Part 3 of the meaning of the word “star” or “stars” in the Bible.

Job 38:7 (NKJV) ⁷  When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God [Job 1:6] shouted for joy? [angels]

Job 38:7 (DRV) ⁷  When the morning stars praised me together, and all the sons of God made a joyful melody?

Job 38:6-7 (TLB) ⁶  What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?

Job 38:7 (MSG) ⁷  While the morning stars sang in chorus and all the angels shouted praise?

Job 38:7 (TEV) ⁷  In the dawn of that day the stars sang together, and the heavenly beings shouted for joy.

Psalm 8:3 (NKJV) ³  When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained [set up],…[could be either]

Psalm 8:3 (BBE) ³  When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have put in their places;

Psalm 136:9 (NKJV) ⁹  The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy endures forever. [shining light in the sky]

Psalm 136:7-9 (NRSV) ⁷  who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever; ⁸  the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever; ⁹  the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;

Psalm 147:4 (NKJV) ⁴  He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. [could be either]

Psalm 147:4 (GW) ⁴  He determines the number of stars. He gives each one a name.

Psalm 147:4 (YLT) ⁴  Appointing the number of the stars, To all them He giveth names.

Psalm 148:2-4 (NKJV) ²  Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! ³  Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! ⁴  Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens!

Ecclesiastes 12:2 (NKJV) ²  While the sun and the light, The moon and the stars, Are not darkened, And the clouds do not return after the rain;

Isaiah 13:10 (NKJV) ¹⁰  For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine.

Isaiah 13:10 (NASB) ¹⁰  For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not shed its light. [shining lights in the sky]

Isaiah 14:12-13 (NKJV) ¹²  “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! [Nebuchadnezzar, not Lucifer]

¹³  For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; [angels]

Isaiah 14:12 (ASV) ¹²  How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations!

Isaiah 14:12 (BBE) ¹²  How great is your fall from heaven, O shining one, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the earth, low among the dead bodies!

Isaiah 14:12 (Darby) ¹²  How art thou fallen from heaven, Lucifer (Brilliant Star), son of the morning! Thou art cut down to the ground, that didst prostrate the nations! [Nebuchadnezzar, not Lucifer]

Isaiah 14:12 (DRV) ¹²  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, who didst rise in the morning? how art thou fallen to the earth, that didst wound the nations? [Nebuchadnezzar, not Lucifer]

Isaiah 14:12 (NRSV) (ESV) ¹²  “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!

Isaiah 14:12 (GW) ¹²  How you have fallen from heaven, you morning star, son of the dawn! How you have been cut down to the ground, you conqueror of nations!

Isaiah 14:12 (HCSB) ¹²  Shining morning star (Day Star, son of the dawn), how you have fallen from the heavens! You destroyer of nations, you have been cut down to the ground.

Isaiah 14:12 (NASB77) ¹²  “How you have fallen from heaven, O star(shining one) of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!

Isaiah 14:12 (YLT) ¹²  How hast thou fallen from the heavens, O shining one, son of the dawn! Thou hast been cut down to earth, O weakener of nations.

Isaiah 34:4 (NKJV) ⁴  All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; all their host shall fall down as the leaf falls from the vine, and as fruit falling from a fig tree.

Isaiah 34:4 (GW) ⁴  All the stars in the sky will rot. The heavens will be rolled up like a scroll. The stars will fall like leaves from a grapevine, like green figs from a fig tree. [green should not be there]

Isaiah 34:4 (HCSB) ⁴  All the heavenly bodies will dissolve. The skies will roll up like a scroll, and their stars will all wither as leaves wither on the vine, and foliage on the fig tree.

Isaiah 34:4 (NCV) ⁴  The sun, moon, and stars will dissolve, and the sky will be rolled up like a scroll. The stars will fall like dead leaves from a vine or dried-up figs from a fig tree.

Isaiah 34:4 (NLT) ⁴  The heavens above will melt away and disappear like a rolled-up scroll. The stars will fall from the sky like withered leaves from a grapevine, or shriveled figs from a fig tree.

Isaiah 34:4 (TLB) ⁴  At that time the heavens above will melt away and disappear just like a rolled-up scroll, and the stars will fall as leaves, as ripe fruit from the trees.

Isaiah 34:4 (MSG) ⁴  Stars will fall out of the sky like overripe, rotting fruit in the orchard, And the sky itself will be folded up like a blanket and put away in a closet. All that army of stars, shriveled to nothing, like leaves and fruit in autumn, dropping and rotting!

Isaiah 34:4 (TEV) ⁴  The sun, moon, and stars will crumble to dust. The sky will disappear like a scroll being rolled up, and the stars will fall like leaves dropping from a vine or a fig tree.

Jeremiah 31:35 (NKJV) ³⁵  Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, and its waves roar (The LORD of hosts is His name): [shining lights in the sky]

Jeremiah 31:35 (NCV) ³⁵  The LORD makes the sun shine in the day and the moon and stars to shine at night. He stirs up the sea so that its waves crash on the shore. The LORD All-Powerful is his name. This is what the LORD says:

Jeremiah 33:22 (NKJV) ²²  As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.’ ” [probably angels, but, could be either]

Jeremiah 33:22 (BBE) ²²  As it is not possible for the army of heaven to be numbered, or the sand of the sea measured, so will I make the seed of my servant David, and the Levites my servants.

Jeremiah 33:22 (DRV) ²²  As the stars of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea be measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites my ministers.

NCV – stars, NLT – stars, TLB – stars, MSG – stars, TEV – stars, GW – stars, ICV – stars

The word “host” used here:

Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.

Hebrew Strong’s Number: 6635

Hebrew Word: ‏צָבָא‎

Transliteration: ṣābāʾ

Phonetic Pronunciation:tsaw-baw’

 

Hebrew Word: ‏צְבָאָה‎

Transliteration: tsebâʾâh

Phonetic Pronunciation: tseb-aw-aw’

 

Root: from <H6633>, Greek <G4519>

Cross Reference: TWOT – 1865a, 1865b

Part of Speech: n m

Vine’s Words: None

 

Usage Notes:

 

English Words used in KJV:

host 393 war 41 army 29 battle 5 service 5 appointed time 3 warfare 2 soldiers 1 company 1 miscellaneous translations 5 – star(s) [Total Count: 485]

 

or (feminine) tseba’ah, tseb-aw-aw’; from <H6633> (tsaba’); a mass of persons (or figurative things), especially reg. organized for war (an army); by implication a campaign, literal or figurative (specifically hardship, worship) :- appointed time, (+) army, (+) battle, company, host, service, soldiers, waiting upon, war (-fare).

 

Ezekiel 32:7-8 (NKJV) ⁷  When I put out your light, I will cover the heavens, and make its stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, And the moon shall not give her light. ⁸  All the bright lights of the heavens I will make dark over you, And bring darkness upon your land,’ Says the Lord GOD. [shining lights in the sky]

Daniel 8:10 (NKJV) ¹⁰  And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. [“host of heaven” is pagan deities][“stars” is earthly kings]

Daniel 8:10 (NASB) ¹⁰  It grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled them down.

In Da 8:10, “stars” express earthly potentates. “The stars” are often also used to express heavenly principalities (Job 38:7).

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown A Commentary: Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the Old and New Testaments.

Daniel 12:3 (NKJV) ³  Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

Joel 2:10 (NKJV) ¹⁰  The earth quakes before them, [Assyrian, Babylonian or Roman armies] The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness. [shining light in the sky]

Joel 2:10 (Darby) ¹⁰  The earth quaketh before them; the heavens tremble; the sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. Joel 3:15 (NKJV) ¹⁵  The sun and moon will grow dark, And the stars will diminish their brightness.

Joel 3:15 (Darby) ¹⁵  The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.

Joel 3:15 (MSG) ¹⁵  “The sky turns black, sun and moon go dark, stars burn out.

Joel 3:15 (YLT) ¹⁵  Sun and moon have been black, and stars have gathered up their shining.

Amos 5:26 (NKJV) ²⁶  You also carried Sikkuth your king And Chiun, your idols, The star of your gods, Which you made for yourselves.

Obadiah 4 (NKJV) ⁴  Though you [Edom] ascend as high as the eagle, And though you set your nest among the stars, From there I will bring you down,” says the LORD.

Nahum 3:16 (NKJV) ¹⁶  You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of heaven. The locust plunders and flies away.

Zephaniah 1:5 (CEV) ⁵  Not a trace will be found of those who worship stars from their rooftops, or bow down to the god Milcom, while claiming loyalty to me, the LORD.

 

In conclusion:

We need to put ourselves in the people of each times place to understand this subject. They had no telescopes or modern equipment to chart or observe the surface of the planets or stars. The Bible is written to the understanding of the people it is written to. The people saw lights, illuminations in the sky/heavens. Being intrigued or mystified by these lights, some would worship them in hopes that they had powers greater then the person seeing them. God knew this and warned them not to be tempted to start worshiping them. Once these lights were worshiped, they became gods.

Many thought that the lights were angels, as the texts suggest. Angels were usually bright in appearance.  No matter how close or far out into space we look to view these stars, all we see is lights. We use light spectrums to analyze what those lights are but, the reality is though, all we see is lights. Since the Bible translators use stars and angels interchangeably it begs the question; what are those lights we see? We do not know for sure. So, the only other tool we can use to decipher the meaning of these words is the context and the scriptures around the word. This means that probably none of the words used in the verses means giant balls of energy vastly larger than the earth we live on with the possible exception of those in Genesis and Job, some of which God is speaking. In either case, the size of the lights is not specifically indicated. With this in mind, we can deduct that none of the words indicating lights or stars is the literal giant balls of energy, vastly larger than the earth, that will fall to the earth. In these cases it is imagery that either refers to angels, demi-gods, kings or princes, or spirits. The Wormwood references is of an angel that is a spirit of bitterness or a root of bitterness.

The reason I did this study is because there is such a variance in translations. The confusion can now be cleared up and made easier to understand. This is my purpose. Thanks