Genesis 1:6-9

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 1:6-8

We have here an account of the second day's work, the creation of the firmament, in which observe, 1. The command of God concerning it: Let there be a firmament, an expansion, so the Hebrew word signifies, like a sheet spread, or a curtain drawn out. This includes all that is visible above the earth, between it and the third heavens: the air, its higher, middle, and lower, regions?the celestial globe, and all the spheres and orbs of light above: it reaches as high as the place where the stars... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 1:9-13

The third day's work is related in these verses?the forming of the sea and the dry land, and the making of the earth fruitful. Hitherto the power of the Creator had been exerted and employed about the upper part of the visible word; the light of heaven was kindled, and the firmament of heaven fixed: but now he descends to this lower world, the earth, which was designed for the children of men, designed both for their habitation and for their maintenance; and here we have an account of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 1:6

And God said, let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters ,.... On which the Spirit of God was sitting and moving, Genesis 1:2 part of which were formed into clouds, and drawn up into heaven by the force of the body of fire and light already produced; and the other part left on the earth, not yet gathered into one place, as afterwards: between these God ordered a "firmament to be", or an "expanse" F22 רקיע "expansio", Montanus. Tigurine version; "extensio", Munster, Fagius,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 1:7

And God made the firmament ,.... By a word speaking, commanding it into being, producing it out of the chaos, and spreading it in that vast space between the heaven of heavens and our earth F26 ------and God made The firmament, expanse of liquid, pure, Transparent, elemental air, diffused In circuit to the uttermost convex Of this great round.------ Milton, Paradise Lost, B. 7. l. 263, &c.; , And divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 1:8

And God called the firmament heaven ,.... Including the starry and airy heavens: it has its name from its height in the Arabic language, it being above the earth, and reaching to the third heaven; though others take the word "shamaim" to be a compound of two words, "sham" and "maim", that is, there are waters, namely, in the clouds of heaven: and the evening; and the morning were the second day ; these together made up the space of twenty four hours, which was another natural day; the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 1:9

And God said, let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place ,.... Which are before called the waters under the firmament; and which were either on the surface of the earth, or in the bowels of it, or mixed with it, which by the compressure of the expanse or air were separated from it and these, by apertures and channels made, were caused to flow as by a straight line, as the word F5 יקוו "congregentur tanquam ad amussim et regulam", Fagius; "recto et equabili... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 1:6

And God said, Let there be a firmament - Our translators, by following the firmamentum of the Vulgate, which is a translation of the στερεωμα of the Septuagint, have deprived this passage of all sense and meaning. The Hebrew word רקיע rakia , from רקע raka , to spread out as the curtains of a tent or pavilion, simply signifies an expanse or space, and consequently that circumambient space or expansion separating the clouds, which are in the higher regions of it, from the seas,... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 1:6

Verse 6 6Let there be a firmament (58) The work of the second day is to provide an empty space around the circumference of the earth, that heaven and earth may not be mixed together. For since the proverb, ‘to mingle heaven and earth,’ denotes the extreme of disorder, this distinction ought to be regarded as of great importance. Moreover, the word רקיע (rakia) comprehends not only the whole region of the air, but whatever is open above us: as the word heaven is sometimes understood by the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 1:9

Verse 9 9.Let the waters... be gathered together This also is an illustrious miracle, that the waters by their departure have given a dwelling-place to men. For even philosophers allow that the natural position of the waters was to cover the whole earth, as Moses declares they did in the beginning; first, because being an element, it must be circular, and because this element is heavier than the air, and lighter than the earth, it ought cover the latter in its whole circumference. (64) But that... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 1:6

Day two . The work of this day consisted in the formation of that immense gaseous ocean, called the atmosphere, by which the earth is encircled. And God said, Let there be a firmament ( rakiya , an expand, from rakah , to beat out; LXX ; στερε ì ωμα ; Vulgate, firmamentum ) in the midst of the waters . To affirm with Knobel, Gesenius, and others that the Hebrews supposed the atmospheric heavens to be a metallic substance ( Exodus 24:10 ), a vault fixed... read more

Group of Brands