Bible Strands
Genesis 1:7
So God made the expanse and separated the waters beneath it from the waters above. And it was so.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God acts on the second day of creation to execute the command given in Genesis 1:6, partitioning the waters to establish cosmic order.
The words — וַ/יַּ֣עַשׂ (va/i.Ya.'as) means "and he made," and וַ/יַּבְדֵּ֗ל (va/i.yav.Del) means "and he separated."
The thread — The text's division of waters recurs in Psalms 148:4 and Proverbs 8:28, while Matthew 8:27 shows Christ's authority over the same created waters.
Why it lands — The verse records God's direct action to separate waters, requiring the reader to acknowledge divine sovereignty as the sole cause of cosmic structure.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
Cross-references
- Psalms 148:4 Praise Him, O highest heavens, and you waters above the skies.
- Proverbs 8:28 when He established the clouds above, when the fountains of the deep gushed forth,
- Matthew 8:27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”
- Job 38:8 Who enclosed the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb,
- Genesis 1:9 And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear.” And it was so.
- Job 26:8 He wraps up the waters in His clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their own weight.
- Genesis 1:15 And let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.” And it was so.
- Genesis 1:24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, land crawlers, and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so.
- Genesis 1:11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each bearing fruit with seed according to its kind.” And it was so.
- Ecclesiastes 11:3 If the clouds are full, they will pour out rain upon the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.