King James Bible Dictionary

First found in Daniel 3:6; 4:19, 33;5:5. It is the rendering of the Chaldee shaah, meaning a "moment," a "look." It is used in the New Testament frequently to denote some determinate season (Matthew 8:13; Luke 12:39).

With the ancient Hebrews the divisions of the day were "morning, evening, and noon-day" (Psalms 55:17, etc.). The Greeks, following the Babylonians, divided the day into twelve hours. The Jews, during the Captivity, learned also from the Babylonians this method of dividing time. When Judea became subject to the Romans, the Jews adopted the Roman mode of reckoning time. The night was divided into four watches (Luke 12:38; Matthew 14:25; 13:25). Frequent allusion is also made to hours (Matthew 25:13; 26:40, etc.). (See DAY.)

An hour was the twelfth part of the day, reckoning from sunrise to sunset, and consequently it perpetually varied in length.

The ancient Hebrews were probably unacquainted with the division of the natural day into twenty-four parts; but they afterwards parcelled out the period between sunrise and sunset into a series of divisions distinguished by the sun's course. The early Jews appear to have divided the day into four parts, (Nehemiah 9:3) and the night into three watches, (Judges 7:19) and even in the New Testament we find a trace of this division in (Matthew 20:1-5) At what period the Jews first became acquainted with the division of the day into twelve hours is unknown, but it is generally supposed they learned it from the Babylonians during the captivity. It was known to the Egyptians at a very early period. They had twelve hours of the day and of the night. There are two kinds of hours, viz. (1) the astronomical or equinoctial hour, i.e. the 24th part of a civil day, and (2) the natural hour, i.e. the 12th part of the natural day, or of the time between sunrise and sunset. These are the hours meant in the New Testament, (John 11:9) etc., and it must be remembered that they perpetually vary in length, so as to be very different at different times of he year. For the purpose of prayer the old division of the day into four portions was continued in the temple service. as we see from (Acts 2:15; 3:1; 10:9)

HOUR, noun our. [Latin hora; also Latin tempestivus, from tempus. See Time. But hour hora, afterward came to signify a certain portion or division of the day. This has been different in different nations.]

1. A space of time equal to one twenty fourth part of the natural day, or duration of the diurnal revolution of the earth. An hour answers to fifteen degrees of the equator. It consists of 60 minutes, each minute of 60 seconds, etc.

2. Time; a particular time; as the hour of death.

Jesus saith, woman, my hour is not yet come. John 2:4.

3. The time marked or indicated by a chronometer, clock or watch; the particular time of the day. What is the hour? At what hour shall we meet? I will be with you at an early hour

Good hour signifies early or seasonably.

You have arrived at a good hour

To keep good hours, to be at home in good season; not to be abroad late, or at the usual hours of retiring to rest.

HOURs, in the plural, certain prayers in the Romish church, to be repeated at stated times of the day, as matins and vespers.

HOUR'GLASS, noun our'glass. A chronometer that measures the flux of time by the running of sand from one glass vessel to another, through a small aperture. Instead of sand, dry egg shells pulverized are sometimes used. The quantity of sand may be so proportioned as to measure an hour, a half hour, or a quarter.

1. Space of time.

HOUR'HAND, noun The hand or pointed pin which shows the hour on a chronometer.

HOU'RI, noun Among Mohammedans, a nymph of paradise.

HOUR'LY, adjective our'ly. Happening or done every hour; occurring hour by hour; frequent; often repeated.

Observe the waning moon with hourly view.

1. Continual.

We must live in hourly expectation of having the troops recalled.

HOUR'LY, adverb our'ly. Every hour; frequently; continually.

Great was their strife which hourly was renewed.

HOUR'PLATE, noun our'plate. The plate of a clock or other time-piece on which the hours are marked; the dial.

A division of time.

Twelve, in the day
John 11:9; Matthew 20:3-12; Matthew 27:45-46

Twelve, in the night
Acts 23:23

Symbolic
Revelation 8:1; Revelation 9:15