שֶׁמֶשׁ

“Sun” in Hebrew is Shemesh (שֶׁמֶשׁ), pronounced “SHEH-mesh.” Shemesh is related to the Akkadian 'Shamash,' the name of the Mesopotamian sun deity. Israel's use of the word for a created object — not a god — was a deliberate theological polemic against pagan sun worship prevalent throughout the ancient Near East.

Shemesh (שֶׁמֶשׁ) means “Sun” in Biblical Hebrew. Shemesh appears approximately 134 times in the Hebrew Bible. It refers to the physical sun (Genesis 1:16), measures time (Joshua 10:12-13), appears in place names (Beth-shemesh), and is used metaphorically for righteousness (Malachi 4:2) and for God's glory (Psalm 84:11).

Shemesh is pronounced “SHEH-mesh.” The word comes from the Hebrew root שׁ-מ-שׁ.

Malachi 4:2 prophesies 'the shemesh of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.' The 'wings' likely refer to the rays of the sun spreading across the horizon. Christians understand this as a prophecy of Christ, the light that dawns on those living in darkness (Luke 1:78-79), bringing spiritual healing and restoration to all who receive Him.

Joshua 10:12-13 records Joshua commanding, 'Sun (shemesh), stand still at Gibeon.' The text says 'the sun stopped in the middle of the sky.' Whether understood as a literal cosmic event, an extended period of light, or a poetic description of God fighting for Israel, the Hebrew text emphasizes that 'there has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD heeded the voice of a man.'

God created light (or) on day one but the sun (shemesh) on day four (Genesis 1:14-16). Many scholars see this as a deliberate theological statement: light originates from God, not from the sun. The sun is merely a 'light-bearer,' a created servant. This ordering undermined pagan sun worship by establishing that the sun is dependent on God, not the other way around.