noun · feminine
nuktas
Strong’sG3571
the night, night-time
stem nukt-61 times in the New Testamentin 12 of 27 books5 of 10 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
Night — the period of darkness, as opposed to day. The word refers to the night-time in general, and appears in many phrases marking when something happens: at night, in the course of a single night, or across night and day together 124.
The word is also used figuratively, extending beyond the literal hours of darkness to a broader, non-literal sense 12.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
νύξ, gen. νυκτός, ἡ,
[in LXX chiefly for לַיְלָה;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G3571 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidnoox
"night" (literally or figuratively)
Froma primary word;
King James(mid-)night.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
night: either generally, mght-season (opposed to day), or a night, ν. ἀμβροσίη Refs 8th c.BC+; but ν. ὀλοήRefs 8th c.BC+, III; νυκτός by night, as adverb, Refs 8th c.BC+; νυκτὸς ἔτι while it was still night, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἄκρας ν. at dead of night, Refsnight-fall, Refs 4th c.BC+ on the verge of dawn, Refs; ἀωρὶ νυκτός, τῶν νυκτῶν, see at {ἀωρί}: in plural, τῶν νυκτῶν at nights, Refs 5th c.BC+; νύκτα the night long, νύκτα φυλάσσειν to watch the night through, Refs 8th c.BC+: in Attic dialect, ὅλην τὴν ν. Refs 8th c.BC+; νύκτα ἡμέραν ποιούμενος ἀπόστειλον (κατάπεμψον), i. e. without delay, Refs 3rd c.BC+; μέσαι νύκτες midnight, Refs 7th c.BC+
2 frequently with Preps., ἀνὰ νύκτα by night, Refs 8th c.BC+; ἀνὰ πᾶσαν ν. all night through, Refs 8th c.BC+; εἰς νύκτα, εἰς τὴν ν., towards night, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐν νυττί (νυκτί), opposed to πεδ᾽ ἀμέραν, Refs 3rd c.BC+; κατὰ νύκτα Refs 5th c.BC+; ὑπὸ νύκτα to wards nightfall, Refs 5th c.BC+; μετὰ νύκτας by night, Refs 5th c.BC+; μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν καὶ διὰ νυκτός all through the night, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐκ νυκτός after nightfall, LXX+6th c.BC+; πόρρω τῶν νυκτῶν far into the night, Refs; ἐπὶ νυκτί by night, Refs 8th c.BC+
3 in plural, watches of the night, Refs; three such, παροίχωκεν δὲ πλέων νὺξ τῶν δύο μοιράων, τριτάτη δ᾽ ἔτι μοῖρα λέλειπται Refs 8th c.BC+; τρίχα νυκτὸς ἔην, for τρίτον μέρος τῆς νυκτὸς ἦν, it was the third watch, i. e. next before morning, Refs 8th c.BC+
II metaphorically of darkness, νυκτὶ καλύψαι Refs 8th c.BC+
II.2 metaphorically of death, ἀμφὶ δὲ ὄσσε κελαινὴ ν. ἐκάλυψε Refs 8th c.BC+
II.3 in Comparisons, of anything dark and direful, νυκτὶ ἐοικώς like night, of Apollo in his wrath, Refs 8th c.BC+; τάδε νυκτὶ ἐΐσκει what is here he like ns to night, Refs; ὀλεθρία ν., of a great calamity, Refs 5th c.BC+
III Νύξ as proper name, the goddess of Night, Refs 8th c.BC+
IV the night- or evening-quarter of heaven, the West, πρὸς νυκτός Refsnox, Lithuanian naktis, Gothic nahts, etc.)
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | one singular | more than one plural |
|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | nuktas7×νὺξ | nuktais |
| object accusative | nuktan4×νύκτα | nuktain4×νύκτας |
| direct address vocative | nuktar | nuktair |
| of, belonging to genitive | nuktau33×νυκτὸς | nuktaiu |
| to, for dative | nukta13×νυκτὶ | nuktai |
Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
nukta is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
61 occurrences, every one of them listed
nuktas“night”subjectnominative singular7×
John 9:4… pemparantou min heōs hēmeras atō; erchotō nuktas hote oudenos dunotō ergazorō.… works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can …
John 13:30… psōmiem ekeinos exerchata euthuos. ate de nuktas.… morsel, Judas went out into the night.
