Genesis 8:22

8:22 “While the earth continues to exist, ¹ 

planting time ²  and harvest,

cold and heat,

summer and winter,

and day and night will not cease.”

Genesis 9:13

9:13 I will place ³  my rainbow ⁴  in the clouds, and it will become ⁵  a guarantee of the covenant between me and the earth.

Job 3:9

3:9 Let its morning stars ⁶  be darkened;

let it wait ⁷  for daylight but find none, ⁸ 

nor let it see the first rays ⁹  of dawn,

Job 38:31-32

38:31 Can you tie the bands ¹⁰  of the Pleiades,

or release the cords of Orion?

38:32 Can you lead out

the constellations ¹¹  in their seasons,

or guide the Bear with its cubs? ¹² 

Psalms 81:3

81:3 Sound the ram’s horn on the day of the new moon, ¹³ 

and on the day of the full moon when our festival begins. ¹⁴ 

Ezekiel 32:7-8

32:7 When I extinguish you, I will cover the sky;

I will darken its stars.

I will cover the sun with a cloud,

and the moon will not shine. ¹⁵ 

32:8 I will darken all the lights in the sky over you,

and I will darken your land,

declares the sovereign Lord.

Ezekiel 46:1

The Prince’s Offerings

46:1 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: The gate of the inner court that faces east ¹⁶  will be closed six working days, but on the Sabbath day it will be opened and on the day of the new moon it will be opened.

Ezekiel 46:6

46:6 On the day of the new moon he will offer ¹⁷  an unblemished young bull, and six lambs and a ram, all without blemish.

Joel 2:10

2:10 The earth quakes ¹⁸  before them; ¹⁹ 

the sky reverberates. ²⁰ 

The sun and the moon grow dark;

the stars refuse to shine. ²¹ 

Joel 2:30-31

2:30 I will produce portents both in the sky ²²  and on the earth –

blood, fire, and columns of smoke.

2:31 The sunlight will be turned to darkness

and the moon to the color of blood, ²³ 

before the day of the Lord comes –

that great and terrible day!

Joel 3:15

3:15 The sun and moon are darkened;

the stars withhold ²⁴  their brightness.

Amos 5:8

5:8 (But there is one who made the constellations Pleiades and Orion;

he can turn the darkness into morning

and daylight ²⁵  into night.

He summons the water of the seas

and pours it out on the earth’s surface.

The Lord is his name!

Amos 8:9

8:9 In that day,” says the sovereign Lord, “I will make the sun set at noon,

and make the earth dark in the middle of the day. ²⁶ 

Matthew 2:2

2:2 saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose ²⁷  and have come to worship him.”

Matthew 16:2-3

16:2 He ²⁸  said, “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be fair weather, because the sky is red,’ 16:3 and in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, because the sky is red and darkening.’ ²⁹  You know how to judge correctly the appearance of the sky, ³⁰  but you cannot evaluate the signs of the times.

Matthew 24:29

The Arrival of the Son of Man

24:29 “Immediately ³¹  after the suffering ³²  of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. ³³ 

Mark 13:24

The Arrival of the Son of Man

13:24 “But in those days, after that suffering, ³⁴  the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light;

Luke 21:25-26

The Arrival of the Son of Man

21:25 “And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, ³⁵  and on the earth nations will be in distress, ³⁶  anxious ³⁷  over the roaring of the sea and the surging waves. 21:26 People will be fainting from fear ³⁸  and from the expectation of what is coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ³⁹ 

Luke 23:45

23:45 because the sun’s light failed. ⁴⁰  The temple curtain ⁴¹  was torn in two.

Acts 2:19-20

2:19 And I will perform wonders in the sky ⁴²  above

and miraculous signs ⁴³  on the earth below,

blood and fire and clouds of smoke.

2:20 The sun will be changed to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the great and glorious ⁴⁴  day of the Lord comes.

Revelation 6:12

6:12 Then ⁴⁵  I looked when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and a huge ⁴⁶  earthquake took place; the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, ⁴⁷  and the full moon became blood red; ⁴⁸ 

Revelation 8:12

8:12 Then ⁴⁹  the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. And there was no light for a third of the day ⁵⁰  and for a third of the night likewise.

Revelation 9:2

9:2 He ⁵¹  opened the shaft of the abyss and smoke rose out of it ⁵²  like smoke from a giant furnace. The ⁵³  sun and the air were darkened with smoke from the shaft.

