μεσονύκτιος (mesonuktios)
mesonuktios
midnight
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun mesonuktios denotes the middle of the night, specifically the period between sunset and sunrise. It is a compound word combining terms for "middle" and "night," referring to the time around midnight. This precise temporal marker appears in four New Testament passages, primarily in Acts and the Gospels.
Its usage often highlights moments of unexpected activity or divine intervention during the quietest hours. For instance, Paul and Silas are found praying and singing hymns at this hour in Philippi (Acts 16:25), while Jesus instructs his followers to stay alert until "at midnight" (Mark 13:35). The term underscores a specific point in time rather than the general darkness of night.
Translators consistently render it as "midnight," capturing its literal sense without adding metaphorical weight. The word serves as a concrete anchor in the narrative, marking events that occur when human activity typically ceases, thereby emphasizing the significance of what happens during this watch.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word mesonuktios points to the deepest part of the night, a time when the world is quiet and human plans often stall. In Scripture, this specific hour marks moments where God’s presence breaks through our usual routines. It reminds us that faithfulness does not depend on convenient timing or bright daylight.
When Paul and Silas were singing in prison at midnight (Acts 16:25), they did not wait for morning to praise God. Their worship in the dark became the catalyst for their release. This word invites you to trust that God is active even when circumstances seem still or difficult.
You do not need to have all the answers during your own late-night seasons. The Bible shows us that prayer and hymns can bring light into the darkest hours. Rest in the knowledge that He is with you, whether it is evening, midnight, or morning.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- at midnight2×
- midnight;1×
- midnight1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- μεσονύκτιον2×
- μεσονυκτίου·1×
- μεσονυκτίου1×
Key Verses
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Acts 16:25
But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
This verse shows believers praising God in a prison cell at this specific hour, leading to an immediate supernatural intervention.
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Mark 13:35
Watch therefore, for you don’t know when the lord of the house is coming—whether at evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning;
Jesus uses this time marker to urge constant spiritual readiness, listing it alongside evening and morning as key moments for vigilance.
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Luke 11:5
He said to them, “Which of you, if you go to a friend at midnight and tell him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
This parable highlights the boldness of persistent prayer by describing a request made at this unusual and inconvenient hour.