So God made the expanse and separated the waters beneath it from the waters above. And it was so.
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. (f) As the sea and rivers, from those waters that are in the clouds, which are upheld by God's power, least they should overwhelm the world.
The atmosphere draws up the lighter waters from the earth's surface and suspends them in the visible heavens while the heavier mass remains below. By this single creative act, air stands in the midst of the waters and separates them, fulfilling the only use Scripture mentions.
AI summary
Commenting on Genesis 1:6-8
The firmament stretches out as a wall of separation through the chaotic waters, dividing upper from lower. Those above are not ethereal waters beyond the atmosphere but the waters that gather in clouds and pour down as rain when the windows of heaven open.
AI summary
Commenting on Genesis 1:6-8