Greek word · G2073

ἑσπέρα

hespera

evening

Evening, the late part of the day from late afternoon into dusk. Related to Hesperos, the evening star, and to 'the west' as the place of sunset.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἑσπέρα, -ας, ἡ

(prop, fem, of ἕσπερος), [in LXX chiefly for עָרַב ;]

(a) (sc. ὥρα), evening: Luke 24:29, Acts 4:3 20:15 28:23;

(b) (so. χώρα), the west.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Luke 24:29

Range of meaning

Evening, the late part of the day from late afternoon into dusk. Related to Hesperos, the evening star, and to 'the west' as the place of sunset.

Against the English

KJV/YLT 'toward evening', BSB/WEB 'nearly/almost evening'. All accurate.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the New Testament it appears only in Luke-Acts (Luke 24:29; Acts 4:3; 28:23). In the Septuagint it is the usual word for evening, including 'there was evening and there was morning' in Genesis 1.

Where it appears

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 24:29 ἑσπέραν evening

    But they pleaded with Him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So He went in to stay with them.

    Here: Late afternoon running into dusk, the time of the evening meal and the time when travelers looked for somewhere to stay.

Acts · 2

  1. Acts 4:3 ἑσπέρα evening

    They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in custody until the next day.

  2. Acts 28:23 ἑσπέρας. evening.

    So they set a day to meet with Paul, and many people came to the place he was staying. He expounded to them from morning to evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and persuading them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets.

    Here: Until evening. The phrase shows a full day of argument from the scriptures, with nothing rushed.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.