רָקִיעַ raqiya (H7549) means to beat, pound, or hammer a metal, such as gold, into a flattened sheet (cf. Exodus 39:3; Numbers 16:39; Jeremiah 10:9). The Greek equivalent to this word is στερέωμα stereōma (G4733) which means, “to be firm, that which has been made firm, or that which furnishes a foundation” (cf. Colossians 2:5). As it relates to the heavens, στερέωμα stereōma always refers to the solid firmament, the arch of the sky, which had always been known to be solid.
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