7549. raqia

Strong's Lexicon

raqia: Expanse, Firmament

Original Word: רָקִיעַ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: raqiya`
Pronunciation: rah-kee-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (raw-kee'-ah)
Definition: Expanse, Firmament
Meaning: an expanse, the firmament, visible arch of the sky

Word Origin: Derived from the root רָקַע (raqa), meaning "to spread out" or "to stretch."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - G4733 στερέωμα (stereoma) – often translated as "firmament" or "expanse" in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament.

Usage: The term "raqia" refers to the expanse or firmament that God created to separate the waters above from the waters below. It is often understood as the sky or the heavens, serving as a dome-like structure that encompasses the earth. In the biblical creation narrative, it is described as a significant part of the ordered cosmos, demonstrating God's sovereignty and creative power.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the ancient Near Eastern context, the concept of a firmament was common, often depicted as a solid dome or vault that held back cosmic waters. The biblical account in Genesis presents the raqia as part of God's intentional design, contrasting with other ancient myths by emphasizing a monotheistic creation by a sovereign God. The firmament was seen as a boundary between the divine and earthly realms, highlighting the order and structure of creation.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from raqa
Definition
an extended surface, expanse
NASB Translation
expanse (16), expanse of heaven (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

רָקִיעַ noun masculine^{Genesis 1:6} extended surface, (solid) expanse (as if beaten out; compare Job 37:18); — absolute ׳ר Ezekiel 1:22 +, construct ׳רְ Genesis 1:14 +; — ᵐ5 στερέωμα, ᵑ9 firmamentum, compare Syriac below √above; —

1 (flat) expanse (as if of ice, compare כְּעֵין הַקֶּרַח), as base, support (Wkl^{Altor. Forsch. iv. 347}) Ezekiel 1:22,23,25(gloss ? compare Co Toy), Ezekiel 1:26 (supporting ׳י's throne). Hence (Co^{Ezekiel 1:22})

2 the vault of heaven, or 'firmament,' regarded by Hebrews as solid, and supporting 'waters' above it, Genesis 1:6,7 (3 t. in verse); Genesis 1:8 (called שָׁמַיַם; all P), Psalm 19:2 ("" הַשָּׁמַיַם), ׳זֹהַר הָר Daniel 12:3; also ׳ר הַשָּׁמִיִם Genesis 1:14,15,17, ׳הַשּׁ ׳עַלמְּֿנֵי ר Genesis 1:20 (all P). **רְקִיעַ עֻזּוֺ Psalm 150:1 (suffix reference to ׳י).

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

firmament

From raqa'; properly, an expanse, i.e. The firmament or (apparently) visible arch of the sky -- firmament.

see HEBREW raqa'

Forms and Transliterations

בִּרְקִ֣יעַ בִּרְקִ֥יעַ ברקיע הָרָקִ֑יעַ הָרָקִ֔יעַ הָרָקִ֙יעַ֙ הָרָקִֽיעַ׃ הָרָקִיעַ֒ הרקיע הרקיע׃ לָֽרָקִ֖יעַ לָרָקִ֑יעַ לָרָקִ֔יעַ לָרָקִ֖יעַ לָרָקִ֙יעַ֙ לרקיע רְקִ֥יעַ רָקִ֔יעַ רָקִ֖יעַ רקיע bir·qî·a‘ birKia birqîa‘ hā·rā·qî·a‘ harakia hārāqîa‘ lā·rā·qî·a‘ laraKia lārāqîa‘ rā·qî·a‘ raKia rāqîa‘ rə·qî·a‘ reKia rəqîa‘

Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 1:6
HEB: אֱלֹהִ֔ים יְהִ֥י רָקִ֖יעַ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַמָּ֑יִם
NAS: said, Let there be an expanse in the midst
KJV: said, Let there be a firmament in the midst
INT: God Let there be an expanse the midst of the waters

Genesis 1:7
HEB: אֱלֹהִים֮ אֶת־ הָרָקִיעַ֒ וַיַּבְדֵּ֗ל בֵּ֤ין
NAS: made the expanse, and separated
KJV: made the firmament, and divided
INT: made God the expanse and separated among

