Meaning
is used (a) as a noun, e.g., Luk 20:12, Luk 20:31; in Rev 1:8-12, Rev 9:15, Rev 9:18, "the third part," lit., "the third;" (b) as an adverb, with the article, "the third time," e.g., Mar 14:41, Joh 21:17 (twice); without the article, lit., "a third time," e.g., Joh 21:14, 2Co 12:14, 2Co 13:1; in enumerations, in Mat 26:44, with ek, "from," lit., "from the third time" (the ek indicates the point of departure, especially in a succession of events, cp. Joh 9:24, 2Pe 2:8); absolutely, in the accusative neuter, in 1Co 12:28, "thirdly;" (c) as an adjective (its primary use), e.g., in the phrase "the third heaven," 2Co 12:2 [cp. HEAVEN, A, No. 1 (c), PARADISE]; in the phrase "the third hour," Mat 20:3, Mar 15:25, Act 2:15 ("... of the day"); Act 23:23 ("... of the night"); in a phrase with hemera, "a day," "on the third day" (i.e., "the next day but one"), e.g., Mat 16:21, Luk 24:46, Act 10:40; in this connection the idiom "three days and three nights," Mat 12:40, is explained by ref. to 1Sa 1:30-13, and Est 4:16, Est 5:1; in Mar 9:31, Mar 10:34, the RV, "after three days," follows the texts which have this phrase, the AV, "the third day," those which have the same phrase as in Mat 16:21, etc.
Note: For "third story," Act 20:9, RV, see STORY.
