Genesis 1:7 (DRB)

Passage

And God made a firmament, and divided the waters that were under the firmament, from those that were above the firmament, and it was so.

Nearby Context

Genesis 1:5 And he called the light Day, and the darkness Night; and there was evening and morning one day.

Genesis 1:6 And God said: Let there be a firmament made amidst the waters: and let it divide the waters from the waters.

Genesis 1:7 And God made a firmament, and divided the waters that were under the firmament, from those that were above the firmament, and it was so.

Genesis 1:8 And God called the firmament, Heaven; and the evening and morning were the second day.

Genesis 1:9 God also said; Let the waters that are under the heaven, be gathered together into one place: and let the dry land appear. And it was so done.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "firmament", "divided", "waters", "under", and "above". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "firmament" and "divided", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "And God said Let there be a..." into verse 8's "And God called the firmament Heaven and...", so "firmament" and "divided" belong inside that flow. In Genesis context, the local focus is creation, human rebellion, covenant promise, and God's providence.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "firmament" and "divided" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.