρας τῆς νύκτος by nine o’clock at night (= 21 hours, or simply tonight) Ac 23:23 (TestAbr A 5 p. 82, 11 [Stone p. 12] περὶ ὥραν τρίτην τῆς νυκτός; cp. ibid. B 6 p. 109, 27 [St. p. 66]; Jos., Bell. 6, 68; 79 ἀπὸ ἐνάτης ὥ. τῆς νυκτὸς εἰς ἑβδόμην τῆς ἡμέρας). ἀπὸ ὥρας ε´ (=πέμπτης) ἕως δεκάτης from eleven o’clock in the morning until four in the afternoon (= 16 hours) Ac 19:9 v.l. περὶ ὥραν πέμπτην (PTebt 15, 2 [114 B.C.]; POxy 1114, 24 περὶ ὥ. τρίτην) at eleven o’clock (A.M.) Hv 3, 1, 2. ὥρα ἕκτη twelve o’clock noon Mt 20:5; 27:45a; Mk 15:33a; Lk 23:44a; J 4:6 (ὥρα ὡς ἕκτη about noon; TestJos 8:1 ὥρα ὡσεὶ ἕκτη; ParJer 1:11 ἕκτην ὥραν τῆς νυκτός); 19:14 (ὥρα ὡς ἕκτη); Ac 10:9. ἐχθὲς ὥραν ἑβδόμην yesterday at one o’clock in the afternoon (= 13 hours) J 4:52b (on the use of the acc. to express a point of time s. Hdb. ad loc.; Soph., Lex. I 44; B-D-F §161, 3; Rob. 470). ὥρᾳ ὀγδόῃ at two o’clock in the afternoon (= 14 hours) MPol 21. ὥρα ἐνάτη three in the afternoon (= 15 hours) Mt 20:5; 27:45f; Mk 15:33b, 34; Lk 23:44b; Ac 3:1 (ἐπὶ τὴν ὥραν τῆς προσευχῆς τὴν ἐνάτην); 10:3 (ὡσεὶ περὶ ὥ. ἐνάτην τῆς ἡμέρας); ὥρας θ´ AcPl Ha 11, 3; περὶ ὥραν ἐνάτην GJs 2:4; GPt 6:22 (TestAbr B 12 p. 117, 2 [Stone p. 82] κατὰ τὴν ἐνάτην ὥραν). ὥρα ὡς δεκάτη about four in the afternoon (= 16 hours) J 1:39. ἑνδεκάτη ὥρα five o’clock in the afternoon (= 17 hours) Mt 20:(6, without ὥρα), 9. ἀπὸ τετάρτης ἡμέρας μέχρι ταύτης τῆς ὥρας ἤμην τὴν ἐνάτην προσευχόμενος four days ago, reckoned from (=at) this very hour, I was praying at three o’clock in the afternoon (= 15 hours) Ac 10:30 (echoing vs. 3, but inelegantly phrased; s. comm. on the textual problems). ἐπύθετο τὴν ὥραν ἐν ᾗ … he inquired at what time … J 4:52a; cp. vs. 53 (cp. Ael. Arist. 50, 56 K.=26 p. 519 D.: … τὴν ὥραν αἰσθάνομαι … ἐκείνην, ἐν ᾗ … ; 47, 56 K.=23 p. 459 D.: ἀφυπνιζόμην κ. εὗρον ἐκείνην τὴν ὥραν οὖσαν, ᾗπερ …). ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ὥρᾳ ἐμαρτύρησεν ὁ Πολύκαρπος the very day and hour that … EpilMosq 4.—Less definite are the indications of time in such expressions as ἄχρι τῆς ἄρτι ὥρας up to the present moment 1 Cor 4:11. πᾶσαν ὥραν hour after hour, every hour, constantly (Ex 18:22; Lev 16:2; JosAs 15:7; Ar. [Milne 76, 34]; cp. TestJob 10:1 πάσας ὥρας) 15:30. Also καθʼ ὥραν (Strabo 15, 1, 55; Ps.-Clem., Hom. 3, 69) 2 Cl 12:1. αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ at that very time, at once, instantly (oft. pap, e.g. POxy 235, 7 [I A.D.]; Da 3:6, 15; TestAbr B 12 p. 116, 27 [Stone p. 80]; GrBar 14:1; 15:1; ApcMos 20) Lk 2:38; 24:33; Ac 16:18; 22:13.

