Did the Sun Really Stop for Joshua? Exploring the Miracle in Science and Scripture

Tomer asks: "When Yehoshua (Joshua) fought the Pelishtim (Philistines) in Gilgal, it says: ‘Sun, stand still upon Giveon, and moon in the valley of Ayalon.’ The sun stopped in its place and did not set so that the Israelites could win the battle. But we know today that the sun does not actually move; rather, the earth rotates on its axis. So how exactly did the miracle of the sun standing still happen? Did the world stop spinning? Thank you very much."

* * *

Hello Tomer, and thank you for your thoughtful question.

In the Book of Yehoshua it says: "Then Yehoshua spoke to the Lord… and he said before the eyes of Israel: ‘Sun, stand still upon Giveon, and moon in the valley of Ayalon’" (Yehoshua 10:12).

The phrase “before the eyes of Israel” shows us that the words were spoken from a human perspective. We see the sun rise and set from our vantage point on earth, not from outer space. Even scientifically, relativity teaches us that the “center” depends on the observer’s position.

Therefore, the description in Yehoshua was not written to give an astronomical explanation of the miracle, but to describe how it appeared to the people present in Giveon. There is no doubt that the lengthening of the day was an open miracle performed by God before the eyes of millions. The only question is: how was it carried out in the framework of physical reality?

Following are some possibilities given by the commentators:

1. A Literal Stoppage of the Sun and Earth

The simplest — but most difficult scientifically, is that God literally stopped the earth’s rotation and the sun’s movement, while also suspending the natural forces of gravity to prevent destruction. Normally, a sudden stop of the earth’s spin would cause the oceans to flood the continents like a car slamming on the brakes. But since God controls all reality, nothing is impossible for Him. This is how Don Isaac Abarbanel understood the miracle.

2. The Stopping of Time

Modern physics gives us another way of understanding this. We now know that time itself is relative. For example, sunlight takes about eight minutes to reach earth. If the sun were to suddenly vanish, we would still see it shining for eight minutes before noticing the change.

Einstein’s theory of relativity shows that time is linked to speed and light. An astronaut traveling close to the speed of light for a few days would return to earth decades later!

God, who controls both time and light, could simply slow down the passage of time on earth. This would make the sun appear to “stand still” for the soldiers in Giveon, while the rest of the universe continued as normal. Philosopher Rabbi Hasdai Crescas suggested something similar, that the sun’s movement slowed down (as the verse says, “and it did not hasten”), rather than stopping entirely.

3. The Creation of a Supernatural Light

Another view is that God created a special temporary light to shine over Giveon, illuminating the battlefield. The Talmud speaks of a unique light created during the six days of Creation, hidden away for the righteous. Perhaps here too God revealed a similar light to aid Israel’s victory.

4. A Vision or Localized Miracle

A more natural explanation — though less literal to the text, is that God created a vision of the sun standing still, visible only to the soldiers fighting in Giveon. The Radak and Maharal suggest that for those in that location, the sun appeared not to move, while for others in different regions the sun continued normally. This dual perception itself is an even greater miracle.

While commentators debate how the miracle happened within the framework of nature, they all agree that the event was witnessed by all the people present. If you or I had been in Giveon at that time, we would have seen the sun stand still in the sky with our own eyes.

This is the essence of a true miracle: it is public, undeniable, and it changes the course of history.