ἀλεκτοροφωνία

cockcrow

Definition

The word ἀλεκτοροφωνία specifically refers to the time of the cockcrow, a designated watch of the night in the Roman system. In the New Testament, it marks a precise period, the third watch of the night, typically between midnight and 3 a.m. This term is used in Mark 13:35, where Jesus lists the four night watches, with 'cockcrow' being the third. It serves as a temporal marker, not just for the sound itself but for the entire segment of time associated with it.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only once in the New Testament, in Mark 13:35. In this eschatological discourse, Jesus uses it to illustrate the unexpected timing of his return, listing the four Roman night watches: 'evening, midnight, cockcrow, and morning.' Its usage is purely chronological, serving as a familiar cultural time marker within a teaching about vigilance.

Etymology

Derived from the combination of ἀλέκτωρ (alektōr, G220), meaning 'rooster' or 'cock,' and φωνή (phōnē, G5456), meaning 'sound' or 'voice.' Thus, it literally means 'the crowing of a rooster.' It is a compound noun that directly describes the event which gave its name to a time period.

Semantic Range

While the word itself is a simple time marker, its single biblical occurrence in Mark 13:35 is theologically significant. It is part of Jesus's teaching on the unknown hour of his return and the end of the age. Understanding this as a specific watch of the night, rather than just a random noise, enriches the call to constant spiritual vigilance and readiness, as the Master could return at any hour, even in the darkness of 'cockcrow.'

In the 1st-century Roman world, the night was divided into four military watches. 'Cockcrow' (ἀλεκτοροφωνία) was the name for the third watch, from about midnight to 3 a.m. Roosters were known to crow at this time, providing a natural, audible clock. This is different from a modern understanding of a single crow; it refers to the period associated with that event.

ἀλέκτωρ (alektōr, G220) — The rooster itself, the source of the sound, as in Peter's denial narrative (Matthew 26:34). φυλακή (phylakē, G5438) — A general term for a 'watch' (of the night), which ἀλεκτοροφωνία specifies as the third watch.

Word Details

Scripture References