A.T. Robertson Commentary John 4:52

"So he inquired of them the hour when he began to amend. They said therefore unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." — John 4:52 (ASV)

Inquired (επυθετο). Second aorist middle indicative of πυνθανομα.

Began to mend (κομψοτερον εσχεν). Second aorist ingressive active indicative of εχω (took a turn, got better) and comparative of adverb κομψως. Arrian (_Epictetus iii. 10.13) has κομψως εχεις from a physician, "Thou hast it fine," "Thou art doing finely." The papyri give several similar examples. Κομψως (neat) is from κομεω, to take care of.

At the seventh hour (ωραν εβδομην). The accusative case without a preposition as in Re 3:3, though we have περ ωραν ενατην (about the ninth hour) in Ac 10:3. See the accusative also in Ex 9:18 ταυτην την ωραν αυριον (tomorrow about this hour). The accusative has the notion of extension and can be thus loosely used. It can even mean here "during the seventh hour." In verse 53 the locative is more exact, "at that hour" (εν εκεινη τη ωρα). The seventh hour would be (Roman time) seven P.M.