Psalms 119:148 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Mine eyes prevent the night-watches— The Jews anciently divided the night into three watches, which began at what we now call six of the clock in the evening, and consisted each of four hours: the Romans afterwards introduced among them the custom of dividing it into four watches; consisting of three hours each, as well as of dividing the day and the night into twelve hours a-piece. David intimates, that he meditated on God not only in the day-time, but also in the several divisions of the night, wherein different soldiers, or different parties of soldiers, were appointed to watch or keep guard. In all these, or at least during a considerable part of each of these, he was thus wakeful and contemplative. See Psalms 63:6. It may be proper just to observe, that there is nothing for night in the Hebrew. The word signifies watches in general. See Exodus 16:24.