Hebrew

Noun

רָקִיעַ • ‎(rakía) m ‎(plural indefinite רְקִיעִים, singular construct רְקִיעַ־) [pattern: קָטִיל]

1. Firmament, sky, heavens: the concave surface on which the heavenly bodies appear to move.
   • Genesis 1:14, with translation of the King James Version:

     […] יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הַיּוֹם וּבֵין הַלָּיְלָה […] ‎

     […] y'hí m'orót bir'qía` hashshamáyim l'havdíl bein hayyóm uvéin halláy'lah […]

     […] Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; […]

2. (mythology) Firmament: a surface separating the various levels of heaven.
   • Ezekiel 1:26, with translation of the King James Version:

     וּמִמַּעַל לָרָקִיעַ אֲשֶׁר עַל־רֹאשָׁם כְּמַרְאֵה אֶבֶן־סַפִּיר דְּמוּת כִּסֵּא […] ‎

     umimmá`al laraqía` 'ashér `al-roshám k'mar'é 'éven-sappír d'múth kissé' […]

     And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: […]