Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, December 25th, 2024
Christmas Day
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Bible Dictionaries
Firmament

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Search for…
or
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Prev Entry
Firkin
Next Entry
First-Born
Resource Toolbox
Additional Links
From the Vulgate firmamentum, which is used as the translation of the Hebrew Raki'a . This word means simply "expansion." It denotes the space or expanse like an arch appearing immediately above us. They who rendered Raki'a By firmamentum regarded it as a solid body. The language of Scripture is not scientific but popular, and hence we read of the sun rising and setting, and also here the use of this particular word. It is plain that it was used to denote solidity as well as expansion. It formed a division between the waters above and the waters below ( Genesis 1:7 ). The Raki'a Supported the upper reservoir ( Psalm 148:4 ). It was the support also of the heavenly bodies (Genesis 1:14 ), and is spoken of as having "windows" and "doors" (Genesis 7:11; Isaiah 24:18; Malachi 3:10 ) through which the rain and snow might descend.

Bibliography Information
Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Firmament'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/​dictionaries/​eng/​ebd/​f/firmament.html. 1897.
 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile