Mark 15:33 When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour.

What time is it when darkness falls over the whole land?

“When the sixth hour came…” (Mark 15:33).

·      γενομένης ὥρας ἕκτης (genomenēs hōras hektēs)

Feminine Genitive Singular Aorist Middle Participle of γίνομαι “of events or phenomena in nature” (BDAG, 197).

o  Genitive Absolute Structure

“Structurally, the genitive absolute consists of the following:

1)  a noun or pronoun in the genitive case (though this is sometimes absent);

2)  a genitive anarthrous participle (always);

3)  the entire construction at the front of a sentence (usually).”

o  Genitive Absolute Semantics

“Semantically, there are again three items to notice, once the structure has been identified (note that the above stated structure is not  limited to the genitive absolute construction):

1)  This construction is unconnected with the rest of the sentence (i.e., its subject—the genitive noun or pronoun—is different from the subject of the main clause;

2)  the participle is always adverbial (circumstantial) or, at least, dependent-verbal (i.e., it cannot be an adjectival or substantival participle);

3)  the participle is normally (about 90% of the time) temporal, though it can on occasion express any of the adverbial ideas.”

Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), 654-655.

o  “Prominent features in a discourse may be selected for grammatical as well as conceptual emphasis. As Longacre humorously remarks, ‘Discourse without prominence would be like pointing to a piece of black cardboard and insisting that it was a picture of black camels crossing black sands at midnight’. Greek contains a number of linguistic means to indicate prominence.”

Stanley E. Porter, Idioms of the Greek New Testament (Sheffield: JSOT, 1999), 302).

What falls over the whole land when the sixth hour came?

“…darkness fell over the whole land…” (Mark 15:33).

·      σκότος (skotos) “Of the darkening of the sun” (BDAG, 932).

·      ἐγένετο (egeneto) 3S Aorist Middle Indicative of

γίνομαι “of events or phenomena in nature” (BDAG, 197).

·      How does darkness during the day indicate God’s displeasure and judgment in the following verses?

o  Deut. 28:29 and you will grope at noon, as the blind man gropes in darkness, and you will not prosper in your ways; but you shall only be oppressed and robbed continually, with none to save you.

o  Amos 8:9 “It will come about in that day,” declares the Lord GOD,

                  “That I will make the sun go down at noon

And make the earth dark in  broad daylight.

o  Jer. 15:9    “She who bore seven sons pines away;

         Her breathing is labored.

        Her sun has set while it was yet day;

        She has been shamed and humiliated.

        So I will give over their survivors to the sword

        Before their enemies,” declares the LORD.

o  Is. 13:10  For the stars of heaven and their

constellations

         Will not flash forth their light;

                       The sun will be dark when it rises

And the moon will not shed its light.

How long does the darkness fall over the whole land?

“When the sixth hour came…until the ninth hour” (Mark 15:33).

·      “During the crucifixion ‘at the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.’ All three Synoptists accompany the death of Jesus on the cross with several portents, the first of which is darkness from 12:00 noon until 3 p.m.”

James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans, Apollos, 2002), 475.

 

Holy Father, 

You are marvelous light. In You, no darkness dwells. Glory and thanks to You for rescuing us from the domain of darkness and for transferring us to the kingdom of Your beloved Son, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. We were formerly darkness, but now we are Light in the Lord. For Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, ‘CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE’ in order that in Him the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. May eyes be opened so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to You, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Jesus. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.