Bible Dictionaries
Sun
Holman Bible Dictionary
The source of light for earth. Ancient people considered the sun as a necessary part of the cycle of the seasons. Thus, it was often viewed as a god. Ancient Egyptians worshiped the sun as the god Ra, and the Greeks as Helios. The Canaanite city of Beth-Shemesh, “House of the Sun,” probably referred to a temple in the city. The Bible simply views the sun as the “greater light” God created to rule the day (Genesis 1:16 ). In Israel, the new day began with sunset. The Psalms compared the sun's brightness to God's glory by which it will one day be replaced (Psalm 84:11 ). Zacharias described Christ's coming as a new sunrise for humankind (Luke 1:78 ). The darkening or eclipse of the sun was often interpreted as a sign of God's displeasure with humans. See Gods, Pagan . David Maltsberger
Copyright Statement
These dictionary topics are from the Holman Bible Dictionary, published by Broadman & Holman, 1991. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Broadman & Holman.
Bibliography Information
Butler, Trent C. Editor. Entry for 'Sun'. Holman Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hbd/s/sun.html. 1991.