Reference: Stars
Easton
The eleven stars (Ge 37:9); the seven (Am 5:8); wandering (Jude 1:13); seen in the east at the birth of Christ, probably some luminous meteors miraculously formed for this specific purpose (Mt 2:2-10); stars worshipped (De 4:19; 2Ki 17:16; 21:3; Jer 19:13); spoken of symbolically (Nu 24:17; Re 1:16,20; 12:1). (See Astrologer.)
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Then dreamed he, yet another, dream, and related it to his brethren, and said: - Lo! I have dreamed a dream, yet again, Lo! then, the sun and the moon, and eleven stars, were bowing themselves down to me.
I see One, who is not now, I observe One, who is not nigh, - There hath marched forth a Star out of Jacob. And arisen a Sceptre out of Israel, That hath dishonoured the beard of Mesh, Yea the crown of the head of all the tumultuous;
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.
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:
saying - Where is he that hath been born king of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and have come to bow down to him. But, when King Herod heard, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; read more. and, assembling all the high-priests and scribes of the people, he was enquiring of them - Where is, the Christ, to be born? And, they, said to him, In Bethlehem of Judaea, - for, so, is it written through the prophet: And, thou, Bethlehem, land of Judah, by no means least, art thou, among the governors of Judah, - For, out of thee, shall one come forth to govern, Who shall shepherd my people Israel. Then Herod, privately, calling the wise men, ascertained from them the time of the appearing star; and sending them to Bethlehem, said - Go search out accurately concerning the child, - and, as soon as ye find it, bring report unto me, that, I also, may come and bow myself down to it. Now, they, hearing the king, went, and lo! the star which they had seen in the east, was going before them, until it went and stood over where the child was; and, seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy;
Wild waves of sea, foaming out their own infamies, wandering stars, for whom the gloom of darkness age-abiding hath been reserved.
And, having in his right hand, seven stars, and, out of his mouth, a sharp, two-edged sword, going forth; and, his whole appearance, as when, the sun, shineth in its strength.
The sacred secret of the seven stars, which thou sawest upon my right hand, and the seven lamps of gold: - The seven stars, are, messengers of the seven assemblies, and, the seven lamps, are, seven assemblies
And, a great sign, appeared in heaven: a woman arrayed with the sun, and, the moon, beneath her feet, and, upon her head, a crown of twelve stars;
Hastings
The stars form part of the Divine creation in Ge 1. They are invisible in the sunlight, but begin to appear about sunset (Ne 4:21). In poetical passages hyperbolical expressions are used concerning them. At the creation 'the morning stars sang together' (Job 38:7); at the battle between Barak and Sisera 'the stars in their courses fought against Sisera' (Jg 5:20): in the former passage it may be that the angels are described as stars (cf. Re 1:20 'the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches'). The difference of magnitude in the stars is recognized by St. Paul: 'one star differeth from another star in glory' (1Co 15:41). The stars were looked upon as innumerable: 'tell the stars, if thou be able to tell them' (Ge 15:5). The appearance of a bright particular star was supposed to portend some great event. Thus Balaam prophesied 'There shall come forth a star out of Jacob' (Nu 24:17), and this was afterwards interpreted as applying to the Epiphany star (Mt 2:2; see Star of the Magi); and so in 2Pe 1:19 we read of the day-star arising in men's hearts. Caution is given against the worship of the stars, in the legislation of Deuteronomy (De 4:19), and the punishment of death assigned for the convicted worshipper (see Host of Heaven). In Apocalyptic literature (Re 22:16) our Lord describes Himself as 'the bright, the morning star'; whilst 'they that turn many to righteousness' are to shine 'as the stars for ever and ever' (Da 12:3). The day of the Lord is to be heralded by signs in the stars as well as in the sun and moon (Lu 21:25). The appearance of shooting stars, which come out of the darkness and go back into it, is alluded to in Jude 1:13 'wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved for ever.' Special numbers of stars are mentioned; in Rev (Re 1:16; 12:1), the seven stars and twelve stars illustrate a conventional use of those numbers common in apocalyptic literature. In the OT the seven stars of the AV of Am 5:8 are the Pleiades; and the 'eleven stars' which made obeisance to Joseph in his dream are simply a conventional number to correspond with that of his brethren.
Of individual stars or constellations, the Bear (AV Arcturus), Orion, and the Pleiades occur; all three in Job 9:9; 38:31-32, the last two also in Am 5:8. The mazzaroth (Job 38:32) are most probably the signs of the Zodiac (Revised Version margin; cf. 2Ki 23:5. margin). In 2Ki 23:5 the Heb. form of the word mazzaloth is different, and RV (text) renders it 'the planets.' The chambers of the south (Job 9:9) are probably the stars of the southern hemisphere.