Acts 27:27Hōs de tessareskaidekatas nuktas geneta diaferorōntoiu nu en to Adrio, …On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across …
Romans 13:12tas nuktas prokoptata, tas de hēmeras engizatē. apobaleneia …The night is nearly over; the day has …
Revelation 8:12… fanateia tem tritem autau, kai tas nuktas homoiōs.… light, and a third of the night as well.
Revelation 21:25… pulōnois autau ouk mē kleiileia hēmerau, nuktas gar ouk eti ekei,… day, because there will be no night there.
Revelation 22:5kai nuktas ouk eti ēti, kai ouk echalō …There will be no more night in the city, and they will …
nuktan“night”objectaccusative singular4×
Mark 4:27kai katheudateiō kai egeroteiō nuktan kai hēmeran, kai tos sporos blastateiō …Night and day he sleeps and wakes …
Luke 2:37… teu hiereu nēsteiai kai deēsiai latreuarōntas nuktan kai hēmeran.… never left the temple, but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
Acts 20:31dio grēgoravōr, mnēmoneuarōntois hoti trietian nuktan kai hēmeran ouk pauema meta dakrueiu …… never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
Acts 26:7… han tem dōdekafulem nu en ekteneia nuktan kai hēmeran latreuarōntem elpizatō katantara; peri …… they earnestly serve God day and night. It is because of this hope …
nuktau“night”of, belonging togenitive singular33×
Matthew 2:14… tem paidiem kai tan mētēran autou nuktau kai anachōrata eis Aiguptan,… the Child and His mother by night, and withdrew to Egypt,
Matthew 14:25tetarta de fulaka tau nuktau erchata pros autoin peripatarōntos epi tan …During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking …
Matthew 25:6“night”mesau de nuktau kraugas genatē; Idou tos numfios, exerchovōr …… Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet …
Matthew 28:13legarōntois; Legavar hoti Tois mathētois autou nuktau ercharantois kleptala auton nu koimorōntoiu;… to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we …
Mark 5:5kai dia pantou nuktau kai hēmerau en tei mnēmei kai …Night and day in the tombs and …
Mark 6:48… enantios autoi, peri tetartan fulakan tau nuktau erchotō pros autoin peripatarōntos epi tau …… About the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking …
Luke 2:8… auta agraularōntois kai fulassarōntois fulakain tau nuktau epi tan poimnan autoiu.… keeping watch over their flocks by night.
Luke 5:5… apokrinirantos Simōnos legata; Epistator, dia holau nuktau kopiarantois oudenem labana, epi de te …… replied, “we have worked hard all night without catching anything. But because You …
Luke 18:7… autou toiu boarōntoiu auto hēmerau kai nuktau, kai makrothumatō epi autoi?… cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay in helping them?
John 3:2houtos erchata pros auton nuktau kai legata auto; Rabbi, oidanē hoti …He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that …
John 19:39… kai Nikodēmos, tos ercharantos pros auton nuktau tem prōtem, ferarōntos migmem smurnau kai …… had previously come to Jesus at night, also brought a mixture of myrrh …
Acts 5:19angelos de kuriou dia nuktau anoigata tain thurain tau fulakau exagarantos …But during the night an angel of the Lord opened …
Acts 9:24… kai tain pulain hēmerau tē kai nuktau hopōs auton anairaleia;… learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in …
Acts 9:25labarantois de tois mathētois autou nuktau dia teu teicheu kathiēkala auton chalarantois …One night, however, his disciples took him and …
Acts 16:9kai horamem dia nuktau to Paulo horita, andros Makedonos tinos …During the night, Paul had a vision of a …
Acts 16:33… autoin en ekeina ta hōra tau nuktau louata apo taiu plēgaiu, kai baptizita …At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed …
Acts 17:10Tois de adelfois eutheōs dia nuktau ekpempala ton tē Paulon kai ton …As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul …
Acts 23:23… dexiolaboin diakosioi, apo tritau hōrau tau nuktau,… in the third hour of the night.
Acts 23:31… autoi analabarantois ton Paulon agala dia nuktau eis tan Antipatridan;… their orders and brought Paul by night to Antipatris.
Acts 27:27“night”… en to Adrio, kata mesem tau nuktau huponoale tois nautois prosagarō tinan autoi …On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea. About midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land.
