Reference: Astronomy
American
The science, which treats of the heavenly bodies, was much studied in Asia in ancient times. The Chaldeans excelled in it. The Hebrews do not appear to have made great proficiency in it, though their climate and mode of life invited to the contemplation of the heavens. Revelation had taught them who created and governed all the world, Ge 1:1; 1-31, and the infinite presence of the one living and true God filled the universe, to their minks, with a glory unknown to others, Ps 19.1-14; Isa 40:26; Am 5:8. The Bible does not aim to teach the science of astronomy, but speaks of the sun, moon, and stars in the familiar language of mankind in all ages. The following heavenly bodies are alluded to particularly in Scripture: Venus, the morning star, Isa 14:12; Re 2:28; Orion, and the Pleiades, Job 9:9; 38:31; Am 5:8; the Great Bear, called "Arcturus," Job 9:9; 38:32; Draco, "the crooked serpent" Job 26:13; and Gemini, "the twins," 2Ki 23:5; Ac 28:11. The planets Jupiter and Venus were worshipped under various names, as Baal and Ahtoreth, Gad and Meni, Isa 65:11. Mercury is named as Nebo; in Isa 46:1; Saturn as Chiun, in Am 5:26; and Mars as Nergal, in 2Ki 17:30. See IDOLATRY and STARS.
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In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
So then, the men of Babylon, made Succoth-benoth, and, the men of Cuth, made Nergal, and, the men of Hamath, made Ashima:
and he put down the idol-priests, whom the kings of Judah had appointed, so that incense might be burned in the high places, in the cities of Judah, and round about Jerusalem, - them also that burned incense to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the constellations, and to all the army of the heavens;
Who made the Bear, the Giant and the Cluster, and the chambers of the south;
Who made the Bear, the Giant and the Cluster, and the chambers of the south;
By his spirit, hath he arched the heavens, His hand hath pierced the fleeing serpent.
Canst thou bind the fetters of the Pleiades? Or, the bands of Orion, canst thou unloose? Canst thou bring forth the signs of the Zodiac each in its season? Or, the Bear and her Young, canst thou lead?
How hast thou fallen from heaven, O Shining One - Son of the Dawn! Hewn down to the earth, O crusher of nations!
Lift on high your eyes - and see who hath created these, That bringeth forth, by number, their host, - To all of them by name, doth call, Because of the abundance of vigour and alertness of strength, not one, is missing!
Bel, hath crouched, Nebo, is cowering, Their images, are delivered up to beast and to cattle, - The things ye carried about, are become a load, A burden, to the weary!
But, ye are they - Who forsake Yahweh Who forget my holy mountain - Who prepare, for Fortune, a table and Who fill for Destiny, mixed wine;
Seek him who made the Cluster and the Giant, and turneth, into morning, the shadow of death, and who, day into night, doth darken, Him who calleth to the waters of the sea, and poureth them out on the face of the land, Yahweh, is his name:
Seek him who made the Cluster and the Giant, and turneth, into morning, the shadow of death, and who, day into night, doth darken, Him who calleth to the waters of the sea, and poureth them out on the face of the land, Yahweh, is his name:
But ye carried the tent of your king-idol, and your Saturn-images, - the star of your gods, which ye made for yourselves:
And, after three months, we sailed in a ship which had wintered in the island, a ship of Alexandria, whose ensign was The Twin Brothers;
And I will give unto him the morning star.
Easton
The Hebrews were devout students of the wonders of the starry firmanent (Am 5:8; Ps 19). In the Book of Job, which is the oldest book of the Bible in all probability, the constellations are distinguished and named. Mention is made of the "morning star" (Re 2:28; comp. Isa 14:12), the "seven stars" and "Pleiades," "Orion," "Arcturus," the "Great Bear" (Am 5:8; Job 9:9; 38:31), "the crooked serpent," Draco (Job 26:13), the Dioscuri, or Gemini, "Castor and Pollux" (Ac 28:11). The stars were called "the host of heaven" (Isa 40:26; Jer 33:22).
The oldest divisions of time were mainly based on the observation of the movements of the heavenly bodies, the "ordinances of heaven" (Ge 1:14-18; Job 38:33; Jer 31:35; 33:25). Such observations led to the division of the year into months and the mapping out of the appearances of the stars into twelve portions, which received from the Greeks the name of the "zodiac." The word "Mazzaroth" (Job 38:32) means, as the margin notes, "the twelve signs" of the zodiac. Astronomical observations were also necessary among the Jews in order to the fixing of the proper time for sacred ceremonies, the "new moons," the "passover," etc. Many allusions are found to the display of God's wisdom and power as seen in the starry heavens (Ps 8; 19:1-6; Isa 51:6, etc.)
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And God said - Let there be luminaries in the expanse of the heavens, to divide between the day and the night, - and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years; yea let them be for luminaries in the expanse of the heavens, to give light on the earth. And it was so. read more. And God made the two great luminaries, - the greater luminary to rule the day, and the lesser luminary to rule the night, also the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens, - to give light on the earth; and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
Who made the Bear, the Giant and the Cluster, and the chambers of the south;
By his spirit, hath he arched the heavens, His hand hath pierced the fleeing serpent.
Canst thou bind the fetters of the Pleiades? Or, the bands of Orion, canst thou unloose? Canst thou bring forth the signs of the Zodiac each in its season? Or, the Bear and her Young, canst thou lead? read more. Knowest thou, the statutes of the heavens? Or didst thou appoint his dominion over the earth?
How hast thou fallen from heaven, O Shining One - Son of the Dawn! Hewn down to the earth, O crusher of nations!
Lift on high your eyes - and see who hath created these, That bringeth forth, by number, their host, - To all of them by name, doth call, Because of the abundance of vigour and alertness of strength, not one, is missing!
Lift up - to the heavens - your eyes, And look around to the earth beneath Though, the heavens, like smoke, should have vanished And, the earth, like a garment, should fall to pieces, And, her inhabitants, in like manner, should die, Yet, my salvation, unto times age-abiding, shall continue, And, my righteousness, shall not be broken down.
Thus, saith Yahweh - Who hath given the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, - Who excited the sea, and the waves thereof roared Yahweh of hosts, is his name: -
As, the host of the heavens, cannot be recorded, Nor the sand of the sea, be measured, So, will I multiply, The seed of David my servant, And the Levites who attend upon me.
Thus, saith Yahweh, If my covenant of day and night, the ordinances of the heavens and the earth, I did not appoint,
Seek him who made the Cluster and the Giant, and turneth, into morning, the shadow of death, and who, day into night, doth darken, Him who calleth to the waters of the sea, and poureth them out on the face of the land, Yahweh, is his name:
Seek him who made the Cluster and the Giant, and turneth, into morning, the shadow of death, and who, day into night, doth darken, Him who calleth to the waters of the sea, and poureth them out on the face of the land, Yahweh, is his name:
And, after three months, we sailed in a ship which had wintered in the island, a ship of Alexandria, whose ensign was The Twin Brothers;
And I will give unto him the morning star.