νυχθήμερον
nychthḗmeron
G3574 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A full period comprising both night and day; a complete cycle of 24 hours. Most commonly signifies a continuous duration of one night plus one day, especially in reckoning elapsed time. In some contexts, may refer to the notion of 'round-the-clock' or uninterrupted duration across both night and day.
Semantic Range
a full 24-hour cycle, one night and one day, day-and-night period, span of uninterrupted night and day, ongoing or continuous period encompassing both night and day
Root / Etymology
Compound formed from νύξ (night) and ἡμέρα (day). No indication of derivation from another language; native Greek formation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
νυχθήμερον is first attested in classical Greek (e.g., Herodotus) to express a full 24-hour period, distinguishing it from ἡμέρα, which may mean either 'day' (opposed to 'night') or, by extension, a 24-hour period. By the Hellenistic and Koine periods, it served to specify a full day-night cycle, especially where precision is needed (e.g., Acts 20:31, 2 Corinthians 11:25). Septuagint usage is rare; in New Testament contexts, it emphasizes the completeness and continuity of an action or experience. Standard English translations tend to render it as 'night and day' or 'a day and a night,' but may sometimes fail to clarify that the intention is a full 24-hour span. There is overlap in some contexts with the Hebrew phrase 'יום ולילה' (day and night), which also denotes an entire period of time; however, νυχθήμερον is a distinctly Greek expression and not a calque of Semitic usage. Related forms include the adverb νυχθημερόν (unceasingly, continuously day and night). The term is a precise chronological marker, not used metaphorically or theologically in Koine Greek sources.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from νύξ and ἡμέρα; a day-and-night, i.e. full day of twenty-four hours:--night and day.
Root Family
νυχθήμερον (nychthēmeron) — night, day, 24-hour period
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3574-01 |
νυχθήμερον | nuchthemeron | N ACC N SG |
a night and a day | a full 24-hour period | a full 24-hour period | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3574-01 |
2 Corinthians 11:25 | νυχθήμερον | nuchthemeron | N ACC N SG |
a night and a day | a full 24-hour period | a full 24-hour period |