Author	: Bill Kochman
Publish	: Nov. 1, 2025
Update	: Nov. 1, 2025
Parts	: 01

Synopsis:




As I point out in my 2023 two-part article entitled "Other Planets and the Flat Earth Theory", the primary reason why the ancient Greeks referred to the five known planets of their day as "wandering stars" -- the phrase which is also used in Jude 1:13 in the KJV Bible -- is because while real stars were semi-stationary in the night skies -- for lack of a more appropriate word -- and followed a regular course throughout the various seasons of the year, the planetary bodies were bold wanderers which in fact wandered night after night amongst all of the stars. In short, they stood out. They were different from stars, and the ancient Greeks apparently realized this. So instead of just referring to them as "stars", they chose to call them "wandering stars".

According to my online research, the ancients -- such as the Greeks, Romans, Jews (including Josephus) and other cultures -- all recognized the Sun, Mercury, Venus, the Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. However, the more distant planets -- that is to say Uranus, Neptune and Pluto -- were apparently beyond their capabilities to recognize and observe as planets. Today, however, it is a very different story. With our very amazing and modern technology, humanity is discovering and observing new things all the time. Of course, the most interesting and exciting part of it all, is the quest to find other planets which can actually support -- and which perhaps even have -- some form of life, particularly intelligent life. This is an issue which I amply discuss in my series called "Alien Life, Extrasolar Planets and Universal Atonement".

But the biggest hint that those ancient Greek astronomers really did call those wandering astronomical bodies by the name of "planets" -- contrary to what certain misguided Christians and Flat Earth adherents are willing to accept -- is found in the actual two Koine Greek words from which the English phrase "wandering stars" is derived. And what are those two words? That two-word phrase just so happens to be "planetes aster". This is in fact the very same Koine Greek phrase which is found in Jude 1:13, as Thayer's Greek English Lexicon quickly reveals. Consider the verse:

"Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever."


Following is exactly what Thayer's Greek English Lexicon has to say regarding these two words, "planetes" and "aster":

----- Begin Quote -----

‭4107 ‭πλανήτης‭ planetes ‭plan-ay’-tace‭ or ‭πλάνης‭ planes plan’-ace‭

from ‭4108‭; n m; TDNT-6:228,857; ‭ ‭{See TDNT 635}‭

‭‭AV-wandering 1; 1‭

1) a wanderer: wandering stars‭

792 ‭ἀστήρ‭ aster ‭as-tare’

probably from the base of ‭4766‭; n m; TDNT-1:503,86; ‭ {See TDNT 109}‭

AV-star 24; 24‭ ‭ ‭‭1) a star‭

----- End Quote -----

So as you can plainly see, the ancient Greek astronomers really did call those heavenly bodies "planets" -- meaning wanderers -- and that is also why we continue to call them planets today. In fact, being as Greek was widely spoken during the First Century, including in occupied Israel, it should come as no surprise to us that the Apostle Jude was obviously familiar with this same two-word phrase as well. Incidentally, in some English Bibles -- including in the King James Bible -- in the Old Testament Book of 2 Kings, the word "planets" is also used one time, as we see here:

"And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, TO THE SUN, AND TO THE MOON, AND TO THE PLANETS, AND TO ALL THE HOST OF HEAVEN."


In the above verse, the word "planets" is derived from the Hebrew word "mazzalah". Please note that there are other versions of the Bible which also render the Hebrew words "mazzalah" and "mazzarah" as "constellations", or even as "zodiac", instead of as "planets". On the other hand, in the following two verses which are found in the Book of Job, the ancient Hebrew word "mazzarah" is given a more direct translation as "Mazzaroth", as we see here:

"Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?"


However, personally, I believe that the "planets" rendition in the King James Bible, and in a number of other Bibles, is the correct one to use. Why do I say this? Well, because it is an established historical fact that the ancients -- from the Egyptians, to the Assyrians, to the Babylonians, to the Medes and Persians, to the Greeks, to the Romans, including the terribly apostate, backslidden Israelites -- did in fact unwisely worship the five known planets of their day as gods.

Furthermore, the ancients' worship of the Sun, Moon, planets and stars is an issue which I discuss in considerable depth in my seven-part series called "The Fruits of Disobedience", which you will find listed at the end of this same article. As I explain there, King Solomon himself became so apostate and backslidden, that God eventually ripped ten tribes from the Kingdom of David as his punishment. Consider this group of Bible verses:

"But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen."


"But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, THE STAR OF YOUR GOD, which ye made to yourselves. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts."


"Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and THE STAR OF YOUR GOD REMPHAN, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon."


So there you have it, my friends; Scriptural proof that the planets were known, recognized and worshipped in the Bible during ancient times. While some foolish people -- meaning both deceived Christians and Flat Earth supporters -- deny the fact that planets are indeed mentioned in the pages of the Bible, or that other planets even exist at all -- yes, some Christians do deny it too! -- there is the solid proof for your personal consideration. Do with it as you will.

With these thoughts, I will bring this article to a close. It is my hope that you've found it informative and enlightening, and I pray that it has been a blessing in your life as well. If you have an account with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or with any other social network, I would really appreciate if you'd take the time to click or tap on the corresponding link that is found on this page. Thanks so much, and may God bless you abundantly!

For additional information and further study, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were either mentioned in this article, or which contain topics which are related to this article. All of these articles are likewise located on the Bill's Bible Basics web server. To read these articles, simply click or tap on any link you see below.

Admiral Richard E. Byrd and the Hollow Earth Theory
Alien Intervention, Raelians, Pyramids and Nazca Geoglyphs
Alien Life, Extrasolar Planets And Universal Atonement
An Imaginary Ice Wall, or Rock, Sand and Gravity?
Apophis: Will It Hit the Earth?
Billy Meier and the Pleiadian UFO Encounter
Comet Elenin, Hercolubus, Nibiru, and Planet X
Comet Hale-Bopp, Chernobyl and Deathstar Wormwood
Flat Earth Theory vs. James Van Allen
Flat Earth Theory: Another Refutation
Heaven's Gate, Suicide and Other Death Cults
Heaven's Gate: A Subliminal Message Concealed in Their Logo?
Nature of the Alien: ETs, Demons or a Government Plot?
Other Planets and the Flat Earth Theory
Our Expanding Universe: Einstein, Hubble, Dark Energy and God
The Case for or Against Flat Earth Adherents
The Fruits of Disobedience
The Nibiru, Planet X, Wormwood Controversy
Under the Cloud: UFOs and the Holy Bible

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Please avail yourself of other areas of the Bill's Bible Basics website. There are many treasures for you to discover.