Topical Encyclopedia
The sun, as the central celestial body in our solar system, holds significant importance in the biblical narrative, both as a physical entity and a symbol of divine power and order. In the Bible, the sun is often associated with God's creation, His sovereignty, and His provision for life on earth.
Creation and OrderThe sun is first mentioned in the context of creation in
Genesis 1:14-16 : "And God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark the seasons and days and years, and let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.' And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars." Here, the sun is described as the "greater light" created by God to govern the day, establishing the natural order and rhythm of time.
Symbol of God's Glory and RighteousnessThe sun is frequently used as a metaphor for God's glory and righteousness. In
Psalm 19:4-6 , the psalmist declares, "In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun like a bridegroom emerging from his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and runs its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth." This passage highlights the sun's pervasive presence and its role as a testament to God's creative power and sustaining presence.
Malachi 4:2 further illustrates this symbolism: "But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall." Here, the "sun of righteousness" is a prophetic reference to the coming of the Messiah, who brings healing and restoration.
Judgment and SovereigntyThe sun also plays a role in demonstrating God's sovereignty and judgment. In
Joshua 10:12-13 , during the battle against the Amorites, Joshua commands the sun to stand still: "On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of Israel: 'O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.' So the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance upon its enemies." This miraculous event underscores God's control over the natural world and His intervention on behalf of His people.
In prophetic literature, the sun is often associated with the day of the Lord and divine judgment.
Joel 2:31 states, "The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD." This imagery signifies cosmic disturbances accompanying God's judgment and the ushering in of a new era.
Idolatry and WarningsThe Bible also warns against the worship of the sun, which was a common practice among neighboring pagan cultures. In
Deuteronomy 4:19 , God cautions the Israelites: "When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven." This warning reflects the importance of worshiping the Creator rather than the created.
Eschatological SignificanceIn the New Testament, the sun continues to hold eschatological significance.
Revelation 21:23 describes the New Jerusalem: "And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb." In this vision of the new creation, the sun's role is transcended by the direct presence of God's glory, emphasizing the ultimate fulfillment of God's redemptive plan.
Throughout Scripture, the sun serves as a powerful symbol of God's creative authority, His righteous character, and His ultimate sovereignty over all creation.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
SunIn the history of "greater light," of the creation the sun is described as "greater light," in contradistinction to the moon, the "lesser light," in conjunction with which it was to serve "for signs and for seasons, and for days, and for years," while its special office was "to rule the day." (Genesis 1:14-16) The "signs" referred to were probably such extraordinary phenomena as eclipses, which were regarded as conveying premonitions of coming events. (Jeremiah 10:2;Matthew 24:29) with Luke 21:25 The joint influence assigned to the sun and moon in deciding the "seasons," both for agricultural operations and for religious festivals, and also in regulating the length and subdivisions of the years "correctly describes the combination of the lunar and solar year which prevailed at all events subsequent to the Mosaic period. Sunrise and sunset are the only defined points of time in the absence of artificial contrivances for telling the hour of the day. Between these two points the Jews recognized three periods, viz., when the sun became hot, about 9 A.M. (1 Samuel 11:9;Nehemiah 7:3) the double light, or noon. (Genesis 43:16;2 Samuel 4:5) and "the cool of the day," shortly before sunset. (Genesis 3:8) The sun also served to fix the quarters of the hemisphere, east, west north and south, which were represented respectively by the rising sun, the setting sun, (Isaiah 45:6;Psalms 50:1) the dark quarter, (Genesis 13:14;Joel 2:20) and the brilliant quarter, (33:23;Job 37:17;Ezekiel 40:24) or otherwise by their position relative to a person facing the rising sun--before, behind, on the left hand and on the right hand. (Job 23:8,9) The worship of the sun, as the most prominent and powerful agent in the kingdom of nature, was widely diffused throughout the countries adjacent to Palestine. The Arabians appear to have paid direct worship to it without the intervention of any statue or symbol, (Job 31:26,27) and this simple style of worship was probably familiar to the ancestors of the Jews in Chaldaea and Mesopotamia. The Hebrews must have been well acquainted with the idolatrous worship of the sun during the captivity in Egypt, both from the contiguity of On, the chief seat of the worship of the sun, as implied in the name itself (On being the equivalent of the Hebrew Bethshemesh, "house of the sun") (Jeremiah 43:13) and also from the connection between Joseph and Potipherah("he who belongs to Ela") the priest of On, (Genesis 41:45) After their removal to Canaan, the Hebrews came in contact with various forms of idolatry which originated in the worship of the sun; such as the Baal of the Phoenicians, the Molech or Milcom of the Ammonites, and the Hadad of the Syrians. The importance attached to the worship of the sun by the Jewish kings may be inferred from the fact that the horses sacred to the sun were stalled within the precincts of the temple. (2 Kings 23:11) In the metaphorical language of Scripture the sun is emblematic of the law of God, (Psalms 19:7) of the cheering presence of God, (Psalms 84:11) of the person of the Saviour, (John 1:9;Malachi 4:2) and of the glory and purity of heavenly beings. (Revelation 1:16;10:1)
ATS Bible Dictionary
SunThe great luminary of day, which furnishes so many similitudes to the Hebrew poets, as well as those of all nations, Jud 5:31Psalm 84:11Proverbs 4:18Luke 1:78,79John 8:12. For the idolatrous worship of the sun, seeBAAL.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
(Hebrews shemesh), first mentioned along with the moon as the two great luminaries of heaven (
Genesis 1:14-18). By their motions and influence they were intended to Mark and divide times and seasons. The worship of the sun was one of the oldest forms of false religion (
Job 31:26, 27), and was common among the Egyptians and Chaldeans and other pagan nations. The Jews were warned against this form of idolatry (
Deuteronomy 4:19;
17:3; Comp.
2 Kings 23:11;
Jeremiah 19:13).
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) See Sunn.
2. (n.) The luminous orb, the light of which constitutes day, and its absence night; the central body round which the earth and planets revolve, by which they are held in their orbits, and from which they receive light and heat. Its mean distance from the earth is about 92,500,000 miles, and its diameter about 860,000.
3. (n.) Any heavenly body which forms the center of a system of orbs.
4. (n.) The direct light or warmth of the sun; sunshine.
5. (n.) That which resembles the sun, as in splendor or importance; any source of light, warmth, or animation.
6. (v. t.) To expose to the sun's rays; to warm or dry in the sun; as, to sun cloth; to sun grain.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
CHARIOTS OF THE SUN(markebhoth ha-shemesh): These, together with "horses of the sun," are mentioned in2 Kings 23:11. They are said to have stood in the temple, a gift of the kings of Judah. Josiah removed the horses from the precincts of the temple and burned the chariots. Among the Greeks, Helios was endowed with horses and chariots. Thus the course of the sun as he sped across the skies was understood by the mythological mind of antiquity. The Babylonian god Shamash (= Hebrew Shemesh) likewise had his chariot and horses as well as his charioteer. The cult of the sun and other heavenly bodies which was particularly in vogue during the latter days of the Judean monarchy (compare2 Kings 23:5Ezekiel 8:16;Deuteronomy 17:3Jeremiah 8:2) seems to have constituted an element of the Canaanitish religion (compare the names of localities like Beth-shemesh and the like). The chariots of the sun are also referred to in Enoch 72:5, 37; 75:4, and Greek Apocrypha of Baruch 6.
Max L. Margolis
HORSES OF THE SUN
(2 Kings 23:11): In connection with the sun-worship practiced by idolatrous kings in the temple at Jerusalem (2 Kings 23:5; compareEzekiel 8:16), horses dedicated to the sun, with chariots, had been placed at the entrance of the sacred edifice. These Josiah, in his great reformation, "took away," and burned the chariots with fire. Horses sacred to the sun were common among oriental peoples (Bochart, Heiroz., I, 2, 10).
SUN (2)
(Figurative): Poetical conceptions for the sun are frequently found in the Scriptures, though the strictly figurative expressions are not common. Undoubtedly the Jewish festivals, religious as well as agricultural, were determined by the sun's movements, and this fact, together with the poetical nature of the Hebrews and their lack of scientific knowledge, had a tendency. to multiply spiritual and metaphorical expressions concerning the "greater light" of the heavens. Some of these poetical conceptions are very beautiful, such as the sun having a habitation (Habakkuk 3:11), a tabernacle (Psalm 19:4 f) set for him by Yahweh, out of which he comes as a bridegroom from his chamber, rejoicing as a strong man to run a race. The sun is also given as the emblem of constancy (Psalm 72:5, 17), of beauty (Songs 6:10), of the law of God (Psalm 19:7), of the purity of heavenly beings (Revelation 1:16;Revelation 12:1), and of the presence and person of God (Psalm 84:11). The ancient world given to personifying the sun did not refrain from sun-worship, and even the Hebrew in the time of the kings came perilously near this idolatry (2 Kings 23:11).
SeeSUN-WORSHIP.
C. E. Schenk
SUN, SMITING BY
smit'-ing: Exposure of the uncovered head to the heat of the sun is likely to produce either of two conditions; the commoner is heat exhaustion with faintness, the rarer is heatstroke with fever and paralysis of the heat-regulating apparatus of the nervous system. This condition is described as siriasis. The two fatal instances recorded were probably of the latter kind. One, the case of the Shunammite's son (2 Kings 4:19), was apparently very acute, like some of the cases described by Manson and Sambon. Of the other case, that of Manasseh, Judith's husband, we have no particulars (Judith 8:3), except that it was likewise brought on by exposure in the harvest field, and occurred at the time of barley harvest, that is, early in May. Jonah's attack was one of heat syncope, as he fainted from the heat (Jonah 4:8). According both to psalmist (Psalm 121:6) and to prophet (Isaiah 49:10), the people of God are protected from the stroke of the sun as well as from that of the moon. The latter was supposed to cause lunacy (hence, the name), and epilepsy, so inMatthew 4:24 the word rendered "lunatic" (the King James Version) for "epileptic" (Revised Version) is seleniazomenous, literally, "moon struck."
SeeMOON.
Alexander Macalister
SMITING BY THE SUN
SeeSUN, SMITING BY.
SUN (1)
SeeASTRONOMY, sec. I, 2.
SUN GATE
SeeEAST GATE.
SUN, CHARIOTS OF THE
SeeHORSES OF THE SUN.
SUN, HORSES OF THE
SeeHORSES OF THE SUN.
Greek
2246. helios -- thesun... the
sun. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: helios Phonetic Spelling:
(hay'-lee-os) Short Definition: the
sun, sunlight Definition: the
sun...1424. dusme -- a setting (as of thesun), by impl. (the) western...
... 1423, 1424. dusme. 1425 . a setting (as of thesun), by impl.... Word Origin
from duno Definition a setting (as of thesun), by impl....
4862.sun -- with, together with (expresses association with)
... 4861, 4862.sun. 4863 . with... completeness. see GREEK meta. see GREEK para.
(sun) -- 128 Occurrences. 4861, 4862.sun. 4863 . Strong's Numbers.
1931. epiduo -- to set (of thesun)
... to set (of thesun). Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epiduo Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-ee-doo'-o) Short Definition: I sink, set Definition: I sink, set, set...
395. anatole -- a rising
... a rising. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: anatole Phonetic Spelling:
(an-at-ol-ay') Short Definition: rising of thesun, the East Definition: (a...
1506. eilikrines -- judged by sunlight, unalloyed, pure
... Word Origin of uncertain origin, perhaps from heile (thesun's ray) and krino
Definition judged by sunlight, unalloyed, pure NASB Word Usage sincere (2)....
3326. meta -- with, among, after
... with which it is joined; occupying an intermediate position between apo or ek and
eis or pros; less intimate than en and less close thansun) -- after(-ward...
4944. sunodino -- to be in travail together
... Word Origin fromsun and odino Definition to be in travail together NASB Word Usage
suffers the pains of childbirth (2), together* (1).... see GREEKsun....
4943. sunupourgeo -- to help together
... Word Origin fromsun and hupourgeo (to render service, assist) Definition to help
together NASB Word Usage joining in helping (1). help together.... see GREEKsun....
4853. sumphuletes -- a fellow tribesman or countryman
... Word Origin fromsun and phule Definition a fellow tribesman or countryman NASB
Word Usage countrymen (1). countryman.... see GREEKsun. see GREEK phule....
Strong's Hebrew
8121. shemesh --sun... 8120, 8121. shemesh. 8122 .
sun. Transliteration: shemesh Phonetic Spelling:
(sheh'-mesh) Short Definition:
sun. Word Origin from
...2535. chammah -- heat,sun
... 2534, 2535. chammah. 2536 . heat,sun. Transliteration: chammah Phonetic
Spelling: (kham-maw') Short Definition:sun. Word Origin...
8122. shemash --sun
... shemash. 8123 .sun. Transliteration: shemash Phonetic Spelling: (sheh'-mesh)
Short Definition: sunset....sun. (Aramaic) corresponding to shemesh; thesun --sun...
2775a. cheres -- thesun
... cheres. 2775b . thesun. Transliteration: cheres Short Definition:sun. Word Origin
of uncertain derivation Definition thesun NASB Word Usagesun (2)....
2775. cherec -- thesun
... 2774, 2775. cherec. 2775a . thesun. Transliteration: cherec Phonetic
Spelling: (kheh'-res) Short Definition: itch. itch,sun Or...
5885. En Shemesh -- "spring of (the)sun," a place on the border...
... En Shemesh. 5886 . "spring of (the)sun," a place on the... En-shemesh. From ayin
and shemesh; fountain of thesun; En-Shemesh, a place in Palestine -- En-shemesh...
2553. chamman -- asun pillar
... chamman. 2554 . asun pillar. Transliteration: chamman Phonetic Spelling:
(kham-mawn') Short Definition: altars.... From chammah; asun-pillar -- idol, image....
5905. Ir Shemesh -- "city of thesun," a city in Dan
... 5904, 5905. Ir Shemesh. 5906 . "city of thesun," a city in Dan. Transliteration:
Ir Shemesh Phonetic Spelling: (eer sheh'-mesh) Short Definition: Ir-shemesh...