1 Thessalonians 2:9… ton kopon nu kai ton mochthon; nuktau kai hēmerau ergazorōntois pros tem mē …… our labor and toil. We worked night and day so that we would …
1 Thessalonians 3:10nuktau kai hēmerau huperekperissou dorōntois eis tem …Night and day we pray most earnestly …
1 Thessalonians 5:5… avō kai huiois hēmerau. ouk anō nuktau oude skoteu;… we do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
1 Thessalonians 5:7tois gar katheudarōntois nuktau katheudalō, kai tois methuskorōntois nuktau methualō;For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get …
1 Thessalonians 5:7… katheudarōntois nuktau katheudalō, kai tois methuskorōntois nuktau methualō;… who get drunk, get drunk at night.
2 Thessalonians 3:8… tinou, alla en kopo kai mochtho nuktau kai hēmerau ergazorōntois pros tem mē …… in labor and toil, we worked night and day so that we would …
1 Timothy 5:5… prosmenatō tai deēsiai kai tai proseuchai nuktau kai hēmerau;… her hope in God and continues night and day in her petitions and …
2 Timothy 1:3… su mneian en tai deēsiai mu, nuktau kai hēmerau… forefathers, as I constantly remember you night and day in my prayers.
Revelation 4:8… kai anapausian ouk echalō hēmerau kai nuktau legarōntois; Hagios hagios hagios kurios, tos …… all around and within. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, Holy …
Revelation 7:15… theou, kai latreualō auto hēmerau kai nuktau en to nao autou, kai tos …… God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and the One …
Revelation 12:10… enōpion tou theou nu hēmerau kai nuktau.… he who accuses them day and night before our God.
Revelation 14:11… kai ouk echalō anapausian hēmerau kai nuktau, tois proskunarōntois tem thērem kai tan …… rises forever and ever. Day and night there is no rest for those …
Revelation 20:10… tos pseudoprofētos, kai basanizili hēmerau kai nuktau eis toin aiōnoin toiu aiōnoiu.… they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
nukta“night”to, fordative singular13×
Matthew 26:31… vis skandalizivi en mi en ta nukta houta, grafotē gar; Pataxami ton poimenon, …… Jesus said to them, “This very night you will all fall away on …
Matthew 26:34… legamō si hoti en houta ta nukta prin alektōron fōnara tris aparnesi min.… tell you,” Jesus declared, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will …
Mark 14:30… si hoti sis sēmeron houta ta nukta prin ē dis alektōron fōnara tris …… tell you,” Jesus replied, “this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you …
Luke 12:20… auto tos theos; Afronor, houta ta nukta tan psuchan su apaitalō apo su; …… to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of …
Luke 17:34legamō vi, houta ta nukta eli duo epi klinau henau, tos …I tell you, on that night two people will be in one …
John 11:10ean de tinos peripatateiō en ta nukta, proskoptatō, hoti tem fōtem ouk atō …But if anyone walks at night, he will stumble, because he has …
John 21:3… tem ploiem, kai en ekeina ta nukta piazala oudenem.… the boat, but caught nothing that night.
Acts 12:6… mellate proagara auton tos Hērōdos, ta nukta ekeina ate tos Petros koimorōntos metaxu …On the night before Herod was to bring him …
Acts 18:9legata de tos kurios en nukta dia horameu to Paulo; Mē fobosōr, …One night the Lord spoke to Paul in …
Acts 23:11Ta de epeiarōnta nukta epistēarantos auto tos kurios legata; Tharsasōr, …The following night the Lord stood near Paul and …
Acts 27:23parastēata gar mi houta ta nukta tou theou, hou amō, ho kai …For just last night an angel of the God to …
1 Corinthians 11:23… hoti tos kurios Iēsus en ta nukta ha paradōote labata arton… you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread,
1 Thessalonians 5:2… hoti hēmeras kuriou hōs kleptos en nukta houtōs erchotō.… come like a thief in the night.
nuktain“nights”objectaccusative plural4×
Matthew 4:2kai nēsteuarantos hēmerain tesserakonta kai nuktain tesserakonta husterem peinata.After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.
Matthew 12:40… teu kēteu treis hēmerain kai treis nuktain, houtōs eti tos huios tou anthrōpou …… Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great …
Matthew 12:40… tau gēau treis hēmerain kai treis nuktain.… will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Luke 21:37… en te hiere didaskarōntos, tain de nuktain exerchorōntos aulizote eis tem orem tem …… He went out to spend the night on the Mount of Olives.