- Sun:
- Joshua doubtless acted, on this occasion, by an immediate impulse upon his mind from the Spirit of God. The terms here employed to record the miracle, agree with the accustomed manner in which the the motions of the earth and sun are described in our own day. The sun apparently moves, but really is stationary; while the diurnal movement of the earth on its axis is by us unnoticed, and would not have been known except by astronomical science. The sun appeared to the Israelites over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Ajalon, and there they stayed in their course for "a whole day." Many vain enquiries have been made concerning the way in which this miracle was wrought, and many difficulties and objections have been urged against understanding it literally. But the fact is authenticated by the Divine testimony; and the manner in which it was accomplished lies entirely out of our province, because beyond our comprehension. "And the sunª stood still,ª° and the moonª stayed,ª° until¹ the peopleª had avengedª° themselves upon their enemies.ª° [Is] not¹ thisª writtenª° in¹ the bookª of Jasher?ª So the sunª stood¹ still²° in the midstª of heaven,ª and hastedª° not¹ to go downª° about a wholeª day.ª" {Jsh 10:13} + "And lest¹ thou lift upª° thine eyesª unto heaven,ª and when thou seestª°¹ the sun,ª and the moon,ª and the stars,ª [even] all¹ the hostª of heaven,ª shouldest be drivenª° to worshipª° them, and serveª° them, which¹ the LORDª thy Godª hath dividedª°¹ unto all¹ nationsª under¹ the whole¹ heaven.ª" {Deu 4:19} + "And hath gone²°¹ and servedª° otherª gods,ª and worshippedª° them, either the sun,ª or¹ moon,ª or¹ any¹ of the hostª of heaven,ª which¹ I have not¹ commanded;ª°" {Deu 17:3} + "Which commandethª° the sun,ª and it risethª° not;¹ and sealeth upª° the stars.ª" {Job 9:7} + "If¹ I beheldª° the sunª when¹ it shined,ª° or the moonª walkingª° [in] brightness;ª ... And my heartª hath been secretlyª enticed,ª° or my mouthª hath kissedª° my hand:ª" {Job 31:26-27} + "Their lineª is gone outª° through all¹ the earth,ª and their wordsª to the endª of the world.ª In them hath he setª° a tabernacleª for the sun,ª" {Psa 19:4} + "The dayª [is] thine, the nightª also¹ [is] thine: thou¹ hast preparedª° the lightª and the sun.ª" {Psa 74:16} + "Praiseª° ye him, sunª and moon:ª praiseª° him, all¹ ye starsª of light.ª" {Psa 148:3} + "For¹ the LORDª shall rise upª° as [in] mountª Perazim,²¹ he shall be wrothª° as [in] the valleyª of Gibeon,ª that he may doª° his work,ª his strangeª° work;ª and bring to passª° his act,ª his strangeª act.ª" {Isa 28:21} + "Behold,¹ I will bring againª°¹ the shadowª of the degrees,ª which¹ is gone downª° in the sunª dialª of Ahaz,ª tenª degreesª backward.ª So the sunª returnedª° tenª degrees,ª by which¹ degreesª it was gone down.ª°" {Isa 38:8} + "Thy sunª shall no¹ more¹ go down;ª° neither¹ shall thy moonª withdraw²° itself:¹ for¹ the LORDª shall be¹ thine everlastingª light,ª and the daysª of thy mourningª shall be ended.ª°" {Isa 60:20} + "And it shall come to pass¹ in that¹ day,ª saithª° the Lordª GOD,ª that I will cause the sunª to go downª° at noon,ª and I will darkenª° the earthª in the clearª day:ª" {Ams 8:9} + "The sunª [and] moonª stood stillª° in their habitation:ª at the lightª of thine arrowsª they went,ª° [and] at the shiningª of thy glitteringª spear.ª" {Hab 3:11}
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