Their Day was two-fold; Natural, containing day and night, and consisting of 24 hours; or Artificial, beginning at Sun-rising and ending at Sun-set. Of this is that, Are there not twelve hours in the day? John 11. 9.
The Natural day was again two-fold: Civil, a working-day, which was destined for civil businesses and works: this began at Sun-rising, and held till the next Sun-rising, Mat. 28. 1. or Sacred, a Festival or Holy-day, destined for holy exercises: this began at Sun-set, and continued till the next Sun-set.
Their night was divided into four quarters, or greater hours, termed four Watches, each Watch containing three lesser hours. The first they called Caput vigiliarum, the beginning of the watches, Lam. 2. 19. the second was the middle watch, Judg. 7. 19. not so termed, because there were only three watches, as Drusius[237] would perswade, but because it dured till midnight. The third watch, began at midnight, and held till three of the clock in the morning. If he come in the second, or third watch, Luk. 12. 38. The last, called the morning watch, Exod. 14. 24. began at three of the clock, and ended at six in the morning. In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out unto them, Mat. 14. 25. These Watches also were called by other names, according to that part of the night which closed each watch. The first was termed ὀψὲ, the even. The second, μεσονύκτιον Midnight. The third ἀλεκτοροφωνία, Cock-crowing. The fourth πρωῒ, the Dawning. Ye know not when the Master of the house will come, at Even, or at Midnight, or at Cock-crowing, or at the Dawning, Mark 13. 35.
[237] Drus. Judic. 7. 19.
The day was likewise divided into four quarters, as appeareth by the Parable of the Labourers hired into the Vineyard, Mat. 20. The first quarter began at six of the clock in the morning, and held till nine. The second quarter ended at twelve of the clock. The third quarter at three in the after-noon. The fourth quarter at six of the night. The first quarter was called the third hour, vers. 3. The second quarter, the sixth hour, vers. 5. The third quarter, the ninth hour, vers. 5. The last quarter, the eleventh hour, vers. 6.
Where note, that the three first quarters had their names from the hour of the day, which closed the quarter (for they began their count of their lesser hours, from six a clock in the morning, and our 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. was their 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.) only the last was called the eleventh hour, by our Saviour Christ; whereas among the common people, it either was called, or should have been called, by proportion with the rest, the twelfth hour; to intimate unto us, that though God in his mercy accept labourers into his Vineyard eleven hours of the day, yet he seldome calleth any of the twelfth; for that is rather an hour to discharge servants, than to admit new.
Some Expositors finding mention of the dawning of the day, in this Parable, vers. 1.[238] They reckon the 4 quarters of the day after this manner. Hora prima, Hora tertia, Hora sexta, Hora nona. Where first they err, in taking the dawning of the day for the first hour of the day; for πρωὶ the dawning, signifieth the last quarter of the night, called the Morning watch. Secondly, they err in making the last quarter of the day to be the ninth hour, for what then shall become of the eleventh hour, mentioned in the same Parable?
[238] Erat autem primus ternarius à prima usq; ad tertiam, & dicebatur prima hora, secundus erat à tertia, usq; ad sextam & dicebatur hora tertia, tertius erat à sexta usq; ad nonam, & dicebatur sexta; quartus à nona usq; ad ultimam quæ erat duodecima, & dicebatur nona. Refellit hanc opinionem Toletus, receptam licet à multis recensionem (ut ipse ait) quoniam de undecima cujus meminit parabola, altum apud hos silentium. Jure vapulant à te, Tolete, qui excludunt undecimam constanter tamen asserenda est contra te quadripartita diei divisio, in hoc potissimum illorum error consistit, quod horam primam faciunt, non inveniunt; horam undecimam inveniunt excludunt tamen, nihil à mente Evangelistarum magis alienum, quam ut ὁ πρωιὴ verteretur hora prima diei, quæ in illorum scriptis sonat quartam noctis vigiliam. Vid. Tolet. in Joan. cap. 19. Annot. 8.
By this division of the day into these four quarters, or greater hours, the Evangelists are reconciled touching our Saviour’s Passion. He was crucified at the third hour, Mark 15. 25. S. John intimateth his examination before Pilate, to have been Hora quasi sexta, about the sixth hour, John 19. 14. In the first place, understand by his crucifying, not his hanging on the Cross, which was not till the sixth hour, Luk. 23. 44. nor his expiration, which was not till the ninth hour, Mar. 15. 34. but his examination under Pilate, at which time the people cried out, Crucifie him, Crucifie him; and then the third and sixth hour will easily be reconciled, for these two hours immediately following one another, what was done on the third hour, might truly be said to be done about the sixth.