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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And he dreamed yet another dream and told it his brethren, saying, "Behold, I have had one dream more: me thought the sun and the moon and eleven stars made obeisance to me."
I see him but not now, I behold him but not nigh. There shall come a star of Jacob and rise a scepter of Israel, which shall smite the coasts of Moab and undermine all the children of Seth.
Yea, and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun and the moon and the stars and whatsoever is contained in heaven, shouldest be deceived and shouldest bow thyself unto them and serve the things which the LORD thy God hath distributed unto all nations that are under all quarters of heaven.
For the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah are defiled, like as Tophet, because of all the houses; in whose parlors they did sacrifice unto all the host of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto strange gods.'"
Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into morning and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: the LORD is his name.
saying, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? We have seen his star in the East and are come to worship him." When Herod the king had heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. read more. And he gathered all the chief Priests and Scribes of the people, and asked of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, "In Bethlehem in Jewry; for thus it is written by the Prophet, 'And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Jewry, art not the least concerning the Princes of Judah: For out of thee shall come the captain, that shall govern my people Israel.'" Then Herod privily called the wise men, and diligently enquired of them the time of the star that appeared, and sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child. And when ye have found him, bring me word, that I may come and worship him also." When they had heard the king, they departed; And, lo, the star, which they saw in the East, went before them, till it came and stood over the place where the child was. When they saw the star they were marvelously glad;
They are raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame. They are wandering stars, to whom is reserved the mist of darkness forever.
And he had in his right hand seven stars. And out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword. And his face shone even as the sun in his strength.
and the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the messengers of the seven congregations: And the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven congregations.
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven. A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under 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 out at the doors and said, "Look up unto heaven and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them." And said unto him, "Even so shall thy seed be."
I see him but not now, I behold him but not nigh. There shall come a star of Jacob and rise a scepter of Israel, which shall smite the coasts of Moab and undermine all the children of Seth.
Yea, and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun and the moon and the stars and whatsoever is contained in heaven, shouldest be deceived and shouldest bow thyself unto them and serve the things which the LORD thy God hath distributed unto all nations that are under all quarters of heaven.
From heaven came battle: for the stars, being in their course, fought against Sisera.
And he put down the Chemarims which the kings of Judah had set to burn offerings in the hill altars in the cities of Judah round about Jerusalem and also them that burnt sacrifices unto Baal, to the sun and to the moon and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.
And he put down the Chemarims which the kings of Judah had set to burn offerings in the hill altars in the cities of Judah round about Jerusalem and also them that burnt sacrifices unto Baal, to the sun and to the moon and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.
and we will be laboring in the work." And the half part of them held the spears from the morning spring, till the stars came forth.
"He maketh the wains of heaven; the Orion, the seven stars, and the secret places of the south.
"He maketh the wains of heaven; the Orion, the seven stars, and the secret places of the south.
Where wast thou, when the morning stars praised me together, and all the children of God rejoiced triumphantly?
Hast thou brought the seven stars together? Or art thou able to loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth the morning star or the evening star at convenient times, and convey them home again?
Canst thou bring forth the morning star or the evening star at convenient times, and convey them home again?
Thou hast hitherto had many counsels of them; so let the heaven gazers and the beholders of stars come on now and deliver thee: yea, and let them show when these new things shall come upon thee.
The children gather sticks, the fathers kindle the fire, the mothers knead the dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. They pour out drink offerings unto strange gods, to provoke me unto wrath.
Then all the men which knew that their wives had offered unto strange gods, and a great sort of wives that stood there, yea and all the people that dwelt there in Egypt in the city of Pathros, answered Jeremiah, and said, "As for the words that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will in no wise hear them: read more. But whatsoever goeth out of our own mouth, that will we do: We will do sacrifice, and offer oblations unto the Queen of heaven: like as we and our forefathers, our kings and our heads have done in the cities of Judah, and in the streets and fields of Jerusalem. For then had we plenteousness of victuals, then were we in prosperity, and no misfortune came upon us. But since we left off to offer and to do sacrifice unto the Queen of heaven, we have had scarceness of all things, and perish with the sword and hunger. Last of all, when we women did sacrifice and offered unto the Queen of heaven, did we make her cakes and pour unto her drink offerings, to do her service, without our husbands' wills?" Then said Jeremiah unto all the people, to the men, to the women, and to all the folk, which had given him that answer, "Did not the LORD remember the sacrifices that ye, your forefathers, your kings and rulers, with all the people, have offered in the cities of Judah, in the streets and land of Jerusalem? And hath he not considered this in his mind? Insomuch that the LORD might no longer suffer the wickedness of your inventions, and the abominable things which ye did? Is not your land desolate and void; yea, and abhorred, so that no man dwelleth therein any more, as it is come to pass this day? Did not all this happen unto you, because ye made such sacrifice, and sinned against the LORD? Ye have not followed his voice, to walk in his law, in his ordinances and statutes. Yea, this is the cause that all misfortune happened unto you, as it is come to pass this day."
The wise, such as have taught others, shall glister as the shining of heaven: and those that have instructed the multitude unto Godliness, shall be as the stars, world without end.
Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into morning and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: the LORD is his name.
Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into morning and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: the LORD is his name.
Yet have ye set up tabernacles to your Moloch, and images of your Idols, yea and the star of your god Rempha: figures which ye made to worship them.
When Jesus was born at Bethlehem in Jewry in the time of Herod the king, Behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? We have seen his star in the East and are come to worship him."
saying, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? We have seen his star in the East and are come to worship him."
And there shall be signs, in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars: and in the earth the people shall be in such perplexity, that they shall not tell which way to turn themselves. The sea and the waters shall roar,
And ye took unto you the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Rephan, figures which ye made to worship them. And I will translate you beyond Babylon.'
There is one manner glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, an another glory of the stars. For one star differeth from another in glory.
We have also a right sure word of prophecy, whereunto if ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, ye do well; until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts.
They are raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame. They are wandering stars, to whom is reserved the mist of darkness forever.
And he had in his right hand seven stars. And out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword. And his face shone even as the sun in his strength.
and the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the messengers of the seven congregations: And the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven congregations.
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven. A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.
"I, Jesus, sent mine angel, to testify unto you these things in the congregations. I am the root and the generation of David, and the bright morning star."