(properly בֹּקֶר, boker, Genesis 1:5; πρωϊ v α, Matthew 21:18), the early part of the day, after sunrise.
The break of day, שִׁחִר, shachar, was at one period of the Jewish polity divided into two parts, in imitation of the Persians; the first of which began when the eastern, the second when the western division of the horizon was illuminated. The authors of the Jerusalem Talmud divided it into four parts, the first of which was called in Hebrew אילת השׁחר, aijeleth ha-shachar, or "the dawn of day," which is the title of Psalms 22. The Hebrews, like most simple people, were accustomed to early rising ( הַשְׁכַּים Genesis 19:27, etc.), as is still the Oriental custom (Hackett, Illustrations of Scripture, page 115 sq.). (See AFTERNOON); (See DAY); (See HOUR).