thinking bible.

You asked

how do other biblical authors describe the sky or heavens, and is it always a solid dome?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Genesis 1:6-8

God said, “Let there be an expanse in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse “Sky.” There was evening and there was morning, a second day.

This passage is from the creation account in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. It describes God's work on the second day of creation, establishing a division between the waters above and below, forming what is called the 'expanse' or 'sky'.

What does it mean to you that the Bible describes the sky as something 'made' and 'dividing'?

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Read alongside it

  • Job 37:18

    This verse describes the sky as 'strong, as a molten mirror,' suggesting a solid appearance.

  • Psalm 19:1

    This psalm speaks of the 'heavens declaring the glory of God' and the 'expanse showing his handiwork,' focusing on its revelatory function.

  • Isaiah 40:22

    This passage pictures God 'stretching out the heavens as a curtain, and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in,' emphasizing vastness and design rather than solidity.

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