hour

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(time). First division of Jewish day, morning, noon, evening (Psa. 55:1717Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. (Psalm 55:17)). Night had three watches (Ex. 14:2424And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, (Exodus 14:24); Judg. 7:1919So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. (Judges 7:19); Lam. 2:1919Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street. (Lamentations 2:19)). Later, day was, morning, heat, midday, evening. Hours introduced from Babylon, after captivity (Matt. 20:1-101For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. 2And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 8So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. (Matthew 20:1‑10)). An indefinite time (Dan. 3:66And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. (Daniel 3:6); Matt. 9:2222But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. (Matthew 9:22)).

Concise Bible Dictionary:

Used with various significations in scripture: as
1. An indefinite period, when the word “time” gives the sense: “the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father” (John 4:2121Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. (John 4:21)).
2. A definite point of time, when “moment” or “at once” would give the sense. “The woman was made whole from that hour” (Matt. 9:2222But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. (Matthew 9:22)).
3. The division of the day into twelve hours, generally considered to be from sunrise to sunset. This varied in Palestine, from ten of our hours in the winter to fourteen in the summer; so that the hours in summer would be nearly half as long again as in the winter. The hours of scripture are now usually reckoned from 6 o’clock A.M. to 6 o’clock P.M., which would make the third hour our 9 o’clock; the sixth hour our 12 o’clock; the ninth hour our 3 o’clock P.M., and so on.
This would be applicable to all the definite hours mentioned in the New Testament except in the Gospel by John. This evangelist followed the plan of reckoning from midnight to midnight. This explains the difficulty found in John 19:1414And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! (John 19:14), which represents the trial proceeding at the sixth hour, whereas Mark 15:2525And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. (Mark 15:25) says “It was the third hour and they crucified him.” A comparison of all the passages shows that the trial commenced early, and our 6 o’clock suits very well; and the crucifixion at 9 o’clock, the third hour of the Jews, agrees with Mark. The other definite times mentioned in John are in John 1:3939He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. (John 1:39); John 4:6, 52-536Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. (John 4:6)
52Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 53So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. (John 4:52‑53), and the now common method of reckoning the time will agree with all of them.

Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew Words:

Number:
8160 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)
Transliteration:
sha`ah
Phonic:
shaw-aw’
Meaning:
(Aramaic) from a root corresponding to 8159; properly, a look, i.e. a moment
KJV Usage:
hour