King James Bible
"And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."
God speaks creation into existence through divine command, establishing the expanse (Hebrew 'raqia') between waters. The firmament refers to the sky or heavenly dome, demonstrating God's sovereign power to create cosmic order through speech alone. The primordial waters represent the chaotic, formless state before creation's ordering. God positions the firmament centrally within these waters, beginning the process of separating and organizing the raw materials of creation. The firmament functions as a boundary, separating waters above (later source of rain) from waters below (seas and underground sources). This division reflects ancient Near Eastern cosmology while emphasizing God's methodical structuring of a habitable world.