"midnight, Lk. 11:5, Mk. 13:35; Acts 16:25; 20:7*"
Definition and meaning
midnight, Lk. 11:5, Mk. 13:35; Acts 16:25; 20:7*
In the original Greek the word is written: μεσονύκτιον
Historical context
The Gospel of Mark moves urgently — the word "immediately" appears over 40 times. It was written for a Roman audience familiar with power and action. Jesus is portrayed as a man who acts, heals, and commands authority that the Roman world had never seen from a Jewish teacher.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of mesonyktion (G3317) across the King James Bible.
Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
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Common questions
Strong's G3317 (mesonyktion) is a Greek word that means: midnight, Lk. 11:5, Mk. 13:35; Acts 16:25; 20:7* It appears 4 times in the King James Bible.
The word mesonyktion (G3317) appears 4 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G3317 is mesonyktion, a Greek word defined as: midnight, Lk. 11:5, Mk. 13:35; Acts 16:25; 20:7*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
mesonyktion is a Greek word found in the New Testament.