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The Second Day
…5God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.6And Godsaid,“Let there bean expansebetweenthe waters,toseparatethe watersfrom the waters.”7So God made the expanse and separated the waters beneath it from the waters above. And it was so.…

Treasury of Scripture

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

Let there.

Genesis 1:14,20
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: …

Genesis 7:11,12
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened…

Job 26:7,8,13
He stretcheth out the north over the empty place,and hangeth the earth upon nothing…

firmament.

ArchDivideDivisionExpanseFirmamentMiddleMidstPartingSeparateSeparatingSolidStretchingWaterWatersArchDivideDivisionExpanseFirmamentMiddleMidstPartingSeparateSeparatingSolidStretchingWaterWaters1.God creates heaven and earth;
3.the light;
6.the firmament;
9.separates the dry land;
14.forms the sun, moon, and stars;
20.fishes and fowls;
24.cattle, wild beasts, and creeping things;
26.creates man in his own image, blesses him;
29.grants the fruits of the earth for food.

And God said,
This phrase emphasizes the power and authority of God's word in creation. The act of speaking creation into existence highlights the divine nature of God, who creates effortlessly. This is consistent with other biblical passages, such asPsalm 33:6, which states, "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made." The concept of God's word as a creative force is foundational in Christian theology, as seen inJohn 1:1-3, where Jesus is identified as the Word through whom all things were made.

“Let there be an expanse
The term "expanse" refers to the sky or firmament, a concept understood in ancient Near Eastern cosmology as a solid dome that separates the heavens from the earth. This reflects the worldview of the time, where the sky was seen as a physical structure. Theologically, the expanse signifies order and structure in creation, separating different realms and preparing the earth for habitation.

between the waters,
In the ancient Near Eastern context, water often symbolized chaos and disorder. By creating an expanse between the waters, God is depicted as bringing order to chaos, a theme that resonates throughout the Bible. This separation is a precursor to the further ordering of creation, as seen in the subsequent days. The imagery of God controlling the waters is echoed in passages likePsalm 104:6-9, where God sets boundaries for the seas.

to separate the waters from the waters.”
This separation of waters above and below the expanse is a key element in the biblical creation narrative, emphasizing God's sovereignty over the natural world. The "waters above" are often associated with the source of rain, essential for life and agriculture, while the "waters below" refer to seas and oceans. This act of separation is mirrored in the parting of the Red Sea inExodus 14, where God again demonstrates His power over the waters, providing a typological foreshadowing of salvation through Jesus Christ, who calms the storm inMark 4:39, showing His authority over creation.

1.God
The Creator, who speaks creation into existence. His authority and power are evident as He commands the formation of the expanse.

2.The Expanse
Also known as the "firmament," this is the space created by God to separate the waters above from the waters below. In Hebrew, the word used is (raqia), which implies something spread out or stretched.

3.Waters
Refers to the primordial waters that existed before the creation of the expanse. These waters are divided by the expanse into those above and those below.God's Sovereignty in Creation
God’s command inGenesis 1:6 demonstrates His absolute authority over creation. He speaks, and it is done, showing His power and control over the universe.

Order and Structure in Creation
The separation of waters by the expanse illustrates God’s intention for order and structure in the world. This reflects His nature as a God of order, not chaos.

The Purpose of Creation
The creation of the expanse serves a specific purpose in God’s design, reminding us that everything God creates has a purpose and place in His plan.

Faith in God's Word
Just as God’s word brought about the expanse, believers are called to trust in the power and reliability of God’s word in their lives.

Reflection of God's Glory
The expanse, as part of the heavens, reflects God’s glory and majesty. Believers are encouraged to see creation as a testament to God’s greatness and to worship Him accordingly.1.What is the meaning of Genesis 1:6?

2.How does Genesis 1:6 demonstrate God's authority over creation's structure?

3.What is the significance of the "expanse" separating "waters from waters"?

4.How does Genesis 1:6 connect to God's orderliness in other scriptures?

5.How can we apply the concept of divine order in our daily lives?

6.What does Genesis 1:6 teach about God's intentionality in creation?

7.How does Genesis 1:6 align with modern scientific understanding of the universe's formation?

8.What is the significance of the "expanse" mentioned in Genesis 1:6?

9.How do we interpret the separation of waters in Genesis 1:6?

10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Genesis 1?

11.What did God create on day two?

12.What does "firmament" mean in the Bible?

13.What is the Canopy Theory?

14.Why does Genesis describe a "firmament" (a solid dome) over the Earth, which contradicts modern astronomy?And God said

- The creation account opens this stage with God’s spoken command, emphasizing that His word alone initiates reality (Psalm 33:6;Hebrews 11:3).

- No contest or struggle—simply divine authority bringing order and form.

- Each successive “God said” inGenesis 1 reinforces a pattern: God speaks, creation responds, and goodness is declared, underscoring His personal involvement and sustaining power (Colossians 1:16-17).