1053. Beth Shemesh -- "sun temple," three places in Palestine...
... "sun... Word Origin from bayith and shemesh Definition "sun temple," three places in
Pal., also a place in Eg. NASB Word Usage Beth-shemesh (20), Heliopolis (1)....
8556. Timnath Cherec -- "territory of thesun," a village in the...
Timnath Cherec. 8555, 8556. Timnath Cherec. 8556a . "territory of thesun,"
a village in the hill country of Ephraim. Transliteration: Timnath Cherec Phonetic...
Library
Sun and Wind
...SUN AND WIND. Once upon a time, according to an old fable, thesun and the northwind
had a contest to see which could take a man's coat off the more quickly....
"Above theSun. "
... "ABOVE THESUN.".... All night's golden constellations dimly shine as day draws on,
And the moon must veil her beauties at the rising of thesun....
TheSun Stayed
... THE BOOK OF JOSHUA THESUN STAYED.Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon.'-JOSHUA
x.12. 'The last time,' what a sad sound that has!... It is vain for us to say, 'Sun!...
Phial the Fourth, on theSun of the Bestial Heaven.
... Phial the Fourth, On theSun of the Bestial Heaven.... For thesun is not to be
placed, or conceived to exist, but in a heaven suitable to it....
"TheSun of Righteousness"
... "TheSun of Righteousness". A Sermon (No.1020). Delivered on Lord's-day Morning,
November 12th, 1871 by. CH SPURGEON,.... "TheSun of righteousness.""Malachi 4:2....
Beyond the Brightness of theSun
... Beyond the Brightness of theSun. TP Acts 22:11.... I have seen a light from heaven,.
Past the brightness of thesun". Light that knows no cloud, no waning,....
Out from the Rising of theSun,
... CHRISTMAS Out from the rising of thesun,. 8,6,8,6,8,6 tr., John Brownlie. I.
Out from the rising of thesun,. O'er tracts of desert wild,....
Of theSun and Moon.
... VIII."Of theSun and Moon. Concerning theSun and Moon ye are in error,
although they are in our immediate presence; in that ye...
Like the Beams that from theSun
... PENTECOST Like the beams that from thesun. tr., John Brownlie 7,7,7,3. I. Like
the beams that from thesun,. Pierce the blackness of the night,....
TheSun to Rule by Day
... TheSun to Rule by Day. Gerhard Ter Steegen Philippians 2:13.... By valiant purpose
and by steadfast will. Behold the summer flowers beneath thesun,....
Thesaurus
Sun (1708 Occurrences)... The worship of the
sun was one of the oldest forms of false religion (Job 31:26,
27), and was common among the Egyptians and Chaldeans and other pagan nations.
...Sun-rising (14 Occurrences)
Sun-rising. Sunrising,Sun-rising. Suns . Multi-Version Concordance
Sun-rising (14 Occurrences). Numbers 2:3 And for...
Sun-worship
Sun-worship. Sunworship,Sun-worship. Sup . Int. Standard Bible
EncyclopediaSUN-WORSHIP.sun'-wur-ship: The splendor of...
Sun-images (6 Occurrences)
Sun-images. Sunimages,Sun-images.Sun-jewels . Int. Standard Bible
EncyclopediaSUN-IMAGES. See IMAGES. Multi-Version Concordance...
Sun's (3 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version ConcordanceSun's (3 Occurrences). Luke 23:45 thesun's light failing:
and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. (ASV RSV)....
Sun-pillars (3 Occurrences)
Sun-pillars. Sunlight,Sun-pillars. Sunrise . Multi-Version
ConcordanceSun-pillars (3 Occurrences). Leviticus 26:30...
Sun-jewels (1 Occurrence)
Sun-jewels.Sun-images,Sun-jewels. Sunk . Multi-Version Concordance
Sun-jewels (1 Occurrence). Isaiah 3:18 In that...
Sun-scorched (2 Occurrences)
Sun-scorched.Sun's,Sun-scorched. Sunset . Multi-Version ConcordanceSun-scorched
(2 Occurrences). Psalms 68:6 God sets the lonely in families....
Sun-dial (1 Occurrence)
Sun-dial. Sundial,Sun-dial. Sundown . Multi-Version Concordance
Sun-dial (1 Occurrence). Isaiah 38:8 behold, I will...
Sun-setting (1 Occurrence)
Sun-setting. Sunset,Sun-setting. Sunshine . Multi-Version
ConcordanceSun-setting (1 Occurrence). Joshua 23:4 Behold...
Resources
What does the Bible say about sun worship? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean that there is nothing new under the sun? | GotQuestions.orgIs it true that the sun stood still? | GotQuestions.orgSun: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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