King James Version

Genesis 1:6

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֱלֹהִ֔יםelohimGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.יְהִ֥יyehibeהָיָהverb, qal, jussive, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be”, a wish or indirect commandH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.רָקִ֖יעַraqiafirmamentרָקִיעַnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “firmament”, the ordinary formH7549properly, an expanse, i.e. the firmament or (apparently) visible arch of the skyfirmament.בְּת֣וֹךְbetokhein amongתָּוֶךְpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in among”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8432a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centreamong(-st), [idiom] between, half, [idiom] (there-, where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among), [idiom] out (of), [idiom] through, [idiom] with(-in).הַמָּ֑יִםhamayimthe waterמַיִםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the water”, the ordinary formH4325water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen[phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).וִיהִ֣יvihiand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be”, an unfinished actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.מַבְדִּ֔ילmavdildivideבָּדַלverb, hiphil, participle, absolute — “divide”, a verb used as a describing wordH914to divide (in variation senses literally or figuratively, separate, distinguish, differ, select, etc.)(make, put) difference, divide (asunder), (make) separate (self, -ation), sever (out), [idiom] utterly.בֵּ֥יןbeynbetweenבֵּיןpreposition — “between”H996between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction, either...oramong, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), [phrase] from (the widest), [idiom] in, out of, whether (it be...or), within.מַ֖יִםmayimwaterמַיִםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “water”, the ordinary formH4325water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen[phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).לָמָֽיִםlamayimto waterמַיִםpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “to water”, the ordinary formH4325water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen[phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And God said: 'Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

Young’s Literal Translation

And God saith, 'Let an expanse be in the midst of the waters, and let it be separating between waters and waters.'

World English Bible

God said, “Let there be an expanse in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”

Darby Translation

And God said, Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it be a division between waters and waters.

Douay-Rheims

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

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And God said: 'Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water, and let it be a division between water and water, and it was so.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς, γενηθήτω στερέωμα ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ ὕδατος· καὶ ἔστω διαχωρίζον ἀνὰ μέσον ὕδατος καὶ ὕδατος· καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτως.