kbertsche writes:
Conclusion: the text does not necessarily mean that the sun and moon stopped their motion across the sky. It more likely means that the sky became dark.
That's a good example of how the hare-brained (apologetic) approach to Bible interpretation often leads to nonsensical conclusions.
The
context is pretty clear that the Israelites were chasing their enemies, trying to kill the stragglers before they could escape under cover of darkness. The clear implication of the "long day" is that it gave them
more daylight to accomplish that purpose.
What possible reason could there be for giving them
less daylight?
It's interesting that you recognize the passage as poetry but you ignore the fairly obvious cinematic possibilities.
The scene could have been directed by an ancestor of Sam Peckinpah: everything is in slow motion for the good guys. They can kill bad guy A and have time to turn around and kill bad guy B before he can react.
What's the difference between poetry and plot devices or production values?
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