[B-Greek] PRWI
Lars
siaxares at yahoo.com
Sat Apr 15 04:41:30 EDT 2006
O. Kwon asked:
>However, I like to know whether PRWI can refer to other than morning at all.
Thanks,
Oun Kwon.
PRWI, early, can refer to one of two watches called "early" in Jewish culture, the early morning watch from 3am to 6am or the early evening watch from noon to 3pm. Depending upon the context PRWI can refer to either of these specific periods. Sometimes the context is clear and sometimes not so clear when other circumstances are not clearly understood. John 18:28 for instances that references DE PRWI when Jesus was first prsented to Pilate does not work for early in the morning generally nor the early morning watch from 3am-6am as it was already daylight when Jesus was seen by the Sanhedrin. Thus BUT EARLY here would be reference to just before the early evening watch and thus sometime just before noon when Pilate first saw Jesus after he was interrogated by the Sanhedrin.
When Jesus rose DE PRWI (Mark 16:9) it would not be a reference to early in the day nor near noon but just before the early morning watch just before 3am. We know this because it was still dark when Mary Magdalene first came to the tomb "early" (PRWI -- without the DE; John 20:1) which would best be understood as during the early morning watch, but while it was still dark, after 3 am.
Another specific reference to a watch by John perhaps sometimes confused for a general reference to "night" at John 13:30 for the time when Judas left the evening meal at DE NOX is likely a reference to the midnight watch simply called "night" here and thus just before 9:00 p.m. (night watch is from 9pm-midnight).
To make things more fun and complicated, besides there being two "early" watches, there are three "evening watches", the early evening (noon-3pm), mid-evening referred to as just "evening" (3pm-6pm), and "late" evening watch (6pm-9pm).
So when you find one of the references perhaps confusing, consider the term a reference to one of the watches rather than a general term of "late" or "early," etc. But sometimes the context is not sufficient to determine this.
L. W.
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