Board index Specific Bible verses, texts, and passages Luke

Luke 23:44-45. What kind of eclipse?

Postby Turbo » Sun Jun 14, 2020 2:21 pm

Does anyone know what kind of eclipse took place that day?

(Luke 23:44-45)
"And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. {45} And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst."
Turbo
 

Re: Luke 23:44-45. What kind of eclipse?

Postby jimwalton » Sat Nov 19, 2022 10:01 pm

This could not have been an eclipse of the sun, and Luke doesn't say that it is, only that "the sun's light failing" (Lk. 23.45). The term is used for eclipses, but it doesn't necessarily mean that. The sun can be darkened in other ways. In essence, the darkness is not explained, though it may relate symbolically to the darkness that was one of the Egyptian plaques. It could have been massive cloud cover. The definiteness of the time of day statement in Luke leads us to believe that Luke means us to take the darkness as a historical fact, not a metaphor.

It's impossible that it was an eclipse of the sun. It was Passover, and therefore a full moon.

We know that darkness can precede earthquakes, and the text tells of an earthquake in Jerusalem that day. I take it to mean heavy cloud cover.


Last bumped by Anonymous on Sat Nov 19, 2022 10:01 pm.
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