Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Dave Humpal <ebedyah AT Elite.Net>]

Andrew wrote, <<it seems to me that the "expanse of the heavens" in 
Genesis 1 which was created on day 2, was in fact interstellar space.>>

I tend to agree with this statement.  It seems to me that the idea that 
some have of a brass-like firmament is only one way of looking at raqia. 
 This conception of the Hebrew view came from the LXX which translated 
raqia with the Greek stereoma, or stone vault.  But it seems that the 
process of pounding out metal could indicate stretching out just as 
easily.

This idea of the heavens being an expanse, or a stretching out, is 
repeated in Isaiah 40:22 where the author says that God stretches out the 
heavens like gauze, and Ezekiel 1:22 where it speaks of raqia as shining 
like transparent ice.  Not as clear is Psalm 150:1 which may refer to 
more of an outstretched expanse than a fixed point.

At any rate, to assume that the Hebrews saw the heavens as a vault is 
applying the second Century B.C.E. Greek cosmology used in the 
Septuagint, not earlier Hebrew meaning.

Dave Humpal ebedyah AT elite.net
First Christian Church (DOC), Merced, California
"Help for the Hurting Christian" Site with alphabetical index of topics
http://www.elite.net/~ebedyah/PastorsHomePage.htm
Church Site = http://www.elite.net/~ebedyah/FirstChristianHomePage.htm