Of worship connected with the stars we have two notable instances. That of 'the queen of heaven' was popular in Jerusalem (Jer 7:18) immediately before the Captivity, and to the neglect of it the captives in Egypt ascribed their disasters, in an address to Jeremiah (Jer 44:15-23) at Pathros. This worship consisted of the offering of incense and drink-offerings, and the making of cakes, with her figure, apparently, upon them. This Queen of Heaven seems to have been without doubt Venus, or Istar, whose star was considered the most beautiful in the heavens. This goddess is identical with Ashtoreth or Astarte. The second instance of star-worship is one that presents some difficulty. In Amos (Am 5:26) we meet with an image of Chiun, if the word be a proper name, who is called 'the star of your god.' This passage is quoted by St. Stephen (Ac 7:43), where the expression is rendered 'the star of the god Rephan.' There seems little reason to doubt that Chiun is the same as the Assyrian Kaiw
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And he brought him forth abroad and said - Look steadfastly. I pray thee towards the heavens, and number the stars, if thou be able to number, them, And he said to him, Thus, shall be thy seed.
I see One, who is not now, I observe One, who is not nigh, - There hath marched forth a Star out of Jacob. And arisen a Sceptre out of Israel, That hath dishonoured the beard of Mesh, Yea the crown of the head of all the tumultuous;
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;
From heaven, was the battle fought, - The stars in their courses, fought against Sisera.
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 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;
So, we, were working at the work, - one half of them, grasping the spears, from the uprisings of the dawn, until the coming out of the stars.
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;
When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
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?
Canst thou bring forth the signs of the Zodiac each in its season? Or, the Bear and her Young, canst thou lead?
Thou hast worn thyself out with the mass of thy consultations, - Let them take their stand I pray thee that they may save thee - The dividers of the heavens - The gazers at the stars, They who make known by new moons, Somewhat of the things which shall come upon thee.
The children, gather wood, and The fathers, kindle the fire, and The women, knead dough, - To make sacrificial cakes to the queen of the heavens, And to pour out drink-offerings to other gods, Provoking me to anger!
Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, and all the women standing by, a great convocation, - with all the people who were dwelling in the land of Egypt in Pathros, made answer unto Jeremiah, saying: As touching the word which thou hast spoken unto us, in the name of Yahweh we are not going to hearken unto thee; read more. but, we will certainly do, the whole thing that hath gone forth out of our own mouth, by burning incense to the queen of the heavens, and pouring out to her drink-offerings, just as we and our fathers, and our kings and our princes, did, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, then were we filled with bread and became prosperous, and calamity, saw we none; whereas, from the very time we ceased burning incense to the queen of the heavens and pouring out to her drink-offerings, we have lacked everything, - and by sword and by famine, have we been consumed. And, though we are burning incense to the queen of the heavens and pouring out to her drink-offerings, is it, without our men that we have made to her sacrificial cakes as images of her and poured out to her, drink-offerings? Then spake Jeremiah unto all the people, - against the men and against the women, and against all the people who had been making any answer unto him, saying: Was it not, the very incense which ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye and your fathers your kings and your princes and the people of the land, was it not those very things, that Yahweh did remember, and that came up on his heart; so that Yahweh could no longer forbear because of the wickedness of your doings, because of the abominations which ye committed, - and your land became a desolation, and an astonishment, and a contempt without inhabitant - as at this day? Because that ye burned incense, and that ye sinned against Yahweh and hearkened not unto the voice of Yahweh, and, in his law and in his statutes and in his testimonies, did not walk, for this cause, did this calamity befall you - as at this day.
and, they who make wise, shall shine like the shining of the expanse, - and, they who bring the many to righteousness, like the stars to times age-abiding and beyond.
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:
Now, when, Jesus, was born in Bethlehem of Judaea, in the days of Herod the king, lo! wise men from eastern parts, came into Jerusalem: saying - Where is he that hath been born king of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and have come to bow down to him.
saying - Where is he that hath been born king of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and have come to bow down to him.
And there will he signs in sun, and moon, and stars, and, on the earth, anguish of nations in embarrassment - sea and surge resounding, -
Nay! but ye took with you the tent of Moloch, and the star of the god Rephan, - the forms which ye made to bow down unto them: therefore will I carry you away beyond Babylon.
One, is the glory of a sun, and, another, the glory of a moon, and, another, the glory of stars, - nay! star from star, differeth in glory.
And we have, more firm, the prophetic word; - whereunto ye are doing, well, to take heed, - as unto a lamp shining in a dusky place, - until, day, shall dawn, and, a day-star, shall arise in your hearts: -
Wild waves of sea, foaming out their own infamies, wandering stars, for whom the gloom of darkness age-abiding hath been reserved.
And, having in his right hand, seven stars, and, out of his mouth, a sharp, two-edged sword, going forth; and, his whole appearance, as when, the sun, shineth in its strength.
The sacred secret of the seven stars, which thou sawest upon my right hand, and the seven lamps of gold: - The seven stars, are, messengers of the seven assemblies, and, the seven lamps, are, seven assemblies
And, a great sign, appeared in heaven: a woman arrayed with the sun, and, the moon, beneath her feet, and, upon her head, a crown of twelve stars;
I, Jesus, have sent my messenger, to bear witness unto you of these things, for the assemblies. I, am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright and the morning Star.