Greek word · G3798

ὀψία

opsia

evening

Literally 'late (hour)', a feminine adjective with ὥρα ('hour') understood. It means evening, a span that can run from late afternoon to after sunset. Matthew 14:15 and 14:23 both say 'evening' for two different points in the same evening, which shows how loose the word is.

Appears 15 times in 15 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ὄψιος, -α, -ον

(ὀψέ),

late: ἡ ὥρα, Mark 11:11 (Rec., WH, mg.). In late writers, ἡ ὀψία (sc. ὥρα), as subst., evening

[in LXX: Judith 13:1*]:

Matthew 8:16 14:15, 23 16:2 20:8 26:20 27:57, Mark 1:32 4:35 6:47 14:17 15:42, John 6:16 20:10.†

(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 Mark 4:35

Range of meaning

Literally 'late (hour)', a feminine adjective with ὥρα ('hour') understood. It means evening, a span that can run from late afternoon to after sunset. Matthew 14:15 and 14:23 both say 'evening' for two different points in the same evening, which shows how loose the word is.

Against the English

'Evening' (most versions). KJV has 'even', the old English word for evening.

Used elsewhere in the period

Mark uses it several times as a time marker (1:32; 6:47; 11:11; 14:17; 15:42). Mark 6:47 is another night scene on the lake: 'when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea.' The same form, ὀψίας γενομένης, appears in Matthew and Mark at a number of transitions.

From the study of Matthew 14:23

Range of meaning

Late in the day: late afternoon into evening and the coming of dark. The word is related to opse, 'late'.

Against the English

'When evening came' (BSB, ESV, WEB, KJV). NIV 'later that night' and NLT 'night fell' read it as after dark, which fits the sequence.

How it drifted

A modern reader may stumble because 'evening' appears twice, before the feeding (14:15) and again here, as though the meal and the dismissal took no time. The Greek word covers a wide stretch of time. Many commentators also point to the Jewish idea of two 'evenings': one when the sun begins to sink in mid-afternoon and one at sunset (compare 'between the two evenings', Exod 12:6). Either way, the first mention is late afternoon and this one is nightfall.

Used elsewhere in the period

Matthew uses it at 8:16; 14:15, 23; 16:2; 20:8; 26:20; 27:57. Mark 6:47 has the same pairing: when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea and he was alone on land.

From the study of Mark 14:17

Range of meaning

Strictly an adjective, 'late,' used with 'hour' (hōra) understood, so it came to mean 'the late hour,' that is, evening. It covers the stretch from late afternoon through sunset into the first part of the night. Its exact edge is loose. Matthew 14:15 and 14:23 both use it for different points in the same evening.

Against the English

English 'evening' is a fair rendering. A modern reader may not notice that for Jews the day began at sunset, so 'evening' here is the start of a new day, the festival day itself, and not the end of the old one.

Used elsewhere in the period

Common in Koine Greek and the papyri for 'evening.' In Mark: 1:32 (healings 'when evening came, when the sun set'), 4:35, 6:47, 11:11, 14:17, 15:42. The related adverb opse names the first of the four night watches in Mark 13:35 ('in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning').

Where it appears

Matthew · 7

  1. Matthew 8:16 Ὀψίας When evening

    When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to Jesus, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.

    Here: The late part of the day, from late afternoon into dusk. It marks the close of the day that began with the healing of Peter's mother-in-law (8:14–15), and in Mark's parallel it is explicitly sunset.

  2. Matthew 14:15 Ὀψίας Evening

    When evening came, the disciples came to Him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late. Dismiss the crowds so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

    Here: The late part of the day. It could mean late afternoon before sunset as well as dusk itself. It sets the time pressure for the whole scene: daylight and the chance to find food are running out.

  3. Matthew 14:23 Ὀψίας Evening

    After He had dismissed them, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone,

    Here: 'Evening', meaning the late part of the day running into dark. Matthew already said 'when evening came' before the feeding (14:15). So this second 'evening' most likely means later: after sunset, as night came on.

  4. Matthew 16:2 ὀψίας Evening

    But He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘The weather will be fair, for the sky is red,’

  5. Matthew 20:8 Ὀψίας Evening

    When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last ones hired and moving on to the first.’

  6. Matthew 26:20 Ὀψίας As evening

    When evening came, Jesus was reclining with the twelve disciples.

    Here: The late hour of the day. Because this is the Passover meal (v. 19), it means after sunset, when the lamb had to be eaten (Exodus 12:8). In Jewish reckoning that sunset also began a new day, the 15th of Nisan.

  7. Matthew 27:57 Ὀψίας When evening

    When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who himself was a disciple of Jesus.

Mark · 6

  1. Mark 1:32 Ὀψίας When evening

    That evening, after sunset, people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed,

    Here: Literally 'the late [hour]', from an adjective meaning 'late'. It could cover late afternoon as well as the time after dark, which is why Mark goes on to pin it down.

  2. Mark 4:35 ὀψίας evening

    When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.”

    Here: 'Late' (understand 'hour'), meaning evening: the stretch from late afternoon into dusk. They set out as the light is going, and the storm and the stilling happen in the dark.

  3. Mark 6:47 ὀψίας when evening

    When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and Jesus was alone on land.

    Here: The late part of the day running into nightfall. Since the day was already 'late' before the feeding (6:35), the scene here is at dusk or after dark.

  4. Mark 11:11 ὀψίας when late [evening]

    Then Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

  5. Mark 14:17 ὀψίας when evening

    When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve.

    Here: The late part of the day, from late afternoon into dusk and early night. Here it marks the start of the Passover night, the only time the Passover meal could be eaten (Exodus 12:8).

  6. Mark 15:42 ὀψίας when evening

    Now it was already evening. Since it was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath),

John · 2

  1. John 6:16 ὀψία evening

    When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,

    Here: The late part of the day, which can mean anything from late afternoon to just after sunset. Verse 17 says darkness came only later ('it was already dark'), so this is probably dusk or the hour before it.

  2. John 20:19 ὀψίας evening

    It was the first day of the week, and that very evening, while the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you!” He said to them.

    Here: The late part of the day, from late afternoon into nightfall. By now Mary's news from that morning had been circulating for hours.

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