And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
The waters naturally want to cover the whole earth, philosophers agree on this. That they gather into heaps and leave us dry ground to dwell on is no ordinary thing; it is the goodness of God restraining them by His command, else we would be drowned.
AI summary
God made channels and apertures, directing the waters by straight lines to the great hollow He had broken open for them, the ocean basin. By His rebuke, perhaps with thunder and earthquake, the solid earth was drained and hardened, appearing in sight.
AI summary
Whether by sinking, elevation, or both, the waters gathered and dry land appeared, the record does not say. What matters is that Earth and Sea now stand as the two constituents of the globe, separated and complete, with the great ocean surrounding the mainland on all sides.
AI summary
Commenting on Genesis 1:9-13