What Time Did Jesus Say It Is Finished?
The Lord Jesus said 'it is finished' around 3pm according to most biblical scholars and gave up the Ghost or died. Some even say it was 2pm, given the way that they counted hours during that time.
We know from Scripture this timing.
| Source / Scholar | Work | Approx. Time | View |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Lightfoot (1602–1675), Cambridge | Horae Hebraicae et Talmudicae | ~3:00 PM (9th hour) | Jesus spoke “It is finished” at His death, marking the completion of His sacrificial mission (John 19:30). |
| Matthew Poole (1624–1679), England | Annotations on the Holy Bible | ~3:00 PM | Confirms Synoptic timing; “It is finished” is the final statement of the crucifixion (Mark 15:37; John 19:30). |
| John Gill (1697–1771), England | Exposition of the Old and New Testament | 3:00 PM | Uttered “tetelestai” immediately before giving up His spirit, signifying the fulfillment of God’s plan (John 19:30). |
| Adam Clarke (1762–1832), England | Clarke’s Commentary | Around 3 PM | The ninth hour marked the conclusion of Jesus’ sacrifice, fulfilling Scripture and typology (Luke 23:44–46; John 19:30). |
| Keil & Delitzsch (1807–1888 / 1813–1890), Germany | Commentary on the New Testament | Late afternoon (~3 PM) | Darkness from the sixth to ninth hour culminates in Jesus’ declaration, signaling completion of His redemptive work (Matthew 27:45–50; John 19:30). |
Here's a table showing the conversion process from the Jewish hour.
Jewish Hour System
The Jews divided daylight into 12 equal hours, regardless of the season.
Daylight hours: sunrise to sunset → approximately 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM in the spring/fall near Jerusalem.
Night hours: sunset to sunrise → approximately 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM.
| Jewish Hour | Approx. Modern Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1st hour | 6:00–7:00 AM | Morning begins |
| 2nd hour | 7:00–8:00 AM | Early morning |
| 3rd hour | 8:00–9:00 AM | |
| 4th hour | 9:00–10:00 AM | |
| 5th hour | 10:00–11:00 AM | |
| 6th hour | 11:00 AM–12:00 PM | Jesus is often reported as being crucified around the third hour (Mark 15:25) or sixth hour darkness begins |
| 7th hour | 12:00–1:00 PM | |
| 8th hour | 1:00–2:00 PM | |
| 9th hour | 2:00–3:00 PM | Jesus dies and says “It is finished” (John 19:14, 19:30) |
| 10th–12th hour | 3:00–6:00 PM | Evening approaches |
The Lord Jesus' Final Words in John 19:28-30
28 After this, Jesus, [a]knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
In Closing: The Lord Jesus said it was finished and bowed his head and died at around 3pm in Israel that day.
