The Astronomy of the Bible

esents a difficulty as to the precise meaning of t

nd God made the rāqiā', and divided the waters which were under the rāqiā' from the waters which were above the

the atmosphere that is alluded to. But later on in the chapter the word is used in a sl

ation where our atmosphere ends, and the outer void begins. Both therefore are equally spoken of as "the firmament"; and yet there is a difference between the two. The lower supports the clouds; in the upper are set the two great lights and the st

sky, which we can consider as at any height above us that we please. The clouds are above it in one s

t there is a question as to the etymological meaning of the word, and associated wit

dsmith described by Isaiah as making an idol, "spreadeth it over with gold"; whilst Jeremiah says, "silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish." Again, in Psalm cxxxvi., in the account of creation we have the same word used with reference to the earth, "To him that stretched out the earth above the waters." In this and in many other passages the idea of extension is clearly that which the word is intended to convey. But the Seventy, in making the Greek Version of the Old Testament, were naturally influenced by the views of astronomical scienc

of the Scriptures were not supernaturally inspired to give correct technical scientific descriptions; and supposing they had been so inspired, we must bear in mind that we should often

ntific conception if there is any evidence that they held it. In this case,

en, shamayim means the "uplifted." In these two words, therefore, significant respectively of a s

the canopy of heaven." "The vault of heaven" is most used, it has indeed been recently adopted as the title of a scientific work by a well-known astronomer. But th

uld not have troubled them. It would have been sufficient for them, as for the writer to the Hebrews, to consider that God was "upholding all things by the word of His power," and they would not have troubled about the machinery. But besides this, there are many passages in Scripture, some occurring in the earliest book

s to foundations and pillars evidently intended merely as poetic imagery, but they are also used much more frequently of the earth, and yet at the same time Job expressly points out that God "stretcheth out the nor

ntries, the dwelling place of man and beast. The "pillars" or "foundations" of the earth in this sense are the great systems of the rocks, and these were conceived of as di

Hanna

of the earth

set the worl

resents the L

the inhabitants the

the pill

in a fuller form,-"that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in." The same expression of "stretching out the heavens" is rep

t or pavilion of Jehovah, Amos likens the height of the heavens as the steps up to His throne; the "stories" are the "ascent," as Moses speaks of the "ascent

ers, etc., from the waters that are above the firmament, i. e. the masses of water vapour carried by the atmosphere, seen in the cloud

, ye heaven

that be abov

e Song of the T

t be above the heave

h for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth." This is not merely a reference to the tides, for the Preacher in the book of Ecclesiastes expressly points out t

neth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring fo

d into seeds and fruits. But surely the image is as true as it is beautiful! The rain is absorbed by vegetation, and is transmuted into seeds and fruit, and it would go hard to say that the same particles

l not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which

e process of evapo

s great, and w

His years is

th up the dr

in rain fro

e skies

pon man ab

nces. In lxxvii. 17, "The clouds poured out water;" in cxlvii. 8, "Who covereth the heaven with clouds, Who prepareth rain for the earth." Proverbs xvi. 15, "His favour is as a cloud of the latter rain

Preacher clearly understood that "the waters above" were not pent in by solid barriers; that they were carried by the clouds; for "if the clouds be full of rain, they empty

ft up thy voic

e of waters m

er the cloud

r out the bott

ews thought of the "waters that be above the heavens" as contained in a literal cistern overhead. Still less is there reason to adopt Prof. Schiaparelli's strange deduction: "Considering the spherical and convex shape of the firmament, the upper waters could not remain above without a second wall to hold them in at the sides and the top.

way to the dwe

ess, where is th

est take it to t

st discern the paths

ed the treasuri

en the treasuri

erved against th

day of bat

y is the l

nd scattered u

a channel for t

he lightning o

e rain

begotten the

se womb ca

st of heaven, who

sage is worth quoting at some length, not merely as supplying a magnificent word picture of a storm, but as showing the free and courageous spirit of the Hebrew poet, a spirit more emancipated than can be found in any othe

ss I called u

ed unto

voice out of

fore Him came

rth shook a

s also of the

ken, because

a smoke out of

t of His mo

re kindl

heavens also,

rkness was u

pon a cherub,

ftly upon the wi

kness His h

ion round

ers, thick clou

before Him His t

s and coa

thundered in

High uttere

s and coa

His arrows, an

manifold, and d

nnels of wat

ons of the world

rebuke,

f the breath o

m on high,

out of ma

me from my

ated me, for they we

there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; He maketh lightnings for the rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasuries." Here we get a hint of a close

the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of Him Which is perfect in knowledge?" There is a deep mystery here, which science is far fro

utterly into splendour of morning, when the sun has shone on it but a few moments more? Those colossal pyramids, huge and firm, with outlines as of rocks, and strength to bear the beating of the high sun full on their fiery flanks-why are they so

too familiar even to our children to cause them any surprise, and every one knows how instantly a balloon, when in the air, rises up higher if a few pounds of

UTH KENSINGTON

NBRIDGE WELLS,

ouds, taken by Dr.

he balancing of t

ssion is less remarkable. The "spreading" is a thing manifest to all, but it required the mind both of a poet

objector to argue that this expression involves the idea of a literal stone built reservoir with its sluices. Those who have actually seen tropical rain in full violence will find the Scriptural phrase not merely appropri

aven," that in two out of the three connections in which it occurs, the expression is certainly

f barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered

ted the Jews after the

prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of

meant by the speaker to convey the idea of the sluice-

s in all the prophetic Scriptures. The Lord, by the mouth of Hosea, is mourning over the instability of His people. "O Ephraim, what

toward the four winds of heaven; as the empire of Alexander the Great was divided amongst his four generals. In Ezekiel's vision of the dry bones the prophet prays, "Come from the four winds,

clearly set forth by the Preac

unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and

h, the rising of the sun. The west is, as naturally, mebō hasshemesh, the going down of the sun; but as the Mediterranean Sea lay to the westward of Palestine "the sea" (yam) is frequently put instead of that point of the compass. With the east in front, the

of the earth," and in another passage the same form is applied to the ocean. "He set a compass (margin circle) upon the face of the depth." This circle is no doubt the circle of the visible horizon, within which ear

seem that, like many other nations of antiquity, they supposed that the ocean occupied the outer part

a boundary upon the

ines of light

e, upon the ocean. This ocean is considered as essentially one, exactly as by actual exploration we now know it t

masses of water we see upon the surface, form a water system, which may legitimately be termed a kind of ocean underground. From these subterranean waters our springs issue forth, and it is these waters we tap in our wells. Of the cedar in Lebanon Ezekiel spoke: "The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers (margin, conduits) unto all the trees of the field." The "deep," tehōm, applies therefore, not merely to the restless waters of

it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it." More probably the idea to be conveyed is merely that of the restrai

He established the clouds above: when He strengthened the fountains of the deep: when He gave to the sea Hi

TNO

in the Old Test

y in the Old Te

odern Painters,