The "Three Days" and "Three

Nights" of Matthew 12:40.

This Is Appendix 144 From The Companion Bible.

The fact that "three days" is used by Hebrew idiom for any part

of three days and three nights is not disputed; because that was the

common way of reckoning, just as it was when used of years. Three

or any number of years was used inclusively of any part of those

years, as may be seen in the reckoning of the reigns of any of the

kings of Israel and Judah.

But, when the number of "nights" is stated as well as the number

of "days", then the expression ceases to be an idiom, and becomes a

literal statement of fact.

Moreover, as the Hebrew day began at sunset the day was

reckoned from one sunset to another, the "twelve hours in the

day" (John 11:9) being reckoned from sunrise, and the twelve hours

of the night from sunset. An evening-morning was thus used for a

whole day of twenty-four hours, as in the first chapter of Genesis.

Hence the expression "a night and a day" in 2 Corinthians 11:25

denotes a complete day (Greek nuchthemeron).

When Esther says (Esther 4:16) "fast ye for me, and neither eat

nor drink three days", she defines her meaning as being three

complete days, becuase she adds (being a Jewess) "night or day".

And when it is written that the fast ended on "the third day" (5:1),

"the third day" must have succeeded and included the third night.

In like manner the sacred record states that the young man (in 1

Samuel 30:12) "had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days

and three nights". Hence, when the young man explains the reason,

he says, "because three days agone I fell sick". He means therefore

three complete days and nights, because, being an Egyptian (verses

11, 13) he naturally reckoned his day as beginning at sunrise

according to the Egyptian manner (see Encycl. Brit., 11th

(Cambridge) ed., vol xi, page 77). His "three days agone" refers to

the beginning of his sickness, and includes the whole period, giving

the reason for his having gone without food during the whole period

stated.

Hence, when it says that "Jonah was in the belly of the fish three

days and three nights" (Jonah 1:17) it means exactly what is says,

and that this can be the only meaning of the expression in Matthew

12:40; 16:4. Luke 11:30, is shown in Appendix 156.

In the expression, "the heart of the earth" (Matthew 12:40), the

meaning is the same as "the heart of the sea", "heart" being put by

the Figure of Speech, Metonymy (of the Subject), Appendix 6, for

"the midst", and is frequently so translated. See Psalm 46:2.

Jeremiah 51:1. Ezekiel 27:4, 25, 26, 27; 28:2. It is used of ships when

sailing "in the heart of the seas", that is to say, in, or on the sea. See

Ezekiel 27:25, 26; 28:8; also of people dwelling in the heart of the

seas, that is to say, on islands (Ezekiel 28:2). Jonah uses the Hebrew

beten (= womb) in the same way (2:2).