Bible Encyclopedias
Sky

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

skı̄ ( שׁחק , shaḥaḳ , "fine dust" or "cloud," apparently from the root שׁחק , shāḥaḳ , "to rub," "to pulverize"; Samaritan: שׁחקיּה , sheḥaḳayyāh instead of Hebrew שׁמים , shāmayim ; saḥḳ = "cloud," "small dust"):

The Revised Version (British and American) has "skies" for the King James Version "clouds" in Job 35:5; Job 36:28; Job 37:21; Psalm 36:5; Psalm 57:10; Psalm 68:34; Psalm 78:23; Psalm 108:4; Proverbs 3:20; Proverbs 8:28 , in which passages BDB supports the rendering of King James Version. In Psalm 89:6 , Psalm 89:37 Revised Version (British and American) has "sky" for King James Version "heaven." English Versions has "sky" in Deuteronomy 33:26; 2 Samuel 22:12; Job 37:18; Psalm 18:11; Psalm 77:1; Isaiah 45:8; Jeremiah 51:9 . The word occurs mainly in poetical passages.

In the New Testament οὐρανός , ouranós , is translated "heaven" (the King James Version "sky") in connection with the weather in Matthew 16:2 , Matthew 16:3; Luke 12:56 . In Hebrews 11:12 we find "the stars of heaven" ("the sky") as a figure of multitude. The conception, however, that the visible "sky" is but the dome-like floor of a higher world often makes it hard to tell whether "heaven" in certain passages may or may not be identified with the sky. See HEAVEN; COSMOGONY .