רְקִ֥יעַ

𐤓𐤒𐤉𐤏

reqia

the expanse

from רָקַע; properly, an expanse, i.e. the firmament or (apparently) visible arch of the sky; firmament.

H7549

Genesis 1:20 · Word #14

Lexicon H7549

Lemmaרָקִיעַ
Lemma (Paleo)𐤓𐤒𐤉𐤏
Transliterationrâqîyaʻ
Strong'sH7549
In-contextthe expanse

Morphology HNcmsc All morphology codes

Part of Speech N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea
Subtype c — Common — Common noun
Gender m — Masculine — Masculine
Number s — Singular — Singular
State c — Construct — The noun is bound to the following word

SIBI-P1 H7549-05

hammered-out expanse of

Rootרקע (r-q-ʿ)
Core Meaningsto beat out, hammer, spread out, flatten, overlay
Semantic Rangeexpanse, firmament, extended surface, beaten-out sheet (metaphorically the sky), dome-like spread
Conceptual SignificanceIn Genesis 1, the רָקִיעַ describes the structured expanse separating waters, portraying creation as ordered by divine craftsmanship. The root imagery of hammered metal conveys solidity and intentional forming, emphasizing YHWH’s active shaping of the cosmos.
Morphological NotesCommon masculine singular noun in construct state (HNcmsc). The construct form links it grammatically to a following genitive, hence "expanse of."
Rendering RationaleThe noun רָקִיעַ derives from the verb רקע, "to beat out" or "hammer thin," evoking metal spread by striking. Rendering it as "hammered-out expanse" preserves this imagery of something spread or stretched by force. The construct form (masculine singular construct) is reflected by the trailing "of," indicating it governs a following noun.

AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)

Words from Root רקע (to beat out, hammer, spread out, flatten, overlay)

SILEX Code Transliteration SIBI-P1
H7549-01 bireqia in the hammered-out expanse of
H7554-01 ereqaem I will hammer them out
H7549-02 haraqia the beaten-out expanse

Word Usage (17 occurrences of H7549)

Location Form Transliteration Meaning
Genesis 1:6 רָקִ֖יעַ raqia an expanse
Genesis 1:7 הָ/רָקִיעַ֒ haraqia the expanse
Genesis 1:7 לָ/רָקִ֔יעַ laraqia the expanse