The miraculous suspension of the natural powers of the heavenly bodies, as recorded in the book of Joshua, shows that they are upheld, controlled, and directed in their operations, by a Being who is infinitely wise and powerful. To account for this miracle, and to ascertain the _manner_ in which it was wrought, has employed the pens of the ablest _divines_ and _astronomers_, especially of the last two centuries. For the elucidation of this important fact, I shall transcribe the view which Dr. Adam Clarke has given of it, which he considers to be strictly philosophical, consonant to the Pythagorean, Copernican, or Newtonian system, which is the system of the universe, laid down in the writings of Moses. He assumes, as a thoroughly demonstrated truth, that the sun is in the _centre_ of the system, moving only round his own axis, and the common centre of the gravity of the planetary system, while all the planets revolve round _him_; and that his influence is the cause of the _diurnal_ and _annual_ revolutions of the earth. “Joshua’s address is in a poetic form in the original, and makes the two following hemistichs: שמש בגבעין דום וירח בעמק אילון Shemesh, be-Gibêon dom: Vyareach, beèmek Aiyalon. Sun! upon Gibêon be dumb: And the moon on the vale of Aiyalon. “The effect of this command is related in the following words: וידם השמש וירח עמד _vayiddom ha_-SHEMESH _ve_-YAREACH _âmad; And the sun was dumb, or silent, and the moon stood still_. And it is added, _And the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day._ “I consider, that the word דום _dom_, refers to the _withholding_ or _restraining_ this influence, so that the cessation of the earth’s motion might immediately take place. The desire of Joshua was, that the sun might not sink below the horizon; but as _it_ appeared now to be over Gibeon, and the _moon_ to be over the valley of Ajalon, he prayed that they might continue in these positions till the battle should be ended; or, in other words, that the day should be miraculously lengthened out.[115]