What time is it?

John 4:6 (KJV)
⁶Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

In John 4:6 various translations indicate different times.

KJV, ESV and NASB say that it was about the sixth hour.

NLT, Message and Amplified say that it was about noon.

HCSB says that it was about six in the evening.

I am not sure where to find the info in my Logos library. My question is .... why does the HCSB say six in the evening and the NLT, Message and Amplified say that it was about noon?

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Comments

JT (alabama24)

If you follow the footnotes, they explain:

4:6 Lit the sixth hour; see note at Jn 1:39; an alt. time reckoning would be noon

1:39 Lit about the tenth hour. Various methods of reckoning time were used in the ancient world. John probably used a different method from the other 3 Gospels. If John used the same method of time reckoning as the other 3 Gospels, the translation would be: It was about four in the afternoon.

Michael Kinch

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/464902#Comment_464902

If you follow the footnotes, they explain:

4:6 Lit the sixth hour; see note at Jn 1:39; an alt. time reckoning would be noon

1:39 Lit about the tenth hour. Various methods of reckoning time were used in the ancient world. John probably used a different method from the other 3 Gospels. If John used the same method of time reckoning as the other 3 Gospels, the translation would be: It was about four in the afternoon.

Thanks Alabama. Where can I find information regarding the alternate time reckonings? I am still puzzled, is it noon or six pm? Which is the more likely time?

fgh

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/464907#Comment_464907

Generally they counted 12 'hours' between sunrise and sundown, so the 6th hour would be about noon.

But I've seen claims that some groups counted 12 'hours' from sunrise to sunrise instead, which would make the 6th hour sundown.

Try AYBD, or some other decent Bible dictionary.

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/464916#Comment_464916

Michael ... do you have the free Faithlife Study Bible from Logos? It has a simple explanation (matching fgh's point).

After you deal with the basic explanations for time keeping, the subject gets complicated quickly.

Michael Kinch

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/464931#Comment_464931

Thanks everyone for your replies. I have checked out the Faithlife Study Bible and some other resources. I have found the Bible Knowledge Commentary to be helpful in understanding it.

John 4:6

⁶Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

Jesus, tired from walking, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour, which according to Roman time reckoning would have been 6 p.m. (See comments on John 1:39; 19:14.) Jesus being truly human,

John 1:39

³⁹He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

The two disciples remained with Him that day, beginning at the 10th hour. That hour was 4 p.m. or 10 a.m., depending on whether the Fourth Gospel counted days from 6 a.m. (as the Synoptics customarily did) or from midnight or noon. The 10 a.m. times seems better and was the official Roman usage (cf. comments on 4:6; 19:14).

John 19:14

¹⁴Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”

19:14-16. The sixth hour, by Roman reckoning of time, could indicate 6 a.m. (some scholars, however, take it to mean noon; cf. comments on 1:39; 4:6).

David Ames

I do not have the answer but she was there to avoid the others. What time of day was it most likely that she would be the only one there? My guess would be noon, in the heat of the day. [[I did say 'guess']]