The first line of Isaiah 40:22 reads, “It is he [i.e. God] who sits above the circle of the earth.” Some have argued from this that Scripture teaches the earth to be a flat disc, rather than a globe. However, even if the original Hebrew is correctly understood to refer to a circle, this doesn’t necessarily indicate something flat; a sphere appears as a circle when seen from above—and indeed from whatever direction it is viewed. Moreover, there is good reason to believe that the word translated ‘circle’ might be better translated ‘sphere’.
The Hebrew word in question is khûg (חוּג) which is also found in Job 22:14 where, in many Bible versions, it is translated ‘vault’. For example, the New American Standard Bible reads, “Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see; and He walks on the vault of heaven.” Clearly ‘vault’ carries the sense of something three-dimensional and is given as the primary meaning of khûg in the well-known Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon.1 In modern Hebrew, a sphere is denoted by khûg, along with kaddur, galgal, and mazzal.2 In Arabic (another Semitic language), kura means ball and is the word used in the Van Dyck-Boustani Arabic Bible (1865) to translate khûg in Isaiah 40:22.
A case can also be made from modern European terms denoting sphericity. Philologists have discovered a number of Indo-European words that appear to be related to Semitic words, whether of shared origin or having been borrowed in the distant past.3 While there is no specific evidence confirming a link in the case of the Hebrew word khûg, it may be significant that, in Indo-European languages, there are similar-sounding words that definitely refer to a spherical object, examples being kugel (Middle High German), kula (Polish), kugla (Serbo-Croatian) and gugā (their Proto-Indo-European root).4,5,6
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Various sixteenth century Latin Bibles indicate that medieval scholars understood khûg in Isaiah 40:22 to refer to the sphericity of the earth. For example, Santes Pagnino translated this sphaera, and Benedictus Arias Montanus and François Vatable globus. The seventeenth century Giovanni Diodati Bible also used globus and the eighteenth century Dutch Hebraist Campeius Vitringa used orbis.7 More recently, the Spanish Jerusalem Bible used ‘orb’ and the Italian Riveduta Bible ‘globo’.
Conclusion
While most modern Bible versions translate khûg as ‘circle’, a good case can be made that ‘sphere’ was the sense intended by the original Hebrew. Historically, scholars have often taken this view, preferring the Latin words sphaera, globus and orbis. The recent preference for ‘circle’ may have arisen from the belief that people living in Isaiah’s time were too primitive to realise the true nature of the earth. This would seem unlikely, however, as Job 26:7, probably written several centuries before, states that God “hangs the earth on nothing,” indicating that the ancient Hebrews had quite a sophisticated understanding of cosmology.
Everyone is in agreement thatkhûgcarries the sense of roundness, and common usage makes clear that this can refer to either a two or three dimensional geometry. Hence, it cannot be argued that Isaiah 40:22 clearly teaches the earth to be a disc. Moreover, even ifkhûgdoes refer to a circle here, this doesn’t necessarily indicate flatness as a globe appears as a circle from whatever direction it is viewed.
Brown, F. et al., Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon: With an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic, Hendrikson Publishers, USA, p. 295, reprinted January 1999 from the 1906 edition; biblehub.com/hebrew/2329.htm. Return to text.
Ben-Yehuda, E. and Ben-Yehuda, D, Hebrew Dictionary, Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster), USA, p. 252, 1961. Return to text.
Levin, S., Semitic and Indo-European: The Principal Etymologies, vol. 1, John Benjamins, USA, 1995. Return to text.
Buck, C.D., A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal Indo-European Languages, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, pp. 907–8, 1949. Return to text.
López-Menchero, F., Proto-Indo-European Etymological Dictionary, indo-european.info/indo-european-lexicon.pdf, 2012. Return to text.
Proto-Indo-European Etymological Dictionary, Asociación Cultural Dnghu; dnghu.org. Return to text.
John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible, footnote to Isaiah 40:22; biblestudytools.com. Return to text.