③ a point of time as an occasion for an event, time (BGU 1816, 12 [I B.C.] πρὸ ὥρας=before the right time) ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ Mt 8:13; 10:19; 18:1 (v.l. ἡμέρᾳ); 26:55; Mk 13:11; Lk 7:21; Ac 16:33; Rv 11:13; MPol 7:2a; GJs 20:2 (only pap). Likew. ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ Lk 10:21; 12:12; 13:31; 20:19 (on both expressions s. JJeremias, ZNW 42, ’49, 214–17). ἀπὸ τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνης from that time on, at once Mt 9:22; 15:28; 17:18; J 19:27. ὥρα ἐν ᾗ J 5:28. ὥρα ὅτε 4:21, 23; 5:25; 16:25 (cp. ApcMos 17 περὶ ὥραν ὅταν). ὥρα ἵνα 16:2, 32. W. gen. of thing, the time for which has come (Diod S 13, 94, 1; Ael. Aristid. 51, 1 K.=27 p. 534 D.; PGM 1, 221 ἀνάγκης; JosAs 3:3 μεσημβρίας … καὶ ἀρίστου; ApcMos 42 [of Eve’s request] ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ τῆς τελευτῆς αὐτῆς; Jos., Ant. 7, 326 ὥ. ἀρίστου; SibOr 4, 56) ἡ ὥρα τοῦ θυμιάματος Lk 1:10; τοῦ δείπνου 14:17, cp. MPol 7:1a; τοῦ πειρασμοῦ Rv 3:10; τῆς κρίσεως 14:7; τῆς δοξολογίας αὐτοῦ GJs 13:1; τοῦ ἀσπασμοῦ 24:1; ἡ ὥρα αὐτῶν the time for them J 16:4; w. the gen. (of the Passover) to be supplied Lk 22:14. Also w. inf. (Hom. et al.; Lucian, Dial. Deor. 20, 1; Aelian, VH 1, 21) ἡ ὥρα θερίσαι the time to reap Rv 14:15 (cp. Theopomp. [IV B.C.]: 115 Fgm. 31 Jac. θερινὴ ὥ.; Paus. 2, 35, 4 ὥ. θέρους). Also acc. w. inf. (Gen 29:7) ὥρα (ἐστιν) ὑμᾶς ἐξ ὕπνου ἐγερθῆναι Ro 13:11.—W. gen. of pers. the time of or for someone to do or to suffer someth. (cp. Philo, Leg. ad Gai. 168 σὸς νῦν ὁ καιρός ἐστιν, ἐπέγειρε σαυτόν) of a woman who is to give birth (cp. GrBar 3:5 ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ τεκεῖν αὐτήν) ἡ ὥρα αὐτῆς J 16:21 (v.l. ἡμέρα, s. ἡμέρα 3, beg.).—Lk 22:53. Esp. of Jesus, of whose ὥρα J speaks, as the time of his death (Diod S 15, 87, 6: the dying Epaminondas says ὥρα ἐστὶ τελευτᾶν. Cp. MPol 8:1 τοῦ ἐξιέναι) and of the glorification which is inextricably bound up w. it ἡ ὥρα αὐτοῦ J 7:30; 8:20; 13:1 (foll. by ἵνα); cp. ἡ ὥρα μου 2:4 (s. Hdb. ad loc.). ἡ ὥρα ἵνα δοξασθῇ 12:23. ἡ ὥρα αὕτη 12:27ab. Also abs. ἐλήλυθεν ἡ ὥρα 17:1 (AGeorge, ‘L’heure’ de J 17, RB 61, ’54, 392–97); cp. Mt 26:45; Mk 14:35, 41.—ἐσχάτη ὥρα the last hour in the present age of the world’s existence 1J 2:18ab.—CCowling, Mark’s Use of ὥρα, Australian Biblical Review 5, ’56, 153–60. EBickermann, Chronology of the Ancient World ² ’80, 13–16.—B. 954 and esp. 1001. DELG. M-M. EDNT. TW.

ὄψιος, α, ον (ὀψέ)

① as adj. (Pind. [Isth. 4, 38f ὀψίᾳ ἐν νυκτί=late in the night] et al.; PTebt 304, 5 ὀψίας τῆς ὥρας γενομένης; BGU 380, 3) pert. to a point in time that is relatively later than another point of time, late, ὀψίας ἤδη οὔσης τῆς ὥρας since the hour was already late Mk 11:11 (s. ὀψέ 2).

② In our lit. mostly subst. ἡ ὀψία (sc. ὥρα; B-D-F §241, 3) the period between late afternoon and darkness, evening (Ael. Aristid. 48, 50 K.=24 p. 478 D.; POxy 475, 16 [182 A.D.] ὀψίας ‘in the evening’; 528, 5 καθʼ ἑκάστης ἡμέρας καὶ ὀψίας; PGM 1, 69; Jdth 13:1 ὡς ὀψία ἐγένετο) usu. in the combination ὀψίας δὲ γενομένης when evening came (Syntipas p. 49, 11; TestSol 1:42; Jos., Ant. 5, 7) Mt 8:16; 14:15, 23; 20:8; 26:20; 27:57; Mk 1:32 (the double expr. ὀψ. γενομένης, ὅτε ἔδυσεν ὁ ἥλ. is like Herm. Wr. 1, 29); Hs 9, 11, 6. ὀψίας γενομένης in the evening Mt 16:2; Mk 4:35; 6:47; 14:17. ἤδη ὀψ. γενομένης 15:42. Also οὔσης ὀψίας (Jos., Ant. 5, 140) J 20:19. ὡς ὀψ. ἐγένετο (s. Jdth above) 6:16. The context oft. makes it easier to decide just what time is meant, whether before or after sundown.—B. 997. DELG s.v. ὀψέ. M-M.