CategorySymbol / Creation Term
Modern Equivalentsky expanse; heavens.
KJV Word TypeCreation term / cosmological symbol
DefinitionThe expanse or "vault" of the sky, separating the waters above from the waters below in Genesis 1.
Key Verses"And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." (Genesis 1:6); "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork." (Psalm 19:1)
KJV Usage NoteIn Genesis, “firmament” refers to the expanse God made; modern readers should not assume the word means a solid physical dome in every interpretive tradition.
Common MisunderstandingModern readers should not assume every use requires one physical model of the sky; the KJV term marks the created expanse in Genesis language.
EtymologyFrom Latin firmamentum ("support, vault").