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what did 'expanse' or 'firmament' mean to israelites looking at the sky?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

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, traditionally attributed to Moses. It describes the second day of creation, where God separates the primordial waters to form a 'sky' or 'firmament,' establishing a clear boundary within the chaotic waters.

What does this ancient understanding of the sky prompt in us about how we perceive the world around us?

Then — the setting

To ancient Israelites, as to other ancient Near Eastern cultures, the 'expanse' (Hebrew: *raqia'*) was understood not as empty space, but as a solid dome or vault. This was consistent with their observation of the sky and their understanding of how a physical structure could separate the 'waters above' (rain, snow, dew) from the 'waters below' (oceans, rivers). This firmament was imagined as a boundary holding back the celestial waters, with 'windows' or 'gates' through which rain could fall, explaining meteorological phenomena in a structured cosmos. This view differed from modern scientific understanding but was a coherent and functional model for its time, providing a sense of order and divine control over what might otherwise seem chaotic.

Across the Testaments

The Old Testament, particularly Genesis and poetic books like Psalms and Job, frequently refers to the heavens as a solid, created structure that declares God's glory and power. The New Testament, while not explicitly detailing the structure of the cosmos, builds on this foundational understanding of God as Creator. It emphasizes Jesus' role in creation (e.g., Colossians 1:16) and refers to 'new heavens and a new earth' (Revelation 21:1), suggesting a continuity of divine creative power but also a future transformation of the created order. While the physical model of the 'expanse' isn't re-asserted, the theological truth of a divinely ordered and purposeful creation remains central.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Psalm 19:1
This psalm speaks of the heavens declaring God's glory, reinforcing the idea of a created order that reveals the divine.
Job 37:18
Job questions God about the strength and solidity of the sky, reflecting a similar ancient understanding of the 'expanse'.
Isaiah 40:22
Isaiah describes God stretching out the heavens like a curtain, emphasizing divine power over the cosmos.

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