What does the Bible say about the moon?
The Bible mentions the moon in various contexts, as we’ll explore below. But before we dive in, let me ask: What comes to mind when you think of the moon? For me, it’s a stunning reflection of God’s omnipotence and order, created with a mere snap of His finger. The moon was designed to govern the night, providing light in the darkness, marking the seasons and months, and serving as a navigational guide, among many other purposes. All of this points to God’s intentional design and His sovereignty over creation. Step outside at night, gaze at the moon, and let it inspire you to praise Him for the beauty of life.
Throughout Scripture, the moon stands out as a beautiful and purposeful part of God’s handiwork. Yet, it’s not an object to be worshiped. Like the sun and all of creation, it should turn our hearts and minds back to the Lord. Let’s explore this further.
Genesis 1:16 (NASB) – “God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.”
Psalm 8:3 (NIV) – “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place.”
Psalm 104:19 (NKJV) – “He appointed the moon for seasons; the sun knows its going down.”
Joel 2:31 (ESV) – “The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.”
Revelation 12:1 (KJV) – “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.”
Isaiah 30:26 (NLT) – “The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days in one!”
Joshua 10:13 (Holman) – “And the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. Isn’t this written in the Book of Jashar? So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed its setting almost a full day.”
Matthew 24:29 (NIV) – “Immediately after the distress of those days ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’”
Psalm 89:37 (NKJV) – “It shall be established forever like the moon, even like the faithful witness in the sky.”
Acts 2:20 (ESV) – “The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.”
Job 31:26-27 (KJV) – “If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness; and my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand.”
Ecclesiastes 12:2 (NLT) – “Before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain.”
Psalm 148:3 (NASB) – “Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all stars of light!”
Mark 13:24 (NIV) – “But in those days, following that distress, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.’”
Deuteronomy 4:19 (NKJV) – “And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage.”
Revelation 6:12 (ESV) – “When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood.”
Isaiah 13:10 (KJV) – “For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.”
Psalm 72:5 (NLT) – “May they fear you as long as the sun shines, as long as the moon remains in the sky. Yes, forever!”
Genesis 37:9 (Holman) – “Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.’”
Luke 21:25 (NIV) – “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.”
Psalm 136:9 (NKJV) – “The moon and stars to rule by night, for His mercy endures forever.”
Habakkuk 3:11 (ESV) – “The sun and moon stood still in their place at the light of your arrows as they sped, at the flash of your glittering spear.”
Job 25:5 (KJV) – “Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.”
Jeremiah 31:35 (NLT) – “It is the Lord who provides the sun to light the day and the moon and stars to light the night, and who stirs the sea into roaring waves. His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
Psalm 121:6 (NASB) – “The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night.”
Ezekiel 32:7 (NIV) – “When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.”
Psalm 19:1 (NKJV) – “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.”
Revelation 8:12 (ESV) – “The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.”
Isaiah 60:20 (KJV) – “Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.”
Colossians 1:16 (NLT) – “For through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.”
Psalm 74:16 (Holman) – “The day is Yours, also the night; You established the moon and the sun.”
Amos 8:9 (NIV) – “In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.”
Psalm 81:3 (NKJV) – “Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, at the full moon, on our solemn feast day.”
1 Corinthians 15:41 (ESV) – “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.”
Deuteronomy 33:14 (KJV) – “And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon.”
Psalm 147:4 (NLT) – “He counts the stars and calls them all by name.”
Isaiah 24:23 (Holman) – “The moon will be put to shame and the sun disgraced, because the Lord of Armies will reign as king on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, and he will display his glory before his elders.”
Jeremiah 8:2 (NIV) – “They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped.”
Psalm 78:6 (NKJV) – “That the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children.”
Revelation 21:23 (ESV) – “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”
Judges 5:31 (KJV) – “So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.”
Psalm 113:3 (NLT) – “Everywhere—from east to west—praise the name of the Lord.”
Isaiah 66:23 (NASB) – “And it shall be from new moon to new moon and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the Lord.”
Ezekiel 46:1 (NIV) – “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The gate of the inner court facing east is to be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon it is to be opened.”
Psalm 33:6 (NKJV) – “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.”
Matthew 4:16 (ESV) – “The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”
Job 38:7 (KJV) – “When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”
Psalm 136:7-8 (NLT) – “Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights—His faithful love endures forever. The sun to rule the day, His faithful love endures forever.”
Hosea 6:3 (Holman) – “Let us strive to know the Lord. His appearance is as sure as the dawn. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the land.”
Genesis 1:14 (NIV) – “And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years.”
