UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

Sense 1: time, occasion

Semantic entry: 67.1

Semantic domains: Time

Subdomains: A Point of Time without Reference to Other Points of Time: Time, Occasion, Ever, Often

Definition: points of time consisting of occasions for particular events

Notes: In a number of languages there is no general term for ‘time’ or ‘occasion.’ In some contexts it is simply not necessary to have such a term. For example, in rendering RV MAT 13:30 · LV MAT 13:30 · Read together MAT 13:30 one may translate ‘when the harvest comes, I will say to the reapers’ or ‘when people begin to harvest, I will say to the reapers.’ In other contexts, a term which normally refers to some unit is employed in a generic sense, as in the case of Greek ὥρα which means literally ‘hour’ but is frequently used as a generic expression for a point of time, as in RV MAT 8:13 · LV MAT 8:13 · Read together MAT 8:13. In RV ACT 7:17 · LV ACT 7:17 · Read together ACT 7:17 χρόνος may often be rendered by a generic expression such as ‘day,’ for example, ‘when it was almost the day for God to keep his promise.’ In the case of RV MAT 26:45 · LV MAT 26:45 · Read together MAT 26:45, the nearness of the time may be indicated as ‘very soon the Son of Man will be handed over.’|Though it seems quite ordinary in English for one to speak of ‘time coming’ or ‘… drawing near,’ this type of figurative usage is impossible in many languages. The equivalent may be simply ‘will soon be’ or ‘is about to happen.’ The expression οὔπω ἥκει ἡ ὥρα μου (literally ‘my time has not yet come’) in RV JHN 2:4 · LV JHN 2:4 · Read together JHN 2:4 denotes that it is not yet the occasion for a particular event (see καιρός in RV JHN 7:8 · LV JHN 7:8 · Read together JHN 7:8 and compare RV JHN 7:10 · LV JHN 7:10 · Read together JHN 7:10) but that it will soon be. In these contexts the expression may be rendered as ‘there is still time’ or ‘I will soon do it.’ In RV JHN 7:30 · LV JHN 7:30 · Read together JHN 7:30 and RV JHN 8:20 · LV JHN 8:20 · Read together JHN 8:20 (οὔπω ἐληλύθει ἡ ὥρα αὐτοῦ ‘his time has not yet come’) the reference is to the occasion of his eventual arrest, implying that it will indeed happen.

Sense 2: time, period of time

Semantic entry: 67.78

Semantic domains: Time

Subdomains: Duration of Time without Reference to Points or Units of Time: Time, Spend Time, Always, Eternal, Old, Immediately, Young

Definition: an indefinite unit of time (the actual extent of time being determined by the context){N:001}

Sense 3: age, era

Semantic entry: 67.145

Semantic domains: Time

Subdomains: Indefinite Units of Time: Age, Lifetime, Interval, Period

Definition: an indefinite period of time, but probably with the implication of the relation of a period to a particular state of affairs

Sense 4: opportunity, good occasion

Semantic entry: 22.45

Semantic domains: Trouble, Hardship, Relief, Favorable Circumstances

Subdomains: Favorable Circumstances or State

Definition: a favorable opportunity or occasion in view of propitious circumstances

Notes: It is possible to interpret καιρός in RV ACT 24:25 · LV ACT 24:25 · Read together ACT 24:25 merely as an ‘occasion’ (see 67.1: καιρός / 67.1: χρόνος / 67.1: ὥρα). In fact, one may translate simply as ‘and when I have time, I will call you.’

Sense 5: not long, temporary, for a little while, for a while

Semantic entry: 67.109

Semantic domains: Time

Subdomains: Duration of Time without Reference to Points or Units of Time: Time, Spend Time, Always, Eternal, Old, Immediately, Young

Definition: pertaining to a relatively short period of time, with emphasis upon the temporary nature of the event or state

Sense 6: not long, temporary, for a little while, for a while

Semantic entry: 67.109

Semantic domains: Time

Subdomains: Duration of Time without Reference to Points or Units of Time: Time, Spend Time, Always, Eternal, Old, Immediately, Young

Definition: pertaining to a relatively short period of time, with emphasis upon the temporary nature of the event or state

Collocations: πρὸς καιρὸν ὥρας