Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Bill Ross" <BillRoss AT norisksoftware.com>]

<John>
>>How is the expression "circle of the earth" to be viewed based on the
the original Hebrew word "chuwg" as found at Isaiah 40:22

<Bill>
First, a general comment. I find the 2 volume Thelogical Dictionary of
OT, Moody Press, a handy text for this kind of research. Others can
probably recommend others.

A second general comment: Any time you see the word "earth" you have to
realize that it is ERETZ, which does double duty as meaning "earth" or
"land." As "land" it also does double duty as either "the dry land" or
"the land of Palestine."

If memory serves (big if) the word came into being from the concrete
image of a pile of dirt - which of course, tends to make a circle.

So, with that background, you might want to read it in different ways.
Perhapss as envisioning a geography of a tektonic plates approximating a
circle, floating on the waters...

Bill Ross
BillRoss AT norisksoftware.com