[8:22]  ¹ tn Heb “yet all the days of the earth.” The idea is “[while there are] yet all the days of the earth,” meaning, “as long as the earth exists.”

[8:22]  ² tn Heb “seed,” which stands here by metonymy for the time when seed is planted.

[9:13]  ³ tn The translation assumes that the perfect verbal form is used rhetorically, emphasizing the certainty of the action. Other translation options include “I have placed” (present perfect; cf. NIV, NRSV) and “I place” (instantaneous perfect; cf. NEB).

[9:13]  ⁴ sn The Hebrew word קֶשֶׁת (qeshet) normally refers to a warrior’s bow. Some understand this to mean that God the warrior hangs up his battle bow at the end of the flood, indicating he is now at peace with humankind, but others question the legitimacy of this proposal. See C. Westermann, Genesis, 1:473, and G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:196.

[9:13]  ⁵ tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here has the same aspectual function as the preceding perfect of certitude.

[3:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “the stars of its dawn.” The word נֶשֶׁף (neshef) can mean “twilight” or “dawn.” In this context the morning stars are in mind. Job wishes that the morning stars – that should announce the day – go out.

[3:9]  ⁷ tn The verb “wait, hope” has the idea of eager expectation and preparation. It is used elsewhere of waiting on the Lord with anticipation.

[3:9]  ⁸ tn The absolute state אַיִן (’ayin, “there is none”) is here used as a verbal predicate (see GKC 480 §152.k). The concise expression literally says “and none.”

[3:9]  ⁹ sn The expression is literally “the eyelids of the morning.” This means the very first rays of dawn (see also Job 41:18). There is some debate whether it refers to “eyelids” or “eyelashes” or “eyeballs.” If the latter, it would signify the flashing eyes of a person. See for the Ugaritic background H. L. Ginsberg, The Legend of King Keret (BASORSup), 39; see also J. M. Steadman, “‘Eyelids of Morn’: A Biblical Convention,” HTR 56 (1963): 159-67.

[38:31]  ¹⁰ tn This word is found here and in 1 Sam 15:32. Dhorme suggests, with others, that there has been a metathesis (a reversal of consonants), and it is the same word found in Job 31:36 (“bind”). G. R. Driver takes it as “cluster” without changing the text (“Two astronomical passages in the Old Testament,” JTS 7 [1956] :3).

[38:32]  ¹¹ tn The word מַזָּרוֹת (mazzarot) is taken by some to refer to the constellations (see 2 Kgs 23:5), and by others as connected to the word for “crown,” and so “corona.”

[38:32]  ¹² sn See Job 9:9.

[81:3]  ¹³ tn Heb “at the new moon.”

[81:3]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “at the full moon on the day of our festival.” The Hebrew word כֶּסֶה (keseh) is an alternate spelling of כֶּסֶא (kese’, “full moon”).

[32:7]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “will not shine its light.” For similar features of cosmic eschatology, see Joel 2:10; 4:15; Amos 5:18-20; Zeph 1:5.

[46:1]  ¹⁶ sn The east gate of the outer court was permanently closed (Ezek 44:2).

[46:6]  ¹⁷ tn The phrase “he will offer” is not in the Hebrew text but is warranted from the context.

[2:10]  ¹⁸ sn Witnesses of locust invasions have described the visual effect of large numbers of these creatures crawling over one another on the ground. At such times the ground is said to appear to be in motion, creating a dizzying effect on some observers. The reference in v. 10 to the darkening of the sun and moon probably has to do with the obscuring of visibility due to large numbers of locusts swarming in the sky.

[2:10]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “before it.”

[2:10]  ²⁰ tn Heb “trembles.”

[2:10]  ²¹ tn Heb “gather their brightness.”

[2:30]  ²² tn Or “in the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[2:31]  ²³ tn Heb “to blood,” but no doubt this is intended to indicate by metonymy the color of blood rather than the substance itself. The blood red color suggests a visual impression here – something that could be caused by fires, volcanic dust, sandstorms, or other atmospheric phenomena.

[3:15]  ²⁴ tn Heb “gather in.”

[5:8]  ²⁵ tn Heb “darkens the day into night.”

[8:9]  ²⁶ tn Heb “in a day of light.”

