Firmament

The firmament is the Bible's word for the sky or the space above the earth. The original Hebrew word means something that is spread out or stretched over the earth. The ancient Hebrews likely understood the firmament as the open sky, where the clouds, the sun, and the moon are found.

On the second day of creation, God made the firmament above the earth. It separated the waters below from the waters above. God called the firmament “heaven” (Genesis 1:6–8). On the fourth day, God placed lights in the firmament. These lights marked day and night, seasons, days, and years. The greater light, the sun, ruled the day. The lesser light, the moon, ruled the night (verses 14–19). The firmament also contained the stars.

The Psalms use the word “firmament” twice. In both places, it refers to what God has made (Psalms 19:1; 150:1). In the books of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:22–26; 10:1) and Daniel (Daniel 12:3), the firmament is always related to God's creation.