What is the biblical meaning of 'firmament'?

Answer 1

The word "firmament" is found several times in the King James Version (or Authorized Version) of The Bible. This word is translated "sky" in the New International Version. To see how this word is translated in other versions (both English and non-English), you can go to this web site: www.bible.com.

Answer 2

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When Genesis chapter 1 talks of the firmament, it is a dome thought to have been placed just above the earth. It is close enough and physical enough to hold back the waters above. As the ancients did not realise that rain comes from water evaporated from the oceans, there must be a huge volume of water above the firmament. God actually placed the sun, moon and stars in this firmament, where they moved across the sky each day. Whereas, today, the sun is enormously larger and distant from the earth, and exists independent of our world, the Bible says God placed the sun in the firmament to rule over the day (Genesis 1:18). The light of day had already been created and did not need the sun to exist.