Time

"time; period of time; appointed time; proper time; season." This word also appears in Phoenician, post-biblical Hebrew, Arabic (where the same radicals constitute a verb signifying "to appear"), and Akkadian (where these radicals form an adverb signifying "at the time when"). ‘Et appears about 290 times in the Bible and in all periods.

Basically this noun connotes "time" conceived as an opportunity or season. First, the word signifies an appointed, fixed, and set time or period. This is what astrologers claimed to discern: "Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times …" (Esth 1:13). God alone, however, knows and reveals such "appointed times": "… in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the Lord" (Jer 8:12).

This noun also is used of the concept "proper or appropriate time." This nuance is applied to the "time" God has appointed for one to die: "Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?" (Eccl 7:17). It is used of the "appropriate or suitable time" for a given activity in life: "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time…" (Eccl 3:11; cf. Psa 104:27). Finally, the "appropriate time" for divine judgment is represented by ‘et: "It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law" (Psa 119:126).

A third use connotes "season," or a regular fixed period of time such as springtime: "And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son" (Gen 18:10). Similarly, the word is used of the rainy "season" (Ezra 10:13), the harvest "time" (Jer 50:16), the migratory "period" (Jer 8:7), and the mating "season" (Gen 31:10).

This noun also is applied to differing "extensions of time." In its first biblical appearance, for example, ‘et represents the "time" (period of the day) when the sun is setting: "And the dove came in to him in the evening [literally, time of the evening]…" (Gen 8:11). The word is used of special occasions such as the birth of a child (Mic 5:3) and of periods during which certain conditions persist (Exod 18:22; Dan 12:11).

Usage Number: 2
Part of Speech: Verb
Original Word: ‘anâ

Usage Notes:‘Anâ means "to be exercised." The noun ‘et may be derived from this verb which occurs only 3 times in Hebrew poetry (cf. Eccl 1:13). It may be related to an Arabic root meaning "to be disquieted or disturbed about something," an Ethiopic root and old South Arabic root meaning "to be concerned about." In later Hebrew this root means "to worry."

denotes "a space of time," whether short, e.g., Mat 2:7, Luk 4:5, or long, e.g., Luk 8:27, Luk 20:9; or a succession of "times," shorter, e.g., Act 20:18, or longer, e.g., Rom 16:25, RV, "times eternal;" or duration of "time," e.g., Mar 1:2, 2nd part, RV, "while" (AV, "as long as"), lit., "for whatever time." For a fuller treatment see SEASON, A, No. 2.

primarily "due measure, due proportion," when used of "time," signified "a fixed or definite period, a season," sometimes an opportune or seasonable "time," e.g., Rom 5:6, RV, "season;" Gal 6:10, "opportunity." In Mar 10:30, Luk 18:30, "this time" (kairos), i.e., "in this lifetime," is contrasted with "the coming age." In 1Th 5:1, "the times and the seasons," "times" (chronos) refers to the duration of the interval previous to the Parousia of Christ and the length of "time" it will occupy (see COMING, No. 3), as well as other periods; "seasons" refers to the characteristics of these periods. See SEASON, A, No. 1, and the contrasts between chronos and kairos under SEASON, A, No. 2.

primarily, "any time or period fixed by nature," is translated "time" in Mat 14:15, Luk 14:17, Rom 13:11, "high time;" in the following the RV renders it "hour," for AV, "time," Mat 18:1, Luk 1:10, Joh 16:2, Joh 16:4, Joh 16:25, 1Jo 2:18 (twice); Rev 14:15; in Mar 6:35, RV, "day;" in 1Th 2:17, RV, "a short (season)," lit., "(the season, AV, 'time') of an hour." See HOUR.

"ever yet," is rendered "at any time" in Joh 1:18, Joh 5:37, 1Jo 4:12. For Luk 15:29 see Note (14) below. See NEVER.

"already, now," is translated "by this time" in Joh 11:39. See ALREADY.

"long ago, of old," is rendered "of old time" in Heb 1:1 (AV, "in time past"). See OLD.

Notes: (1) In Luk 9:51, Act 8:1, AV, hemera, "a day," is translated "time," in the former, plural, RV, "the days;" in Luk 23:7 (plural), RV "(in these) days," AV, "(at that) time." (2) In 1Ti 6:19 the phrase eis to mellon, lit., "unto the about-to-be," i.e., "for the impending (time)," is rendered "against the time to come." (3) In 1Co 16:12, AV, nun, "now" (RV), is rendered "at this time;" in Act 24:25, the phrase to nun echon, lit., "the now having," is rendered "at this time" (the verb is adjectival); the phrase is more expressive than the simple "now." Cp. heos tou nun, "until now," Mat 24:21, Mar 13:19, RV, AV, "unto (this time)." (4) For polumeros, strangely rendered "at sundry times," in Heb 1:1, AV, see PORTION, C. (5) For "long time," see LONG. (6) For "nothing ... at any time," see NOTHING, Note (3). (7) For proskairos, rendered "for a time" in Mar 4:17, AV, see SEASON, WHILE. (8) In Matt., apo tote, "from that time," lit., "from then," occurs thrice, Mat 4:17, Mat 16:21, Mat 26:16; in Luk 16:16, RV (AV, "since that time"); in Joh 6:66, AV, "from that time" translates ek toutou, lit., "from, or out of, this," RV, "upon this." (9) In Luk 4:27, the preposition epi signifies "in the time of." (10) For genea, rendered "times" in Act 14:16, "time" in Act 15:21, see AGE, No. 2 (RV, "generations"). (11) For "at every time," 2Pe 1:15, RV, see ALWAYS, No. 2. (12) For "in time of need," Heb 4:16, see CONVENIENT, and NEED, C, Note. (13) In Heb 2:1, pote signifies "at any time;" in 1Pe 3:5, "in the old time;" in 2Pe 1:21, "in old time." See PAST. In the following where the AV has "sometimes" the RV has "once" in Eph 2:13, Eph 5:8; "aforetime" in Tit 3:3. (14) In Luk 15:29, AV, oudepote, "never," is rendered "neither ... at any time" (RV, "never"). (15) For eukaireo, "to spend time," Act 17:21, see SPEND, No. 10. (16) For chronotribeo, "to spend time," see SPEND, No. 11. (17) For prolego, rendered "told ... in time past," in Gal 5:21, AV, see FOREWARN. (18) In Luk 12:1, "in the mean time" is a rendering of the phrase en hois, lit., "in which (things or circumstances)." (19) In Rev 5:11 there is no word representing "times:" see THOUSAND, Note (2). (20) In Gal 4:2 prothesmios (in its feminine form, with hemera, "day," understood) is rendered "time appointed" (see APPOINT, No. 3 and Note, TERM).