Topical Bible: The Stars: Pleiades

◄ The Stars: Pleiades ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Pleiades, a prominent cluster of stars, are mentioned in the Bible as part of God's creation, illustrating His power and majesty. The name "Pleiades" is derived from the Greek word "pleiôn," meaning "many," and refers to a group of stars in the constellation Taurus. In Hebrew, the cluster is known as "Kimah."

Biblical References:

1. Job 9:9 : "He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, who created the Pleiades and the constellations of the south." In this passage, Job acknowledges God's sovereignty and creative power, highlighting the Pleiades as part of the celestial wonders fashioned by the Almighty.

2. Job 38:31 : "Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion?" Here, God challenges Job, emphasizing His unparalleled authority over the universe. The "chains of the Pleiades" metaphorically represent the gravitational bonds that hold the stars together, a feat beyond human capability.

3. Amos 5:8 : "He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns darkness into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them over the face of the earth—the LORD is His name." The prophet Amos calls the people to seek the Creator, who has the power to control the cosmos, including the Pleiades.

Theological Significance:

The mention of the Pleiades in Scripture serves to underscore the vastness and complexity of God's creation. The stars are a testament to His wisdom and might, reminding believers of their place within the grand design of the universe. The Pleiades, visible to the naked eye, have been a source of wonder and inspiration throughout history, symbolizing the order and beauty inherent in God's handiwork.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the Pleiades were often associated with agricultural cycles and seasonal changes. Their appearance in the night sky marked important times for planting and harvesting. The biblical references to the Pleiades reflect an awareness of these celestial patterns and their significance in the natural world.

Astronomical Insights:

The Pleiades cluster consists of several hundred stars, with the brightest seven visible without telescopes. Located approximately 440 light-years from Earth, the cluster is one of the nearest star groups to our planet. Modern astronomy has revealed that the Pleiades are relatively young stars, formed about 100 million years ago, and are still enveloped in a faint reflection nebula.

Symbolism in Scripture:

The Pleiades symbolize unity and cohesion, as the stars are bound together in a gravitational cluster. This imagery is used in the Bible to illustrate God's control over the universe, as well as His ability to maintain order amidst chaos. The Pleiades serve as a reminder of the divine harmony that governs all creation, inviting believers to trust in God's providential care.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 9:9
Which makes Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 38:31
Can you bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Amos 5:8
Seek him that makes the seven stars and Orion, and turns the shadow of death into the morning, and makes the day dark with night: that calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Strong's Hebrew

3598. Kimah -- a cluster of stars
... Pleiades, seven stars. From the same as kuwmaz; a cluster of stars, ie The Pleiades --
Pleiades, seven stars. see HEBREW kuwmaz. 3597, 3598. Kimah. 3599 . ...
/hebrew/3598.htm - 6k

Library

Gnostic Exposition of the Decalogue.
... And of the fixed stars, the Pleiades are seven. And the Bears, by the help of which
agriculture and navigation are carried through, consist of seven stars. ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xvi gnostic exposition of the.htm

A Refutation on the Ground of the Constitution of the Universe.
... ever boast his having the atoms possessed by Lucifer, nor would the Pleiades glory
in ... and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one ...
/.../dionysius/the works of dionysius/iii a refutation on the.htm

God is Known by his Works.
... and heralding the approach of the perfect luminary; and the constellation of Pleiades,
and Orion, and Arcturus, and the orbit of the other stars that circle ...
/.../theophilus/theophilus to autolycus/chapter vi god is known by.htm

Christ's Flesh Perfectly Natural, Like Our Own None of the ...
... some celestial substance in Him purloined from the Bear, and the Pleiades, and the ...
Him any new kind of flesh miraculously obtained (from the stars), it would ...
/.../ on the flesh of christ/chapter ix christs flesh perfectly natural.htm

'All Things are Yours'
... make it my all They tell us that if you want to count those stars that 'like a swarm
of fire-flies tangled in a silver braid' make up the Pleiades, the surest ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/all things are yours.htm

Imagination in Prayer
... heavens. Let her sweep and soar on her shining wing, up past sun, moon, and
stars. Let her leave Orion and the Pleiades far behind her. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/whyte/lord teach us to pray/xx imagination in prayer.htm

Book 13 Footnotes
... See the like before, B. XII. ch.7. sect.6. [21] This heliacal setting of the Pleiades,
or seven stars, was, in the days of Hyrcanus and Josephus, early in the ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 13 footnotes.htm

The Creator's Joy in his Creation
... Or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, And
all the ... Canst thou bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the bands of Orion ...
/.../various/select masterpieces of biblical literature/ii the creators joy in.htm

One of Paul's Prayers
... as we lift our eyes and look up at the sun and the moon and the stars,"at Arcturus,
and the bands of Orion, and the sweet influences of Pleiades, and the ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/whyte/lord teach us to pray/xii one of pauls prayers.htm

To Cledonius the Priest against Apollinarius. (Ep. Ci. )
... ravens call upon God, [4713] to indicate the whole feathered race; or Pleiades,
Hesperus, and Arcturus [4714] are mentioned, instead of all the Stars and His ...
/.../select letters of saint gregory nazianzen/to cledonius the priest against.htm