Let There Be an Expanse – Genesis 1:6-8

The Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture describes Earth’s water cycle as a process that re-circulates Earth’s water through the stages of evaporation, condensation and collection. The water from lakes, oceans, rivers and other water bodies begins to evaporate; vapor from the water bodies condenses into clouds, later causing precipitation. As it rains, hails, sleets or snows, the water is collected back on Earth to start the cycle again.  Is this what Genesis 1 is describing?

6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. (Genesis 1:6–8, ESV)

The King James translation of Genesis 1 uses the word “firmament” instead of “expanse,” seeking to relate to the Hebrew word, raqia, which means something spread or hammered out.  But it is not at all conclusive that the Hebrews understood the expanse as a solid object holding waters back.  In fact, they seemed to understand that clouds were responsible for rain (Judges 5:4; Job 26:8; Psalm 147:8; and see Gleason Archer, paragraph 12).  Genesis simply says that the expanse separated water below from water above and does not describe exactly how it did this.

What form did this water above the expanse take?  Some have suggested that it formed a water canopy around the earth that was released to flood the earth:  “It is suggested that this canopy was responsible for several things such as keeping harmful radiation from penetrating the earth, increasing the surface atmospheric pressure of oxygen, keeping the globe at a consistent temperature for a more uniform climate around the globe, and providing one of the sources of water for the Flood” (Bodie).  But Psalm 148:4 says there was water above the expanse in the days of the psalmist.  And a water canopy would have actually made the earth too hot (a greenhouse effect).

In fact, the best process for keeping the earth temperate is the water cycle that we still see today.  The text does not say that God pronounced this process “good,” but it certainly is good and has served the flourishing of humankind and other creatures well.

Someone has noted, “In the Sumerian religion, the sky god Anu and the god of the atmosphere, Enlil established and deposed of kings in the Sumerian city–states. Whatever god ruled the skies, also had power over those who ruled the earth. The head of the Ugaritic pantheon was Baal, the “Rider of the Clouds.” He also is identified as the sky god – the god of storm and rain. The Babylonian myth Enuma Elish describes the creation of the sky as a product of the conflict between Marduk and Tiamat. Marduk defeated the sea monster Tiamat and then split her body into two halves, like the parts of a selfish. He took half of her body and set it up as the sky. He then locked it in place with a bar and posted guards to keep the water from escaping.”  But the expanse, the sky, is not a god, but rather a thing that God makes and names.  The sky is not something to be worshiped, but Yahweh is.