And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

MARK 15:33KJV
Know the Bible

Mark 15:33 (KJV)

What does Mark 15:33 mean?

Mark 15:33 describes how, at noon ("the sixth hour"), darkness covered the entire land and lasted until 3 p.m. ("the ninth hour") during the crucifixion of Jesus. This sudden darkness is presented as a striking and unusual event that happened while Jesus was on the cross.

In this verse, Mark is narrating the events of Jesus’s crucifixion to his readers. The darkness is not explained, but it would have been seen as highly significant by those present, since it happened in the middle of the day and lasted for three hours. This detail sets a somber, dramatic tone and signals that something extraordinary is taking place.

The Greek behind Mark 15:33

  • ὥρα (hōra, "hour"): This word refers to a specific time of day. The "sixth hour" would be about noon, and the "ninth hour" about 3 p.m. in Jewish timekeeping, helping readers understand the timing of these events.
  • γῆ (gē, "land"): This word can mean "land," "earth," or "region." The phrase "over the whole land" could refer to the entire country or possibly the whole earth, but most readers in the original context would have understood it as the area around Jerusalem.
  • σκοτία (skotia, "darkness"): This word means darkness or absence of light. Its use here emphasizes the unnatural and ominous nature of what happened during Jesus’s crucifixion.

Why Mark 15:33 matters

  • Mark 15:33 helps readers see that Jesus’s crucifixion was marked by extraordinary signs, highlighting the seriousness and cosmic significance of the event.
  • The detail about darkness lasting three hours connects this moment to Old Testament themes, where darkness often signals judgment or a turning point in God’s dealings with people.
  • This verse prepares readers for the next moments in the story, building tension and underlining that what is happening is not ordinary but deeply meaningful.

Where else these words appear

“ninth” Greek G1766 · used in 10 verses

  • Matthew 20:5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
  • Mark 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
  • Acts 10:3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.

“sixth” Greek G1623 · used in 14 verses

  • Matthew 20:5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
  • Luke 23:44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.
  • Revelation 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

“darkness” Greek G4655 · used in 31 verses

  • Matthew 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
  • John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
  • Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

“whole” Greek G3650 · used in 99 verses

  • Matthew 1:22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
  • Mark 15:16 And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.
  • Acts 15:22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: