Bible Dictionary
AFTERNOON
Afternoon is the part of the day after noon. Biblical expressions distinguish the heat of the early afternoon from the cool breeze and ordinary activity of late afternoon.
Definition
Afternoon is the portion of the day after noon. Biblical expressions distinguish the early afternoon, when the sun remains hot, from the later afternoon, when a cooling breeze commonly arises.
Biblical Usage
“The heat of the day” refers to the early afternoon, while “the cool of the day” points to late afternoon, a period associated with ordinary daily activity.
Historical Background
In the Orient, a cooling breeze arises late in the day, when much of the day’s business is transacted.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>af-ter-noon' (neToth ha-yom, "the declining of the day"; Jud 19:8 the King James Version): The expression kechom ha-yom, "in the heat of the day" (Ge 18:1) refers to the early afternoon when the sun is a little past its zenith, its rays still being very strong. The phrase le-ruach ha-yom, "in the cool of the day" (Ge 3:8) is in contrast to the last phrase and points to the late afternoon; in the Orient a cooling breeze arises at this period of the day, and it is then that much of the day's business is transacted.</p><p>See DAY.</p>