Like all (joil's creatures, the .sun was altogether dependent on His will, and at His coinmand woidd cea.se to shine (Job 0") ; and, this being the ca.se, the sun could also undergo a change of his cour.se. of this there are two examples: Jo.shua's order to the sini to stand still (Jos. W^'*, Sir 4(i''), and the going back of the shadow on the dial of Ahaz (2 K 20" ", Is 38'). The former has given rise to a considerable amount of discussion, the impro- bability of such a change ius the stojipage of tlic (earth's rotation implied thereby being generally recognized, notwithstanding that God's powt r to
finrli'M ."^ rifiinr't ,S(«n.s
do so without harm to the world and its inhabit- ants cannot admit of doubt. 'l'h(! probability, liowevcr, is that this passaije, being a poetical extract from another work, ' tlie Hook of .lasliar,' is not to be understood literally, the statement being made by poetic licwice for some such expres- sion as • the sun did not set until the enemies of ]srael were completely defeated,' i.e. the opera- tii>ns were carried out so rapidly, that as much was done as if the day had been twice as long (ef. v.'<). On the other hand, the explanation that the lengthening of the day, and the continued appearance of the snn above the horizon, may have been due to a considerable increase of the refrac- tive properties of the atmosphere, is also possible. The return of the shadow on the dial has also been referred to various causes, ami may, according to some, have been due to an eclipse (see Uosauquet in G. Smith's Assurbanipal, p. 340, and TSBA iii. SI tf., V. 201). In 2 K 20"*-" it is the shadow only that is spoken of ; but the parallel passage in Is 3S" mentions also the sun, and on account of this it has been contended that the movement recorded must liave been purely optical. The phenomenon referred to in Mk l-5^3_ j^k 23'"- *^. where it is stated that the sun was darkened, cannot refer to an eclipse, as it was the time oiE the full moon. The sun is in these passages, to all appearance, repre.sented as hiding liimself in order to cast a veil of darkness over the death of the Son of God. Whatever be the explanation of these three apparent departures from the sun's daily routine, there is no doubt that they are intended to em- pha.size the power of God, and His active interest in the affairs of man. The same ideas were, to all appearance, generally current with regard to eclipses in general, these being looked upon in like manner a-s extraordinary manifestations of the power of God over nature, or as foreshadowing the terrible tokens of the day of judgment (Is 13". .11 2") 31== Ac 2-', Mt 24-^ Mk l'32*,""Lk 212^, Rev 6'2 gri-) * 'phe setting of the sun at bright noonday is figurative of loss of happiness, prosperity, or success (is OU*', Jer 15'^ Am 8^ Mic 3'), whilst the reverse of this is indicated by the rising of the ' sun of Kigliteousne.ss' of Mai 4- Csee also vol. i. p. 193'').
Like the moon, the sun was also regarded as an emblem of con.stancy, on account of the unerring daily repetition of his course (Ps 72"- 1' 803«). The man who loves God (Jg 5*') and the just ruler ( 2 S23'') are both compared with him as the thing of all God's creation shining with the greatest brilliance, whilst, for the same reason, he became the image of God Himself (I's 84"). His pure, unfailing light became also an emblem of beauty (Ca O^'), and liis force iu- cre;using daily, or at certain sea.sons. typified the progress of a good man towards perfection (Pr 4'*). The great luminary (Sir 1"^') and adornment of the heavens (Sir 20'^), his light shone on all things ; and is surpassed in brilliance only by the heavenly world to come, of which God Himself is to be the light and the glory (Is On'o. Ac 2<!").
It is to the penetrating heat of the .sun that the poetical expression ^J'^, hamindh, is applied (cf. Ps 111'') ; and by means of this, as well as by his light, he exercises his beneficent power, bringing forth the fruits of the earth (Dt 33'*), grass with the help of the rain (2 S 23*), and giving man the desire of life (Ec 11'). But the .sun has al-so the power of injuring, smiting, and scorching men and the fruits of' the earth by his heat (Ps 121'', Is 49'", Jon 4», Kev 7"'' l(i»etc.).
Observation of the movements of the sun, and his infiuence upon the earth and upon all nature,
« Mntiler, in ./ff.l.'?, 1001. p. 42. explains tho plapnc of dark- ness ru'lerred to in Kx m21ff. as an eclipse of the sun. wlilch took place in B.C. 1385 {Sitttungsber. der k. Akad. der Wiss.^ Vienna, 1S85).
caused all the ancient world, with but few excep. tions, to regard him as a living thing ; and from this view, dwelling, as they did, in the midst of heathendom, the ancient Hebrews were not wholly free, especially during the time of the kings. Ex- cept, however, where a direct reference to idolatry is made, the sun is spoken of as a personal living being only in the domain of poetry, though, as will be seen further on, the writers of the Hebrew poetical books had been apparently influenced by the heathen teaching concerning the luminary of day. He ruled over the day, not as a god but as the source of light, heat, and the divisions of time, and came forth from his chamber to run his fixed course as one of the great creations of God, not its being himself a deity whom men should worship.