Reference: Host of Heaven
Easton
The sun, moon, and stars are so designated (Ge 2:1). When the Jews fell into idolatry they worshipped these (De 4:19; 2Ki 17:16; 21:3,5; 23:5; Jer 19:13; Zep 1:5; Ac 7:42).
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Thus were finished the heavens and the earth and all their host.
or lest thou shouldest lift up thine eyes towards the heavens and see the sun and the moon, and the stars - all the host of the heavens, and shouldest be seduced, and shouldest bow thyself down to them and he led to serve them, - the which Yahweh thy God hath assigned unto all the peoples under all the heavens;
Yea, the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall like the place of Topheth, be places defiled, - even all the houses upon whose roofs they burned incense to all the host of the heavens, and poured out drink-offerings to other gods.
And them who bow down upon the housetops to the host of the heavens, - and them who bow down - who swear to Yahweh, and swear by Milcom;
But God, turned, and delivered them up to be doing divine service unto the host of heaven, - just as it is written in a book of the prophets - Victims and sacrifices did ye offer unto me, forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?
Hastings
The phrase 'host (or army) of heaven' occurs in OT in two apparently different senses
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Thus were finished the heavens and the earth and all their host.
And Jacob said, when he saw them, the camp of God, is this! So he called the name of that place, Mahanaim.
or lest thou shouldest lift up thine eyes towards the heavens and see the sun and the moon, and the stars - all the host of the heavens, and shouldest be seduced, and shouldest bow thyself down to them and he led to serve them, - the which Yahweh thy God hath assigned unto all the peoples under all the heavens;
yea hath gone, and served other gods, and bowed down unto them, - whether unto the sun or unto the moon or unto any of the host of the heavens which I have not commanded;
And he said - Nay, but, I, as prince of the host of Yahweh, have, now, come. So Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshipped, and said unto him, What is my lord speaking unto his servant?
From heaven, was the battle fought, - The stars in their courses, fought against Sisera.
Then he said, Therefore, hear thou the word of Yahweh, - I saw Yahweh, sitting upon his throne, and all the host of the heavens, standing by him, on his right hand, and on his left.
But they forsook all the commandments of Yahweh their God, and made for themselves something molten - two calves, and made a Sacred Stem, and bowed themselves down to all the army of the heavens, and served Baal;
And he built altars to all the army of the heavens, - in the two courts of the house of Yahweh;
Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the entrance-hall, to bring forth, out of the temple of Yahweh, all the vessels that had been made for Baal and for the Sacred Stem, and for all the army of the heavens, - and he burned them up outside Jerusalem, in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them to Bethel; 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;
and, the altars which were on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, also the altars which Manasseh had made, in the two courts of the house of Yahweh, did the king break down, - and hurried away from thence, and cast out the powder of them into the Kidron ravine;
and, the altars which were on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, also the altars which Manasseh had made, in the two courts of the house of Yahweh, did the king break down, - and hurried away from thence, and cast out the powder of them into the Kidron ravine;
Thou, art Yahweh, thou alone, Thou, didst make the heavens, the heavens of heavens, and all their host, the earth and all that is thereon, the seas and all that is therein, and, thou, holdest them all in life, - and, the host of the heavens, unto thee, are bowing down.
He oppresseth the barren who beareth not, and, to the widow, he doeth not good;
Is there any number to his troops? And upon whom ariseth not his light?
When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
By the word of Yahweh, the heavens were made, and, by the spirit of his mouth, all their host:
Bless Yahweh, all ye his hosts, Attendants of his, doing his pleasure;
Praise him, all his messengers, Praise him, all his host;
How hast thou fallen from heaven, O Shining One - Son of the Dawn! Hewn down to the earth, O crusher of nations!
And he shall not look unto the altars the work of his own hands, - Nor to what his own fingers have made, shall his eye be turned, Whether Sacred Stems or Sun-pillars.
Then shall be dissolved all the host of the heavens, And the heavens shall roll up as a scroll, - Yea, all their host, shall fade - Like the fading and falling of a leaf from a vine, and Like what fadeth and falleth from a fig-tree.
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!
I, made the earth, And man upon it, I created, - I - mine own hands, stretched out the heavens, And all their host, I commanded:
Yea, the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall like the place of Topheth, be places defiled, - even all the houses upon whose roofs they burned incense to all the host of the heavens, and poured out drink-offerings to other gods.
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.
And, all the inhabitants of the earth, as nothing, are accounted, and, according to his own pleasure, dealeth he - with the army of the heavens, and the inhabitants of the earth, - and none there is who can smite upon his hand, or say to him, What hast thou done?
yea it became great as far as the host of the heavens, - and caused to fall, to the earth, some of the host and some of the stars, and trampled them underfoot;
yea it became great as far as the host of the heavens, - and caused to fall, to the earth, some of the host and some of the stars, and trampled them underfoot;
But ye carried the tent of your king-idol, and your Saturn-images, - the star of your gods, which ye made for yourselves:
And them who bow down upon the housetops to the host of the heavens, - and them who bow down - who swear to Yahweh, and swear by Milcom;
And, suddenly, there came to be, with the messenger, the throng of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying -
And he said unto them - I was beholding Satan, when, like lightning, out of heaven, he fell!
And, the fifth messenger, sounded; and I saw a star, out of heaven, fallen unto the earth, and there was given unto him the key of the shaft of the abyss.
They have over them, as king, the messenger of the abyss, whose name, in Hebrew, is Abaddon "=Destroyer", and, in the Greek, he hath for name, Destroyer.
and, his tail, draweth the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth. And, the dragon, stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, that, as soon as she should bring forth, he might devour, her child.
And he opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tent, - them, who, in heaven were tabernacling.