Bible Strands
Joshua 10:13
So the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance upon its enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? “So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator reports the outcome of Joshua's prayer (v. 12) during the battle against the Amorites and cites the Book of Jashar as a written witness.
The words — דָּמָה (dāmah) means "it was silent" or "it was still"; the sun is described as falling into silence rather than merely halting its motion.
The thread — Habakkuk 3:11 and Isaiah 38:8 are the only other biblical passages where the sun or moon is said to stop; all three are framed as acts of the LORD.
Why it lands — The narrator's rhetorical appeal to a written record ("Is this not written in the Book of Jashar?") asks the reader to accept this as a documented event, not a poetic image.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
Cross-references
- Habakkuk 3:11 Sun and moon stood still in their places at the flash of Your flying arrows, at the brightness of Your shining spear.
- Isaiah 38:8 I will make the sun’s shadow that falls on the stairway of Ahaz go back ten steps.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had descended.
- Joshua 10:14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man, because the LORD fought for Israel.
- Judges 16:28 Then Samson called out to the LORD: “O Lord GOD, please remember me. Strengthen me, O God, just once more, so that with one vengeful blow I may pay back the Philistines for my two eyes.”
- 2 Samuel 1:18 and he ordered that the sons of Judah be taught the Song of the Bow. It is written in the Book of Jashar:
- Esther 8:13 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people, so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
- Psalms 19:4 their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun.
- Psalms 136:7 He made the great lights—His loving devotion endures forever.
- Psalms 148:3 Praise Him, O sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars.
- Joel 2:10 Before them the earth quakes; the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness.