Dict: easton - Day

Day @ The Jews reckoned the day from sunset to sunset kjv@Leviticus:23:32). It was originally divided into three parts kjv@Psalms:55:17). "The heat of the day" ( kjv@1Samuel:11:11; kjv@Nehemiah:7:3) was at our nine o'clock, and "the cool of the day" just before sunset kjv@Genesis:3:8). Before the Captivity the Jews divided the night into three watches,

(1) from sunset to midnight kjv@Lamentations:2:19);

(2) from midnight till the cock-crowing kjv@Judges:7:19); and

(3) from the cock-crowing till sunrise kjv@Exodus:14:24). In the New Testament the division of the Greeks and Romans into four watches was adopted kjv@Mark:13:35). (
See WATCHES.) The division of the day by hours is first mentioned in kjv@Daniel:3:6 kjv@Daniel:3:15 kjv@Daniel:4:19 kjv@Daniel:5:5 . This mode of reckoning was borrowed from the Chaldeans. The reckoning of twelve hours was from sunrise to sunset, and accordingly the hours were of variable length kjv@John:11:9). The word "day" sometimes signifies an indefinite time kjv@Genesis:2:4; kjv@Isaiah:22:5; kjv@Hebrews:3:8, etc.). In kjv@Job:3:1 it denotes a birthday, and in kjv@Isaiah:2:12, kjv@Acts:17:31, and kjv@2Timothy:1:18, the great day of final judgment.