Raquia is a key Hebrew word in Genesis 1:6–8a. It is translated “firmament” in the King James Version and “expanse” in most Hebrew dictionaries and modern translations. Raqa means to spread out, beat out, or hammer as one would a malleable metal. It can also mean “plate.” The Greek Septuagint translated raqia 16 out of 17 times with the Greek word stereoma, which means “a firm or solid structure.” The Latin Vulgate (A.D. 382) used the Latin term “firmamentum,” which also denotes solidness and firmness. The King James translators coined the word “firmament” because there was no single word
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