Genesis 1:7
HEB: אֲשֶׁר֙ מִתַּ֣חַת לָרָקִ֔יעַ וּבֵ֣ין הַמַּ֔יִם
NAS: were below the expanse from the waters
KJV: [were] under the firmament from the waters
INT: which under the expanse from the waters

Genesis 1:7
HEB: אֲשֶׁ֖ר מֵעַ֣ל לָרָקִ֑יעַ וַֽיְהִי־ כֵֽן׃
NAS: were above the expanse; and it was so.
KJV: [were] above the firmament: and it was so.
INT: which above the expanse and it was so

Genesis 1:8
HEB: וַיִּקְרָ֧א אֱלֹהִ֛ים לָֽרָקִ֖יעַ שָׁמָ֑יִם וַֽיְהִי־
NAS: called the expanse heaven.
KJV: called the firmament Heaven.
INT: called God the expanse heaven and there was

Genesis 1:14
HEB: יְהִ֤י מְאֹרֹת֙ בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם לְהַבְדִּ֕יל
NAS: Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens
KJV: Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven
INT: become Let there be lights the expanse of the heavens to separate

Genesis 1:15
HEB: וְהָי֤וּ לִמְאוֹרֹת֙ בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם לְהָאִ֖יר
NAS: and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens
KJV: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven
INT: them be for lights the expanse of the heavens to give

Genesis 1:17
HEB: אֹתָ֛ם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם לְהָאִ֖יר
NAS: placed them in the expanse of the heavens
KJV: set them in the firmament of the heaven
INT: placed God the expanse of the heavens to give

Genesis 1:20
HEB: עַל־ פְּנֵ֖י רְקִ֥יעַ הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
NAS: in the open expanse of the heavens.
KJV: in the open firmament of heaven.
INT: above the open expanse of the heavens

Psalm 19:1
HEB: יָ֝דָ֗יו מַגִּ֥יד הָרָקִֽיעַ׃
NAS: of God; And their expanse is declaring
KJV: of God; and the firmament sheweth his
INT: of his hands is declaring and their expanse

Psalm 150:1
HEB: בְּקָדְשׁ֑וֹ הַֽ֝לְל֗וּהוּ בִּרְקִ֥יעַ עֻזּֽוֹ׃
NAS: Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
KJV: praise him in the firmament of his power.
INT: his sanctuary Praise expanse his mighty

Ezekiel 1:22
HEB: רָאשֵׁ֤י הַחַיָּה֙ רָקִ֔יעַ כְּעֵ֖ין הַקֶּ֣רַח
NAS: [there was] something like an expanse, like the awesome
KJV: And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads
INT: the heads creature an expanse gleam of crystal

Ezekiel 1:23
HEB: וְתַ֙חַת֙ הָרָקִ֔יעַ כַּנְפֵיהֶ֣ם יְשָׁר֔וֹת
NAS: Under the expanse their wings
KJV: And under the firmament [were] their wings
INT: Under the expanse their wings straight

Ezekiel 1:25
HEB: ק֕וֹל מֵעַ֕ל לָרָקִ֖יעַ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־
NAS: from above the expanse that was over
KJV: And there was a voice from the firmament that [was] over their heads,
INT: A voice above the expanse that was over

Ezekiel 1:26
HEB: וּמִמַּ֗עַל לָרָקִ֙יעַ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־
NAS: Now above the expanse that was over
KJV: And above the firmament that [was] over their heads
INT: and above the expanse that was over

Ezekiel 10:1
HEB: וְהִנֵּ֤ה אֶל־ הָרָקִ֙יעַ֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־
NAS: and behold, in the expanse that was over
KJV: Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head
INT: and behold in the expanse that was over

Daniel 12:3
HEB: יַזְהִ֖רוּ כְּזֹ֣הַר הָרָקִ֑יעַ וּמַצְדִּיקֵי֙ הָֽרַבִּ֔ים
NAS: like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead
KJV: as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many
INT: will shine the brightness of the expanse lead the many

17 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 7549
17 Occurrences

bir·qî·a‘ — 4 Occ.
hā·rā·qî·a‘ — 5 Occ.
lā·rā·qî·a‘ — 5 Occ.
rā·qî·a‘ — 2 Occ.
rə·qî·a‘ — 1 Occ.