And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

and all the multitude of the people were praying without, at the hour of the perfume.

And all the people were offering prayers outside, at the time of the burning of perfumes.

And the whole crowd of people were praying outside at the hour of incense.

And the entire multitude of the people was praying outside, at the hour of incense.

The whole multitude - This was the regular time of evening prayer, and multitudes came up to the temple to worship.
Praying without - That is, in the courts around the temple, particularly in the court of the women.

The whole multitude - were praying - The incense was itself an emblem of the prayers and praises of the people of God: see Psalm 141:2; Revelation 8:1. While, therefore, the rite is performing by the priest, the people are employed in the thing signified. Happy the people who attend to the spirit as well as the letter of every divine institution! Incense was burnt twice a day in the temple, in the morning and in the evening, Exodus 30:7, Exodus 30:8; but the evangelist does not specify the time of the day in which this transaction took place. It was probably in the morning.

And the whole multitude of the people were praying without,.... In the court of the Israelites, whilst Zacharias was in the holy place; though not in the holy of holies, where only the high priest entered: it looks, as Dr. Lightfoot conjectures, as if this was on a sabbath day, since there was such a multitude of people together; for on the weekday, there were only the priests and Levites of the course, and the stationary men, which represented the Israelites, and some of the more devout sort of the people; but here was the whole multitude of the people; or as the Ethiopic version renders it, "all the people were in a full congregation praying": prayer, was wont to be made at the time of incense; hence it is compared to it, Psalm 141:2. And hence it is, that Christ is said to offer up the prayers of all saints, with his much incense, Revelation 8:3.
in the time of incense: whether it was morning or evening, the people were obliged to be at a distance, whilst that was burning; the Jewish canons confirm this (i):
"in the time they burn the incense in the temple every day, , "they separate all the people", from the temple, and from between the porch and the altar; there is not a man there, till he comes out that burns the incense.
(i) Maimon. Hilch. Tamidin, c. 3. sect. 3. 9. & Yore. haccipurim, c. 4. sect. 2. Vid. T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 44. 1.

praying without--outside the court in front of the temple, where stood the altar of burnt offering; the men and women in separate courts, but the altar visible to all.
the time of incense--which was offered along with the morning and evening sacrifice of every day; a beautiful symbol of the acceptableness of the sacrifice offered on the altar of burnt offering, with coals from whose altar the incense was burnt (Leviticus 16:12-13). This again was a symbol of the "living sacrifice" of themselves and their services offered daily to God by the worshippers. Hence the language of Psalm 141:2; Revelation 8:3. But that the acceptance of this daily offering depended on the expiatory virtue presupposed in the burnt offering, and pointing to the one "sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savor" (Ephesians 5:2), is evident from Isaiah 6:6-7.

Praying without. The incense itself was a symbol of prayer (Psalm 141:2; Revelation 5:8), and when offered by the priest a bell was rung as a signal to the people in the courts without, who all engaged in prayer in deep silence.

The people were praying without, at the time of the incense - So the pious Jews constantly did. And this was the foundation of that elegant figure, by which prayer is in Scripture so often compared to incense. Perhaps one reason of ordaining incense might be, to intimate the acceptableness of the prayer that accompanied it; as well as to remind the worshippers of that sacrifice of a sweet - smelling savour, which was once to be offered to God for them, and of that incense, which is continually offered with the prayers of the saints, upon the golden altar that is before the throne, Revelation 8:3-4.