STAR, Stella; in Hebrew, Chochab. Under ככבChochab. Stella, Sidus.the Name of Stars, the ancient Hebrews comprehended all the heavenly Bodies, Constellations, and Planets; in a word, all the Luminaries, except the Sun and the Moon. The Scripture often expresses it self in such a manner, as should seem to attribute Sense and Understanding to the Stars. The Sun and Moon were call’d, by the idolatrous Israelites, the King and Queen of Heaven; and the Stars were (as it were) Deut. xvii. 3.their Army and Militia. Both one and the other have often received those Honours, which were only due to the Creator.
The Number of the Stars was look’d upon as infinite: And the Psalmist, to exalt the Power and Magnificence of God, says, that he numbers the Stars, and calls them by their Names. He is described as a King taking a Review of his Army, and gives every one of his Soldiers such a Name as he thinks fit. When the Scripture would express a very extraordinary Increase and Multiplication, it uses the Similitude of the Stars of Heaven, or of the Sands of the Sea: Gen. xv. 5. xxii. 17. xxvi. 4. Exodus xxxii. 13, &c. Job xxv. 5. Job xxxviii. 7. Job ix. 7.I will multiply thy Seed as the Stars of the Heaven, and as the Sand which is upon the Sea-shore. Job says, that in the Eyes of God, the Stars themselves are impure; that they form’d a kind of Concert of Musick to his Honour, at the Beginning of the Creation; and that God locks them up as with a Key, and hinders them from appearing, but when he pleases.
Ezekiel xxxii. 7. Joel ii. 1. & iii. 20. Amos v. 26. ככב אלהיכם Mat. xxiv. 29. Mark xiii. 25. Job ix. 9. & xxxviii. 31.In Times of Disgrace and Publick Calamity, ‘tis said, the Stars with-hold their Light, and are cover’d with Darkness; Numbers xxiv. 17.that they fall from Heaven, and disappear. These are figurative and emphatick Expressions, which are only weaken’d and enervated by being explain’d. Amos says, that the Israelites in the Wilderness carried with them a Star, to which they paid divine Honours: Ye have born ---- the Star of your God, which ye made to your selves. The Hebrew says, Stellam Deorum vestrorum. Job speaks in two Places, of four of the principal Constellations that were known to the Antients; the Bear, Orion, the Hyades, and the Star of the South.
Gen. i. 14, 15, 16. Job xxxviii. 7. Isai. xiv. 13.As to the Star that Balaam foretold should come out of Jacob, and which primarily is understood of Jesus Christ, who is the true Star which fills the World with its Brightness; and secondarily, of that material Star that appear’d to the Wise Men, and guided them from the East to Bethlehem; we have spoken of it under the Article MAGI, and in our Dissertation upon the same Subject, which we have prefix’d to our Commentary upon St. Matthew.