MOON

This beautiful and stately ruler of the night, Ge 1:16, is one of the chief witnesses to mankind of the goodness, wisdom, and power of the Creator, Ps 8:3; and as receiving all its light from the sun, and reflecting it on all around, it is a striking image of the church of Christ. In the clear sky of the East, the moon shines with peculiar brilliancy; and it was worshipped by most nations of antiquity, either directly, or as an idol-goddess under the name of Ashtoreth, Artemis, Diana, Hecate, Meni, Mylitta, Maja, etc. The Hebrews were specially cautioned against this form of idolatry, De 4:19 17:3; and yet fell into it; 2Ki 21:3 Isa 65:11 Jer 7:18 8:2 19:13 44:17-25. See LUNATIC and NEW MOON.

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Moon. Moon
Heb. yareah, from its paleness (Ezra 6:15), and lebanah, the “white” (Cant. 6:10; Isa. 24:23), was appointed by the Creator to be with the sun “for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years” (Gen. 1:14-16). A lunation was among the Jews the period of a month, and several of their festivals were held on the day of the new moon. It is frequently referred to along with the sun (Josh. 10:12; Ps. 72:5, 7, 17; 89:36, 37; Eccl. 12:2; Isa. 24:23, etc.), and also by itself (Ps. 8:3; 121:6).

The great brilliance of the moon in Eastern countries led to its being early an object of idolatrous worship (Deut. 4:19; 17:3; Job 31:26), a form of idolatry against which the Jews were warned (Deut. 4:19; 17:3). They, however, fell into this idolatry, and offered incense (2 Kings 23:5; Jer. 8:2), and also cakes of honey, to the moon (Jer. 7:18; 44:17-19, 25).

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MOON. → Created by God Ge 1:16; Ps 8:3; 136:7-9 → Its light Job 31:26; Ec 12:2; So 6:10; Jer 31:35; 1Co 15:41 → Its influences De 33:14; Ps 121:6 → Seasons of (months) Ps 104:19 → Joseph's dream concerning Ge 37:9 → Stands still Jos 10:12; 13; Hab 3:11 → Worship of, forbidden De 4:19; 17:3 → Worshiped 2Ki 23:5; Job 31:26,27; Jer 7:18; 8:2; 44:17-19,25 → No light of, in heaven Re 21:23 → Darkening of Job 25:5; Isa 13:10; 24:23; Eze 32:7; Joe 2:10,31; 3:15; Mt 24:29; Mr 13:24; Lu 21:25; Ac 2:20; Re 6:12; 8:12 → FEAST OF THE NEW MOON Nu 10:10; 28:11-15; 1Ch 23:31; 2Ch 31:3; Ezr 3:5
* Traffic at the time of, prohibited Am 8:5

→ FIGURATIVE
* Shining of Isa 30:26; 60:19; Re 21:23

→ SYMBOLICAL Re 12:1

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(1) General References to Ge 1:16; De 33:14; Jos 10:13; Ps 104:19; Isa 24:23; Joe 2:31 (2) New, Feast of Nu 10:10; 28:11; 1Sa 20:5; 1Ch 23:31; 2Ch 31:3; Ezr 3:5; Ps 81:3 Isa 1:14; Ho 2:11

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moon. Moon, n. the great luminary of the night, a month

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Moon (mo͞on), n. [[OE. mone, AS. mōna; akin to D. maan, OS. & OHG. māno, G. mond, Icel. māni, Dan. maane, Sw. måne, Goth. mēna, Lith. menů, L. mensis month, Gr. μήνη moon, μήν month, Skr. mās moon, month; prob. from a root meaning to measure (cf. Skr. mā to measure), from its serving to measure the time. √271. Cf. Mete to measure, Menses, Monday, Month.]] 1. 1. The celestial orb which revolves round the earth; the satellite of the earth; a secondary planet, whose light, borrowed from the sun, is reflected to the earth, and serves to dispel the darkness of night. The diameter of the moon is 2,160 miles, its mean distance from the earth is 240,000 miles, and its mass is one eightieth that of the earth. See Lunar month, under Month.
The crescent moon, the diadem of night. Cowper. 2. 2. A secondary planet, or satellite, revolving about any member of the solar system; as, the moons of Jupiter or Saturn.
3. 3. The time occupied by the moon in making one revolution in her orbit; a month. Shak.
4. 4. (Fort.) A crescentlike outwork. See Half-moon.
Moon blindness. (a) (Far.) A kind of ophthalmia liable to recur at intervals of three or four weeks. (b) (Med.) Hemeralopia. — Moon dial, a dial used to indicate time by moonlight. — Moon face, a round face like a full moon. — Moon madness, lunacy. — Moon month, a lunar month. — Moon trefoil (Bot.), a shrubby species of medic (Medicago arborea). See Medic. — Moon year, a lunar year, consisting of lunar months, being sometimes twelve and sometimes thirteen.