[2:2]  ²⁷ tn Or “in its rising,” referring to the astrological significance of a star in a particular portion of the sky. The term used for the “East” in v. 1 is ἀνατολαί (anatolai, a plural form that is used typically of the rising of the sun), while in vv. 2 and 9 the singular ἀνατολή (anatolh) is used. The singular is typically used of the rising of a star and as such should not normally be translated “in the east” (cf. BDAG 74 s.v. 1: “because of the sg. and the article in contrast to ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν, vs. 1, [it is] prob. not a geograph. expr. like the latter, but rather astronomical…likew. vs. 9”).

[16:2]  ²⁸ tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” The construction has been simplified in the translation and δέ (de) has not been translated.

[16:3]  ²⁹ tn Or “red and gloomy” (L&N 14.56).

[16:3]  ³⁰ tn Grk “The face of the sky you know how to discern.”

[24:29]  ³¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[24:29]  ³² tn Traditionally, “tribulation.”

[24:29]  ³³ sn An allusion to Isa 13:10, 34:4 (LXX); Joel 2:10. The heavens were seen as the abode of heavenly forces, so their shaking indicates distress in the spiritual realm. Although some take the powers as a reference to bodies in the heavens (like stars and planets, “the heavenly bodies,” NIV) this is not as likely.

[13:24]  ³⁴ tn Traditionally, “tribulation.”

[21:25]  ³⁵ sn Signs in the sun and moon and stars are cosmic signs that turn our attention to the end and the Son of Man’s return for the righteous. OT imagery is present: See Isa 13:9-10; 24:18-20; 34:4; Ezek 32:7-8; Joel 2:1, 30-31; 3:15.

[21:25]  ³⁶ tn Grk “distress of nations.”

[21:25]  ³⁷ tn Or “in consternation” (L&N 32.9).

[21:26]  ³⁸ tn According to L&N 23.184 this could be mainly a psychological experience rather than actual loss of consciousness. It could also refer to complete discouragement because of fear, leading people to give up hope (L&N 25.293).

[21:26]  ³⁹ sn An allusion to Isa 34:4. The heavens were seen as the abode of heavenly forces, so their shaking indicates distress in the spiritual realm. Although some take the powers as a reference to bodies in the heavens (like stars and planets, “the heavenly bodies,” NIV) this is not as likely.

[23:45]  ⁴⁰ tc The wording “the sun’s light failed” is a translation of τοῦ ἡλίου ἐκλιπόντος/ ἐκλείποντος (tou Jhliou eklipontos/ ekleipontos), a reading found in the earliest and best witnesses (among them Ì⁷⁵ א B C*^vid L 070 579 2542 pc) as well as several ancient versions. The majority of mss (A C³ [D] W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï lat sy) have the flatter, less dramatic term, “the sun was darkened” (ἐσκοτίσθη, eskotisqe), a reading that avoids the problem of implying an eclipse (see sn below). This alternative thus looks secondary because it is a more common word and less likely to be misunderstood as referring to a solar eclipse. That it appears in later witnesses rather than the earliest ones adds confirmatory testimony to its inauthentic character.

[23:45]  ⁴¹ tn The referent of this term, καταπέτασμα (katapetasma), is not entirely clear. It could refer to the curtain separating the holy of holies from the holy place (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.5 [5.219]), or it could refer to one at the entrance of the temple court (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.4 [5.212]). Many argue that the inner curtain is meant because another term, κάλυμμα (kalumma), is also used for the outer curtain. Others see a reference to the outer curtain as more likely because of the public nature of this sign. Either way, the symbolism means that access to God has been opened up. It also pictures a judgment that includes the sacrifices.

[2:19]  ⁴² tn Or “in the heaven.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven” depending on the context. Here, in contrast to “the earth below,” a reference to the sky is more likely.

[2:19]  ⁴³ tn Here the context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned; this is made explicit in the translation.

[2:20]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “and wonderful.”

[6:12]  ⁴⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[6:12]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “powerful”; Grk “a great.”

[6:12]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “like hairy sackcloth” (L&N 8.13).

[6:12]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “like blood,” understanding αἷμα (aima) as a blood-red color rather than actual blood (L&N 8.64).

[8:12]  ⁴⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[8:12]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “the day did not shine [with respect to] the third of it.”

[9:2]  ⁵¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[9:2]  ⁵² tn Grk “the shaft,” but since this would be somewhat redundant in English, the pronoun “it” is used here.

[9:2]  ⁵³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.