Bible Explorer

Explore › Topics › Stars

Surprising details

Stars in the Bible

21 passages of the Berean Standard Bible, line by line, from Nave’s Topical Bible.

  • God made the two great lights, and the stars as wellGen 1:16
    The verses
    Gen 1:16God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. And He made the stars as well.
  • Abraham told to count the stars, if he canGen 15:5
    The verses
    Gen 15:5And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.”
  • Descendants as many as the stars and the sandGen 22:17, Deut 1:10
    The verses
    Gen 22:17I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.
    Deut 1:10The LORD your God has multiplied you, so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky.
  • He determines the number of the stars and names each onePs 147:4
    The verses
    Ps 147:4He determines the number of the stars; He calls them each by name.
  • Star differs from star in splendor1 Cor 15:41
    The verses
    1 Cor 15:41The sun has one degree of splendor, the moon another, and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.
  • Joseph dreamed of eleven stars bowing downGen 37:9
    The verses
    Gen 37:9Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
  • The stars fought from their courses against SiseraJudg 5:20
    The verses
    Judg 5:20From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
  • The morning stars sang togetherJob 38:7
    The verses
    Job 38:7while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
  • The Magi saw his star in the eastMatt 2:2
    The verses
    Matt 2:2asking, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
  • The star went ahead and stopped over the placeMatt 2:9–10
    The verses
    Matt 2:9–10After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with great delight.
  • David did not count men under twenty: Israel would be like the stars1 Chr 27:23
    The verses
    1 Chr 27:23David did not count the men aged twenty or under, because the LORD had said that He would make Israel as numerous as the stars of the sky.

Constellations named

  • The Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the constellations of the southJob 9:9
    The verses
    Job 9:9He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
  • Can you bind the Pleiades or loosen Orion's belt?Job 38:31–32
    The verses
    Job 38:31–32Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear and her cubs?
  • Amos: he made the Pleiades and OrionAmos 5:8
    The verses
    Amos 5:8He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns darkness into dawn and darkens day into night, who summons the waters of the sea and pours them over the face of the earth— the LORD is His name—

Star worship

  • Israel was told not to bow to the sun, moon, and starsDeut 4:19
    The verses
    Deut 4:19When 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.
  • Israel and King Manasseh bowed to all the host of heaven2 Kgs 17:16, 2 Kgs 21:3
    The verses
    2 Kgs 17:16They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal.
    2 Kgs 21:3For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he raised up altars for Baal. He made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, and he worshiped and served all the host of heaven.
  • Josiah removed priests who burned incense to the constellations2 Kgs 23:5
    The verses
    2 Kgs 23:5Josiah also did away with the idolatrous priests ordained by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem—those who had burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven.
  • People bowed on the rooftops to the host of heavenJer 19:13, Zeph 1:5
    The verses
    Jer 19:13The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like that place, Topheth—all the houses on whose rooftops they burned incense to all the host of heaven and poured out drink offerings to other gods.”
    Zeph 1:5those who bow on the rooftops to worship the host of heaven, those who bow down and swear by the LORD but also swear by Milcom,

Sources

From Nave’s Topical Bible (Orville J. Nave, 1896; public domain): subjects chosen, lines shortened and put into modern words, lines of interpretation left out; each verse checked.

Berean Standard Bible · Public domain