For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Has the sun ever stood still in the sky for 24 hours?
Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes indicate a Bible contradiction:
Yes, God made the sun stand still for 24 hours so that Joshua could finish slaughtering the Amorites.
“Then Joshua spoke to the Lord on the day when the Lord turned the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, And moon, at the Valley of Aijalon!” 13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the Book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hurry to go down for about a whole day.” (Joshua 10:12-13)
No, there has never been, and never will be, an unusually long day.
“While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22)
(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)
Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:
- When dealing with skeptics’ claim of Bible contradictions it seems one can never be reminded enough of what exactly is a contradiction. A contradiction occurs when two or more claims conflict with one another so that they cannot simultaneously be true in the same sense and at the same time. To put it another way, a Bible contradiction exists when there are claims within the Bible that are mutually exclusive in the same sense and at the same time.
- One should be skeptical of whether this is a Bible contradiction given the website’s track record of inaccurate handling of biblical passages. See the many examples of their error we have responded to here in this post: Collection of Posts Responding to Bible Contradictions. Of course that does not take away the need to respond to this post, which is what the remainder of the post will do. But this observation should caution us to slow down and look more closely at the passages the Skeptic Annotated Bible cited and see if they interpreted the passages properly to support their conclusion that it is a Bible contradiction.
- The Skeptic Annotated Bible actually quoted from Genesis 10:22 and not Genesis 8:22 as the Skeptic Annotated Bible’s page stated. For purpose of clarity we quoted the passage above as Genesis 10:22.
- The skeptic here tries to pit Joshua 10:12-13 which the skeptic claimed is teaching “The sun has stood still for 24 hours.” against Genesis 8:22 which the skeptic claimed is teaching “The sun has never stood still for 24 hours.”
- The skeptic think Genesis 8:22 is about “twenty four hours” period. But this assertion is without a basis. When Genesis 8:22 states “day and night” notice this “day” is contrasted with night so the “day” is the portion of a period of time that is not night. Day here is not 24 hours (time of day light can be 12 hours, 8 hours, etc, depending on season and where one is at geographically in the world). If we take the skeptic’s interpretation of Joshua 10:12-13 at face value which the skeptic interpret as “The sun has stood still for 24 hours,” it does not conflict with Genesis 8:22 since the day is not 24 hours day being talked about here.
- While Joshua 10:12-13 does state the darkness (sun stood still) was for about a day’s duration, this does not mean that day and night has ceased (what was stated in Genesis 8:22), only that the sun “did not hurry to go down” (Joshua 10:13) during Joshua’s military campaign.
- Looking at the rest of Genesis 8:22 I think point 6 is justified. We know “seedtime and harvest” have not ceased, though it can be delayed or happen sooner, or with lesser crops bearing fruit, etc. We know “Cold and heat” have not ceased, though sometimes we can have unexpected unusual cold days or unusual hot days. We know “Summer and winter” have not ceased, though sometimes it seems the weather for those seasons are delayed. Likewise this is how we interpret Genesis 8:22 with “day and night.”
- There is no contradiction here. Seems the skeptic needs to learn of How to Handle Bible Contradictions.
- We shouldn’t miss that worldviews are at play even with the skeptic’s objection to Christianity. The worldview of the author of the Skeptic Annotated Bible actually doesn’t even allow for such a thing as the law of non-contradiction to be meaningful and intelligible. In other words for him to try to disprove the Bible by pointing out that there’s a Bible contradiction doesn’t even make sense within his own worldview. Check out our post “Skeptic Annotated Bible Author’s Self-Defeating Worldview.”
[…] Has the sun ever stood still in the sky for 24 hours? […]
Thanks for this thorough rebuttal of another of Steve/Stephen Wells’ alleged contradictions. Yup, he’s drawing unwarranted conclusions from Genesis 8:22 for the sake of another notch in his belt. This post reminds me that Galileo got in trouble with two “infallible” popes of the RCC over his theory of heliocentricity and Joshua 10:12-13.
Wow isn’t that crazy that Galileo got in trouble with two popes?Feel free to link your blog posts on this topic here in the comments! How goes your day today? Pray that I get a lot done today if you can
Thanks! Here is the link to my post regarding Galileo and the two popes:
I’m off to a scheduled doctor’s visit shortly and I will be praying for your day!
Papists and atheists twists the Scripture to their destruction if they don’t repent
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Good point that there is no contradiction because as mentioned in item 5, “Day here is not 24 hours (time of day light can be 12 hours, 8 hours, etc, depending on season and where one is at geographically in the world).”
The problem is not with a contradiction, but whether Joshua 10 could have happened at all. That leads some people to try to remove the miraculous from the event which I don’t think is necessary. Something miraculous occurred. Was it the sun standing still, the earth standing still or the Lord actually fighting for (through) the Israelites by making them move very much faster than the Amorites. Phenomenologically any of those three would fit the text.
Yes any of those three would fit. Thanks for sharing that Frank. I hope you have a blessed day today, seeing you wake up early!
Very interesting and food for thought
Terrible on the part of Wells.
Indeed I agree. Have you guys gotten any smoke from the fires over in Canada?
Yes we have gotten it worse than most places including NYC.
Excellent insight brother. Praying for a productive day for you.
Shalom!
Wow thank you for your prayers! That means a lot to me and I see the Lord already answering that prayer and it’s only 10:25 AM. Thank you once more brother
This is rather laughable attempt to discredit the Bible
The atheist needs to understand miracles are occasional exceptions
It is. Such folly on display!
Yes yes 🙌
[…] 2.) Bible Contradiction? Has the sun ever stood still in the sky for 24 hours? […]
It’s comforting and being strength in the faith to know the skeptics had it wrong.
Hope this was helpful
It’s helpful to know in the beginning there’s no contradictions
Well true that. Lol. That is why it is of great importance to be well educated by taking the time to read about the Bible and what it actually says. Learn about God etc
Studying the Bible despite the challenge pays off in dividends spiritually and I think also intellectually
I have gotten wiser studying the Bible.
Wow some people bet eternity on this being a contradiction?
One should never bet against God
Exactly it is foolishness
Another blessed discussion! Thank you Jim.
You are welcome! Thanks for checking this out, I pray God uses this to help anyone that is confused!
[…] Has the sun ever stood still in the sky for 24 hours? […]