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Let there be an expanse

- “Expanse” (firmament or sky) marks the establishment of a defined space where life can later flourish (Genesis 1:7-8).

- This act showcases both God’s creativity and care, crafting an environment that displays His glory (Psalm 19:1) and invites human awe (Isaiah 40:22).

- By speaking the expanse into existence, God demonstrates that even the vast heavens are under His deliberate design, not chaotic or self-originating.

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Between the waters

- Scripture portrays two distinct bodies of water at this point:

• Waters below—the proto-oceans that will later receive land boundaries (Job 38:9-11).

• Waters above—a canopy or storehouse remembered in praise (Psalm 148:4) and recalled poetically in creation hymns (Proverbs 8:27-28).

- The placement “between” highlights God’s meticulous structuring, ensuring stability and balance long before humanity arrives to observe it.

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To separate the waters from the waters

- Separation brings order, a theme repeated as God later divides light from darkness and land from sea (Genesis 1:4, 9).

- Boundaries safeguard creation: oceans will not transgress their limits without God’s permission (Jeremiah 5:22).

- The later Flood narrative confirms that these waters remain under divine restraint; when God releases the “floodgates of the heavens,” the ordered barrier is temporarily reversed (Genesis 7:11;2 Peter 3:5).

- Every sunrise under a cloud-filled sky testifies that the expanse still functions as God designed—an enduring reminder of His covenant faithfulness.

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summary

Genesis 1:6 depicts God’s sovereign command forming the sky as a purposeful divider of waters, transforming primordial chaos into a life-supporting, orderly world. His spoken word establishes the heavens, fixes boundaries, and readies creation for all that follows—an ongoing witness to His power, wisdom, and unwavering authority over everything He has made.

(6)A firmament.--This is the Latin translation of the Greek word used by the translators of the Septuagint Version. Undoubtedly it means something solid; and such was the idea of the Greeks, and probably also of the Hebrews. As such it appears in the poetry of the Bible, where it is described as a mighty vault of molten glass (Job 37:18), upheld by the mountains as pillars (Job 26:11;2Samuel 22:8), and having doors and lattices through which the Deity pours forth abundance (Genesis 7:11;Psalm 78:23). Even in this "Hymn of Creation" we have poetry, but not expressed in vivid metaphors, but in sober and thoughtful language. Here, therefore, the word rendered "firmament" means anexpanse.If, as geologists tell us, the earth at this stage was an incandescent mass, this expanse would be the ring of equilibrium, where the heat supplied from below was exactly equal to that given off by radiation into the cold ether above. And gradually this would sink lower and lower, until finally it reached the surface of the earth; and at this point the work of the second day would be complete.

Verse 6. -Daytwo. 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, fromrakah, to beat out; LXX.,στερέωμα; Vulgate,firmamentum)in themidst 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 on the water-flood which surrounds the earth (Proverbs 8:27), firm as a molten looking-glass (Job 37:18), borne by the highest mountains, which are therefore called the pillars and foundations of heaven (2 Samuel 22:8), and having doors and windows (Genesis 7:11;Genesis 28:17;Psalm 78:23), is to confound poetical metaphor with literal prose, optical and phenomenal language with strict scientific statement. The Vulgate and English translations ofrakiya may convey the idea of solidity, though it is doubtful ifστερέωμα (LXX.) does not signify that whichmakes firm as well as that which is made firm (McCaul, Wordsworth, W. Lewis), thus referring to the well-known scientific fact that the atmosphere by its weight upon the waters of the sea keeps them down, and by its pressure against our bodies keeps them up; but it is certain that notsolidity, butexpansiveness,is the idea represented byrakiya (cf. Scottish, tax, to stretch;Job 37:18;Psalm 104:2;Isaiah 40:22).

"The firmament, expanse of liquid, pure,
Transparent, elemental air, diffused
In circuit to the uttermost convex Of this great round."

(Milton, 'Par. Lost,' Bk. 7.)And let it divide the waters from the waters. What these waters were, which were designed to be parted by the atmospheric firmament, is explained in the verse which follows.

Parallel Commentaries ...

And God
אֱלֹהִ֔ים(’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430:gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

said,
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר(way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559:To utter, say

“Let there be
יְהִ֥י(yə·hî)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961:To fall out, come to pass, become, be

an expanse
רָקִ֖יעַ(rā·qî·a‘)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7549:An expanse, the firmament, visible arch of the sky

between
בְּת֣וֹךְ(bə·ṯō·wḵ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8432:A bisection, the centre

the waters,
הַמָּ֑יִם(ham·mā·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325:Water, juice, urine, semen

to
וִיהִ֣י(wî·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961:To fall out, come to pass, become, be

separate
מַבְדִּ֔יל(maḇ·dîl)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 914:To be divided, separate

the waters
מַ֖יִם(ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325:Water, juice, urine, semen

from the waters.”
לָמָֽיִם׃(lā·mā·yim)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325:Water, juice, urine, semen


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OT Law: Genesis 1:6 God said Let there be an expanse (Gen. Ge Gn)