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Isaiah 40:22 and the shape of the earth. The first line of Isaiah 40:22 reads, “It is he [i.e. God] who sits above the circle of the earth.” Some have argued from this that Scripture teaches the earth to be a flat disc, rather than a globe.
Since the circle has no beginning and no end, many believe it represents God's love for us, which has no beginning and no end. In other words, God loves us through thick and thin, the good and the bad, regardless of what daily challenges we are struggling through.
(When Isaiah wrote this verse he used the Hebrew word "khug" to describe the shape of the earth. Although this word is commonly translated into the English word "circle," the literal meaning of this Hebrew word is "a sphere.".
Exosphere. Located between about 700 and 10,000 kilometers (440 and 6,200 miles) above Earth's surface, the exosphere is the highest layer of Earth's atmosphere and, at its top, merges with the solar wind.
This chapter treats of the comforts of God's people; of the forerunner and coming of the Messiah; of his work, and the dignity of his person; of the folly of making idols, and of the groundless complaints of the church of God.
Isaiah 40 is designed to take your focus away from everything else and consider the Sovereign Lord, the one true, living God. The chapter begins with a message of comfort and redemption from the Lord (verses 1-2). It points to the coming of Christ and good news (9-11).
The circle is a universal symbol with extensive meaning. It represents the notions of totality, wholeness, original perfection, the Self, the infinite, eternity, timelessness, all cyclic movement, God ('God is a circle whose centre is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere' (Hermes Trismegistus)).
halo, also called nimbus, in art, radiant circle or disk surrounding the head of a holy person, a representation of spiritual character through the symbolism of light.
The roundness of the crystal ball symbolically represents a sense of oneness, wholeness, completion, karma, and respect for cyclical energies. The smooth surface of the sphere facilitates clear communication and helps to keep the energy flow moving.
The spiritual sphere of a society is a system of relations between people, reflecting the spiritual and moral life of a society, represented by such subsystems as culture, science, religion, morality, ideology, and art.
A sphere is a three-dimensional object that is round in shape. The sphere is defined in three axes, i.e., x-axis, y-axis and z-axis. This is the main difference between circle and sphere. A sphere does not have any edges or vertices, like other 3D shapes.
These four subsystems are called "spheres." Specifically, they are the "lithosphere" (land), "hydrosphere" (water), "biosphere" (living things), and "atmosphere" (air).
No matter how good we are or how bad we are, God will remain good and gracious. He is by existence good, loving, righteous and gracious. He is not entitled to thank us or to beg us to run to Him. He does not need to do that because it is us who depend on Him, not Him who depend on us.
In praying “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven,” we ask God to save us from any unwillingness to learn God's will and embrace God's kingdom; to save us from choosing our own plans and desires; and to save us from trying to limit the scope of God's purposes.
“The Lord will fight for you…” The Bible gives us the clear message that God not only goes to battle on our behalf, but He conquers the enemy. Sometimes He performs visible miracles, like parting the Red Sea before the Hebrews, then bringing the water down to swallow up the Egyptian army.
The context of these words is the prophet speaking comfort to a people who have been displaced from their homes and exiled from the temple of the Lord. Isaiah had prophesied in Chapter 39 the future fall of Jerusalem at the hands of Babylon.
From these prophecies, students learned the following truths: Trusting in our own strength instead of trusting in God can lead us to commit sin and ultimately result in our own destruction. Jesus Christ holds the key of the house of David and the keys of salvation for all mankind.
The prophet Isaiah played an important role in God's plan; He foretold the Messiah's coming and brought hope to His people during a challenging time. This promise of hope is not only for the nation of Israel, but also for all of us.
Circles are often used in the design of athletic tracks, recreational parks, building plans, roundabouts, Ferris wheels, etc., due to their symmetrical properties.
In this case – it is about the “circle of life.” Circles have no beginning or end. If we start anywhere on a circle, and follow it around, we end up in loop coming back to where we started. The Lion King circle was about the big loop of life and death, and so it is with the circle of life in your pastures.
