Looking at the Hebrew Text
One of the most debated questions surrounding the Bible today is the shape of the earth. Some readers claim that the Bible teaches a flat earth, while others argue that the text supports a spherical earth.
Instead of relying on later interpretations or translations, it is often best to return to the original Hebrew language of the text itself. By examining the words used in the Torah and the Hebrew Bible, we can see what the ancient text actually says — and what it does not say.
The Hebrew Word for “Ball”
The Hebrew word that literally means ball or sphere is:
כדור (kadur)
This word appears only once in the Hebrew Bible.
Isaiah 22:18
“He will surely wind you around and around and throw you like a ball into a large country.”
Here the word כדור is used metaphorically to describe something being thrown like a ball. However, the important point is this:
The Torah never uses the word כדור to describe the earth.
If the Hebrew text intended to explicitly describe the earth as a sphere, this would have been the most obvious word to use — but it is never applied to the earth itself.
The “Circle of the Earth”
Instead of the word כדור, another phrase appears in the Hebrew Bible:
חוּג הָאָרֶץ
This phrase is often translated:
“the circle of the earth.”
Isaiah 40:22
“It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers.”
The key word here is:
חוּג (chug)
This word can mean:
• circle
• circuit
• horizon
The term describes something circular, but it does not necessarily indicate a three-dimensional sphere. It may also refer to the visible horizon or a circular boundary.
The Firmament: רקיע
In the creation account in Genesis, another important word appears:
רקיע (raqia)
Genesis 1:6
“And God said, ‘Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters.’”
The root of the word רקע means:
“to spread out” or “to stretch.”
Many translations render רקיע as firmament or expanse. In Genesis, this expanse separates the waters above from the waters below.
Genesis then explains something important about this expanse:
Genesis 1:8
“And God called the expanse heavens.”
In Hebrew, the heavens are called:
שמים (Shamayim)
So the text describes an expanse placed within the heavens, rather than simply equating the heavens with the firmament itself.
The Earth Established and Not Moved
Several biblical passages describe the earth as firmly established.
Psalm 104:5
“He set the earth on its foundations so that it should not be moved.”
These verses emphasize the stability of the earth within creation. However, they are typically understood as poetic descriptions of the order God established in the world rather than technical statements about physics or astronomy.
The Deep: תהום (Tehom)
Genesis also describes the early state of the world using another Hebrew word:
תהום (Tehom)
Genesis 1:2
“Darkness was upon the face of the deep.”
The word Tehom refers to the deep waters, the primeval ocean that existed before the ordering of creation.
Ancient Israel’s creation account describes the world as emerging from these waters as God brings order to the cosmos.
What Does the Hebrew Text Actually Say?
When we return directly to the Hebrew language of the Bible, something interesting becomes clear.
The text describes:
• the earth below
• the heavens (שמים) above
• an expanse (רקיע) separating the waters
• the deep (תהום) beneath creation
But the Hebrew text never explicitly states the geometric shape of the earth.
It does not clearly describe the earth as a sphere, nor does it directly define the earth as a flat disk.
Instead, the focus of the biblical narrative is theological: God ordering creation and establishing the world.
Returning to the Original Language
Debates about the shape of the earth often rely on interpretations, assumptions, or later traditions. But when we return to the original Hebrew text itself, we find that the description of creation is far more nuanced than many modern debates suggest.
The Bible describes the structure of the world in terms of order, stability, and divine creation, not in terms of scientific diagrams.
A Question for Discussion
When we examine the Hebrew words used in the Torah and the prophets, we discover that the text leaves certain questions open to interpretation.
So the question becomes:
What do you think the Hebrew text is describing?
If you enjoy exploring the Hebrew Bible, biblical language, and ancient texts, follow along for more discussions examining the original words behind the Scriptures.