Raqi'ah , "the expanse stretched out as a curtain" over the earth (Isaiah 40:22; Psalms 104:2), resting on the mountains as its pillars (the language is phenomenal, as indeed necessarily is that of even men of science often): Job 26:11. It was the reservoir of rain and snow, which poured through its opened "windows" or "doors" (Genesis 7:11; Isaiah 24:18; Psalms 78:23). It includes the atmosphere immediately round the earth, in which the birds fly, and which bears up the clouds (Genesis 1:6-7; Genesis 1:20; in Genesis 1:14 it also comprises the region in which the sun, moon, and stars are seen).
"Firmament" (from the Vulgate: firmamentum; Septuagint: stereooma ) is derived from firmness; but the Hebrew expresses no such notion, as if Moses thought the sky a hard firm vault, in which the heavenly bodies were fixed. The sky in Job 37:18 is termed "strong, as a molten looking glass," namely, a polished copper mirror. But it is not the solidity, but the transparent clearness and the smiling brightness, which is the point of comparison. Otherwise, how could birds fly in a solid? The language is figurative and phenomenal. In Ezekiel 1:26 the throne is seen above the "firmament," therefore the firmament must be transparent.
From the co-author of the classic Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary, Fausset's Bible Dictionary stands as one of the best single-volume Bible encyclopedias ever written for general use. The author's writing style is always clear and concise, and he tackles issues important to the average student of the Bible, not just the Biblical scholars. This makes Fausset an excellent tool for both everyday Bible study and in-depth lesson or sermon preparation.Wikipedia
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