Psalms 8:3

8:3 When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made,

and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place, 1 

Psalms 148:3

148:3 Praise him, O sun and moon!

Praise him, all you shiny stars! 2 

Genesis 15:5

15:5 The Lord 3  took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”

Isaiah 40:26

40:26 Look up at the sky! 4 

Who created all these heavenly lights? 5 

He is the one who leads out their ranks; 6 

he calls them all by name.

Because of his absolute power and awesome strength,

not one of them is missing.

1 tn Heb “when I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and stars which you established.” The verb “[and] see” is understood by ellipsis in the second half of the verse.

2 tn Heb “stars of light.”

3 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

4 tn Heb “Lift on high your eyes and see.”

5 tn The words “heavenly lights” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the following lines.

6 tn Heb “the one who brings out by number their host.” The stars are here likened to a huge army that the Lord leads out. Perhaps the next line pictures God calling roll. If so, the final line may be indicating that none of them dares “go AWOL.” (“AWOL” is a military acronym for “absent without leave.”)