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Psalm 148 calls the sun, moon, and stars to praise God with a decree that will never be revoked. 1 Enoch 79 repeats this language to describe astronomy and the laws that every star that Uriel shows to Enoch.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Psalm 148:6
Hebrew Bible
4 Praise him, O highest heaven and you waters above the sky. 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he gave the command and they came into existence. 6 He established them so they would endure; he issued a decree that will not be revoked. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea creatures and all you ocean depths,
1 Enoch 79:2
Pseudepigrapha
1 Now, my son, I have shown you everything, and the law governing all the stars of heaven is complete. 2 Uriel showed me all the laws of these stars for each day, for every ruling season, for every year, and for their appearances, including the specific order for each month and every week. 3 He explained the waning of the moon that occurs in the sixth portal: here, the moon's illumination is completed, and then the waning begins.
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Notes and References
... The idea that the luminaries obey the laws divinely imposed on them comes to expression more frequently in the Hebrew Bible. Psalm 148:5-6 is a case in point. There the psalmist calls on angels, sun, moon, stars, and more to praise the Lord: Let them praise the name of the Lord, for it was he who commanded that they be created, he made them endure forever, establishing an order that shall never change. As C. A. Briggs commented about verse 6: ‘He established them at their creation in such a firm, abiding position, that they will remain stable and immovable forever. ... He established His law in the heavens, and these heavenly beings, angels and the great luminaries, the ascents of heaven and the rain clouds, all have to submit to it. ... The decree given to the heaven is immutable. This is the nearest approach to immutable laws of nature that is known to Hebrew Literature.’ ...
Nickelsburg, George W. E.; VanderKam, James C.
1 Enoch 2: A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch, Chapters 37-82
(p. 385) Fortress Press, 2012
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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