SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:1
¶ Pedro y Juan subían juntos al Templo a la hora novena, la de la oracin.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 3:1
Verse 1. Peter and John went up together] The words epi to auto, which we translate together, and which are the first words in this chapter in the Greek text, we have already seen, chap. ii. 47, are added by several MSS. and versions to the last verse of the preceding chapter. But they do not make so good a sense there as they do here; and should be translated, not together, which really makes no sense here, but at that time; intimating that this transaction occurred nearly about the same time that those took place which are mentioned at the close of the former chapter. At the hour of prayer] This, as is immediately added, was the ninth hour, which answers, in a general way, to our three o'clock in the afternoon. The third hour, which was the other grand time of public prayer among the Jews, answered, in a general way, to our nine in the morning. See the note on chap. ii. 15.
It appears that there were three hours of the day destined by the Jews to public prayer; perhaps they are referred to by David, Psa. lv. 17: EVENING and MORNING, and at NOON, will I pray and cry aloud. There are three distinct times marked in the book of the Acts. The THIRD hour, chap. ii. 15, answering, as we have already seen, to nearly our nine o'clock in the morning; the SIXTH hour, chap. x. 9, answering to about twelve with us; and the NINTH hour, mentioned in this verse, and answering to our three in the afternoon.
The rabbins believed that Abraham instituted the time of morning prayer; Isaac, that at noon; and Jacob, that of the evening: for which they quote several scriptures, which have little reference to the subject in behalf of which they are produced. Others of the rabbins, particularly Tanchum, made a more natural division. Men should pray, 1. When the sun rises; 2.
when the sun has gained the meridian; 3. when the sun has set, or passed just under the horizon. At each of these three times they required men to offer prayer to God; and I should be glad to know that every Christian in the universe observed the same rule: it is the most natural division of the day; and he who conscientiously observes these three stated times of prayer will infallibly grow in grace, and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. Now Peter and John went up together into the temple , etc.] These two disciples were intimate companions, and great lovers of each other; they were often together: they are thought, by some, to have been together in the high priests palace at the trial of Christ; and they ran together to his sepulchre, ( John 18:15,16 20:2-4) and they now went together to the temple, not to attend the daily sacrifice, which was now abolished by the sacrifice of Christ, but to attend to the duty of prayer, which was still in force, and that they might have an opportunity of preaching Christ, where there was a number of people together: at the hour of prayer; being the ninth hour , or three oclock in the afternoon. This was one of their hours of prayer; it was customary with the Jews to pray three times a day, ( Daniel 6:10) which, according to the Psalmist in ( Psalm 55:17) were evening, morning, and at noon; to which seems to answer the three times that are taken notice of by Luke in this history: that in the morning was at the third hour, as in ( Acts 2:15) or nine oclock in the morning; that at noon was at the sixth hour, as in ( Acts 10:9) or twelve oclock at noon; and that in the evening at the ninth hour, as here, or three oclock in the afternoon. Not that these were times of divine appointment. The Jews themselves say, there is no number of prayers from the law, and there is no repetition of this or that prayer from the law, and there is no [wbq mz , fixed time for prayer from the law.
But according to the traditions of the elders, the morning prayer was to the end of the fourth hour, which is the third part of the day the prayer of the Minchah, (or evening prayer,) they fixed the time of it to answer to the evening daily sacrifice; and because the daily sacrifice was offered up every day from the ninth hour and a half, they ordered the time of it to be from the ninth hour and a half, and it is called the lesser Minchah; and because in the evening of the passover, which falls upon the evening of the sabbath, they slay the daily sacrifice at the sixth hour and a half, they say, that he that prays after the sixth hour and a half is excused; and after this time is come, the time to which he is obliged is come, and this is called the great Minchah -lo, you learn, that the time of the great Minchah is from the sixth hour and a half, to the ninth hour and a half; and the time of the lesser Minchah is from the ninth hour and a half, until there remains of the day an hour and a quarter; and it is lawful to pray it until the sun sets.
So that it was at the time of the lesser Minchah that Peter and John went up to the temple; which seems to be not on the same day of Pentecost, but on some day, or days after; it may be the sabbath following, when there was a great number of people got together.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-11 - The apostles and the first believers attended the temple worship at the hours of prayer. Peter and John seem to have been led by a Divin direction, to work a miracle on a man above forty years old, who ha been a cripple from his birth. Peter, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth bade him rise up and walk. Thus, if we would attempt to good purpos the healing of men's souls, we must go forth in the name and power of Jesus Christ, calling on helpless sinners to arise and walk in the way of holiness, by faith in Him. How sweet the thought to our souls, tha in respect to all the crippled faculties of our fallen nature, the nam of Jesus Christ of Nazareth can make us whole! With what holy joy an rapture shall we tread the holy courts, when God the Spirit causes u to enter therein by his strength!
Greek Textus Receptus
επι 1909 PREP το 3588 T-ASN αυτο 846 P-ASN δε 1161 CONJ πετρος 4074 N-NSM και 2532 CONJ ιωαννης 2491 N-NSM ανεβαινον 305 5707 V-IAI-3P εις 1519 PREP το 3588 T-ASN ιερον 2411 N-ASN επι 1909 PREP την 3588 T-ASF ωραν 5610 N-ASF της 3588 T-GSF προσευχης 4335 N-GSF την 3588 T-ASF εννατην 1766 A-ASF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. Went up (anebainon). The imperfect: were going up. So Rev., ascending the terraces, on the highest of which the temple stood.Ninth hour. The time of the evening sacrifice; or, as the words of prayer indicate, half an hour later, for the prayer which accompanied the offering of incense.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
3:1 {Were going up} (anebainon). Descriptive imperfect active. They were ascending the terraces to the temple courts. {The ninth} (ten enaten). Our three o'clock in the afternoon, the time of the evening sacrifice. Peter and John like Paul later kept up the Jewish worship, but not as a means of sacramental redemption. There were three hours of prayer (third, sixth, ninth).
