(b) Night had its peculiar dangers and annoy- ances (cf. Ps 91^). Travellers might be delayed through stress of circumstances till after nightfall, and even till midnight (Lk IP), and such journeys were not witliout danger ; 'if any man walk in the night, he stumbleth ' (Jn 1 P", cf . Job 5'^). A modern traveller has spoken of ' the villages by night, with- out a light, when you stumble on them in the dark- ness, and all the dogs begin barking ' (G. A. Smith, HGHL, p. 99). Such annoyances would be en- countei'ed by the host in the parable, who, coming to beg bread, arrived at midnight after stumbling tlirough the narrow streets of the village (Lk IP etc.).
(c) It was the season when Divine guidance might be looked for. Joseph and the Magi were warned in dreams (Mt 2^^- ^^- ^*). Pilate's wife suffered many things in a dream because of Jesus (^It 27^''). To the Israelites the thought of night would always bring the memory of visions and revelations of God, given to their seers, beginning from the nights when Jacob saw tiie ladder, and wrestled with the angel.
(d) It was the season of rest ( Jn IP 9^), but not for all men ; shepherds guarded their flocks by night (Lk 2*) ; though from November to March the sheep were probably in the fold. The fishermen toiled all nigiit (Lk 5°, Jn 2P), when the Lake was often swept by sudden gales (Mk 4'*") ; the men who could not watch one hour in Gethsemane were accustomed to sleepless nights. In Palestine, .as in all Eastern lands, the marriage ceremony was celebrated after nightfall ; lamps and torches were alwaj's the accompaniment of weddings (cf. Rev 18^, where the light of the lamp and the voice of tiie bridegroom are mentioned together). In the parable of the Ten Virgins the guests assembled at nightfall, but they had to tarry till midnight before the bridegroom came, the hour being chosen for the purpose of the parable, because then they would most likely be off their guard (Mt 25^).
(c) Niglit was the season of snrjjrises. The day of the Lord was to come as a thief in the night (1 Th 5-). In the night the soul of the rich fool was required of him (Lk 12-**). At the coming of the Son of Man ' in that night,' it is said, ' there shall be two in one bed ; the one shall be taken, the other shall be left ' (Lk 17*''). The disciples must guard against a surprise : ' for j^e know not when the Lord cometh, whether at even, or at midnight, or at cock-crowing, or in the morning ; lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping' (Mk 13^). Especial stress is laid upon the mid-watches (Lk 12^) ; it would be easy to keep the first watch, and almost impossible to sleep during the Avatch before the dawn.
(/) The phrases 'day and night,' 'days and nights,' are used to give a comprehensive idea of time (Mt 4-) ; or to give an impression of a con- tinuous practice [as when we read that Anna served God night and day (Lk 2^^)], or to indicate the monotonous passage of time : the sower ' sleeps and rises night and day,' and nothing happens day after day (Mk ^'^).
2. Divisions of the night. — It is important not to seek the scientific accuracy of modern usage in the NT. Time was divided by natural phenomena. The night varied in length with the seasons of the year ; and the length of the four watches into which the night was divided must also have varied (Mt 14-^ Mk 6^^ Lk 1238). In NT times four watches were recognized, in the OT only three. The division into hours could not be made for the night-season.
' The division of the day into hours sprang from the use of the sundial, and its peculiar character, the varying length of the hour, was conditioned by its origin ; hours of the night could be measured only by water-glass or some similar means, which would give divisions of equal length during all seasons of the vear, and not varving hours like those of the day ' (Ramsay, Exiios. IV. vii. [1893] p. 219).
The watches of the night are indicated in Mk 13^ : evening (oi/'ta) — midnight — cock-crowing — full morning. It was at eventide, for example, that Jesus sat down with His disciples ; before ' cock-crowing ' Peter denied Him ; and in the ' morning ' Jesus was carrieil away to Pilate.
3. In the life of Jesus.— Before Jesus called His disciples. He went out into a mountain to praj-, and continued all night in i^rayer (SiavvKTepivwv, Lk 6'-). After the ' feeding of the five thousand ' also He departed into a mountain to pray (Mk e-*" II Mt 1423), and not till the fourth watch did He come to the disciples, spent with their 'bootless toil.' From these and other references it is clear that Jesus often made the night His season of prayer. He whose mind was saturated with the OT may have recalled how the prophets had with- drawn to the mountains.
' So, separate from the world, his breast Might duly take and strongly keep The print Of Heaven.'— (Keble, Chr. Year, 13th Sund.