Berachos 3b - Part 3

The Gemara previously stated that King David woke up at midnight in order to praise Hashem. The Gemara now asks from another pasuk in the same chapter (Tehillim 119), which says that King David arose at neshef. The gemara assumes that neshef is the beginning of the evening. This is based on another pasuk in Mishlei 7 where it describes neshef as the beginning of the evening. The Gemara offers three answers to this question:

Answer #1: Rav Oshaya says in the name of Rabbi Acha that when King David said before that he awoke at midnight it really just meant that midnight never passed while he was sleeping. He may have been up earlier, however.

Answer #2: Rabbi Zeira says that until midnight he was half-asleep like a horse. Then from chatzos he would arise like a lion.

Answer #3: Rav Ashi says that until midnight he would learn torah. From midnight onward was devoted to songs and praises to Hashem.