Gen 1:6-13 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Gen 1:6-8: 1:6-8 The creation account describes the appearance of things from a human perspective. The sky is viewed as a shiny dome that is a buffer between two collections of water (cp. Job 37:18 ; Ezek 1:22 ). In the ancient Near East, the cosmos was understood as a three-tier system, with rain originating from the outermost tier (see Gen 7:11-12 and study note).

bJob 37:18►

cEzek 1:22►

dGen 7:11-12►

e1:9-10►

g7:1-24►

‏ Genesis 1:6-13

Summary for Gen 1:6-8: 1:6-8 ^a The creation account describes the appearance of things from a human perspective. The sky is viewed as a shiny dome that is a buffer between two collections of water (cp. Job 37:18 ^b; Ezek 1:22 ^c). In the ancient Near East, the cosmos was understood as a three-tier system, with rain originating from the outermost tier (see Gen 7:11-12 ^d and study note).
Summary for Gen 1:9-10: 1:9-10 ^e Let the waters ... flow together: Other ancient cultures viewed the sea as a hostile force. Genesis shows God as further restraining chaos (see study note on 1:2) by prescribing specific boundaries for the sea. The flood—an act of God’s judgment (6:7 ^f)—undid these boundaries and returned the earth to chaos (7:1-24 ^g).