The circle of life symbolizes two opposites, life and death, so rationally it should be a neutral symbol. But humans assign meaning to symbols, and humans aren't always rational.
Borromean Rings This represents the symbol of the Trinity in Christianity. The Borromean Rings, a concept taken from mathematics, are three interlocking circles that signify the divine trinity. A Borromean Ring falls apart if any one of the rings is removed.
For Christ, a circle with a cross is used in order to denote the crucifixion. Living persons are granted square haloes (symbolic of the material world), whilst a disk or circle are used for a Saint (symbolising spiritual perfection).
When Jesus talked about God, to God, and as God, he was viewing God from the three perspectives from which every situation can be observed. We learned this in grade school as third person, second person, and first person.
Alpha and Omega: Represents God, the beginning and the end. Three interwoven circles: Represents the Trinity. A circle has no beginning or end, so it signifies the eternal nature of God. The interweaving of the three circles symbolizes the equality among God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
The spheres are the biosphere, the geosphere, the hydrosphere, and the atmosphere. Together they are responsible for creating and maintaining the climate, geological processes, and life on Earth.
It is a round object. A sphere has volume. Give a few common examples of spheres in real life. Marbles, balls, oranges, yarn, and bubbles are a few common examples of sphere shapes in real life.
Human sphere refers to the earth realm which comprises of human, its various products and environments of both artificial and natural characteristics in human use or under human impact. It is the core realm for the life support system of human on the earth. Human sphere in this sense covers much of the earth's surface.
A Circle is a two-dimensional figure whereas, a Sphere is a three-dimensional object. A circle has all points at the same distance from its centre along a plane, whereas in a sphere all the points are equidistant from the centre at any of the axes.
A circle is a two-dimensional figure, whereas a sphere is a three-dimensional figure. Circle refers to the closed curved line and sphere is a round object in space. Each point from the circle is of equal distance, but in the sphere, the distance varies.
Common things that have the shape of a sphere are basketballs, superballs, and playground balls. The Earth and the Sun are nearly spherical, meaning sphere-shaped. A sphere is the three-dimensional analog of a circle.
The day will come when God will “swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces” (25:8). Following Isaiah, John foresees the time when these prophecies will be realized. Expressions of sadness will disappear. That which causes mourning—death and pain—will be abolished.
It's the positioning of your heart to be open to His Word. It's taking the focus off of yourself and focusing on what really matters – God! Come to the cross with a clear conscience. Confess your sins to the Lord, give up whatever is burdening you, and be willing to leave it at the cross.
This chapter treats of the comforts of God's people; of the forerunner and coming of the Messiah; of his work, and the dignity of his person; of the folly of making idols, and of the groundless complaints of the church of God.
“Time” here deals with the quality of time, while the other primary word for time (chronos) refers to the quantity of time. “In due time” is in God's time. God will do this in his own good time. When we humble ourselves under his hand, he will engage his help for us in his timing.
Empathy, compassion, physical pain, attachment pain, and moral and sentimental emotions can trigger these tears. They communicate your emotions to others. Emotional tears make you feel more vulnerable, which could improve your relationships.
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
Our ability to express our emotions with tears is a gift, and God keeps track of each tear we cry. Psalm 56:8 says, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” (nlt).
- To be lifted up by God means that He steps in and changes our position or status. - Psalm 145:14 'The LORD upholds all who fall and LIFTS UP all who are bowed down. ' - People who feel discouraged are very important to the Lord.
Verse 26 is a good one to memorize if you want to have the love of Christ before you always. The Lord directs you to look at the stars above and consider that he knows them all by name. Christ, in John 10, says he is the Good Shepherd who calls his sheep by name. God formed the stars for your instruction.
Casting your burden upon the Lord does not mean giving him your health issue so He will heal it. It means trusting that He is all you need to be fully satisfied, and that He will do with your health whatever will bring you the most satisfaction, not necessarily in health, but in Him.
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