'Heavens' in the Bible

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth--

And the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, and the rain from the heavens was restrained.

And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose top [reaches to] the heavens. And let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over the face of the whole earth."

And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward the heavens and count the stars if you are able to count them." And he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

And God heard the cry of the boy and the angel of God called to Hagar from the heavens and said to her, "{What is the matter} Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the cry of the boy {from where he is}.

And he dreamed, and behold, a stairway was set on the earth, and its top touched the heavens. And behold, angels of God [were] going up and going down on it.

And Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron, "Take for yourselves full handfuls of soot from a smelting furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heavens before the eyes of Pharaoh.

And they took the soot of the smelting furnace, and they stood before Pharaoh, and Moses sprinkled it toward the heavens, and it became skin sores sprouting blisters on humans and on animals.

And Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand to the heavens, and let there be hail in all the land of Egypt, on human and on animal and on all the vegetation of the field in the land of Egypt."

And Moses stretched out his staff to the heavens, and Yahweh gave thunder and hail, and fire went [to the] earth, and Yahweh caused hail to rain on the land of Egypt.

And Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the heavens so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt and so that [a person can] feel darkness."

And Moses stretched out his hand toward the heavens, and there was darkness of night in all the land of Egypt [for] three days.

And Yahweh said to Moses, "Look, I am going to rain down for you bread from the heavens, and the people will go out and gather enough for the day on its day; in that way I will test them: Will they go according to my law or not?

And Yahweh said to Moses, "Write this [as] a memorial in the scroll and {recite it in the hearing of} Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens."

"You shall not make for yourself a divine image [with] any form that [is] in the heavens above or that [is] in the earth below or that [is] in the water below the earth.

because [in] six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that [is] in them, and on the seventh day he rested. Therefore Yahweh blessed the seventh day and consecrated it.

And Yahweh said to Moses, "Thus you will say to the {Israelites}, 'You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from the heavens.

And they saw the God of Israel, and [what was] under his feet [was] like sapphire tile work and like the very heavens for clearness.

It [is] a sign between me and the {Israelites} forever, because [in] six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh he ceased and recovered."

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by yourself, and you told them, 'I will multiply your offspring like the stars of the heavens, and all this land that I promised I will give to your offspring, and they will inherit [it] forever.'"

This day I will begin to place {the dread of you} and the fear of you {before} the peoples under all the heavens. [They] will hear {the report about you}, and [so] they will shake and tremble {because of you}.'

Look! For to Yahweh your God {belong} heaven and the {highest heavens}, the earth and all that [is] in it.

And [then] {the anger of Yahweh will be kindled against you}, and he will shut up the heavens, and there shall not be rain, and [so] the ground will not give its produce, and you will perish quickly from the good land that Yahweh [is] giving to you.

{And when} Yahweh your God gives rest to you from all your enemies from around [about you] in the land that Yahweh your God [is] giving to you [as an] inheritance to take possession of it, you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens; you shall not forget!"

Yahweh shall open for you his {rich} storehouse, [even] the heavens, to give the rain for your land in its time and to bless all of the work of your hand, and you will lend to many nations; you will not borrow [from them].

And your heavens that [are] over your heads shall be [like] bronze, and the earth that [is] under you [shall be like] iron.

"[Even] if {you are outcasts} at the end of the heavens, [even] from there Yahweh your God shall gather you, and from there {he shall bring you back}.

It is not in the heavens {so that you might say}, 'Who will go up for us to the heavens and get it for us and cause us to hear it, so that we may do it?'

"Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.

"There is no [one] like God, O, Jeshurun, who rides [through] the heavens to your help, and with his majesty [through the] skies.

So Israel dwells alone [and] carefree, the spring of Jacob in a land of grain and wine; his heavens even drip dew.

We heard [this], and our hearts melted, and {no courage was left in anyone} because of your presence. For Yahweh your God [is] God in the heavens above and on the earth below.

And as they were fleeing from Israel, [they were] on the slope of Beth-horon, and Yahweh threw huge stones from the heavens on them as far as Azekah; and more died by the hail stones than those whom the {Israelites} killed by the sword.

Yahweh, when you went down from Seir, when you marched from the region of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens poured down, the clouds poured down water.

Yahweh will shatter his adversaries; he will thunder against them in the heavens. Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king and will exalt the might of his anointed one.

He bowed the heavens and came down; a very thick cloud [was] under his feet.

Then Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh in the presence of all of the assembly of Israel, and he spread out his hands [to] the heavens,

and he said, "O Yahweh, God of Israel, there is no god like you in the heavens above or on the earth beneath, keeping the covenant and the loyal love for your servants who are walking before you with all their heart.

For will God really dwell on the earth? Behold, the heavens and the heaven of heavens could not contain you! {How could} this house that I have built?

When you shut up the heavens so there is no rain because they have sinned against you, then they pray to this place and they confess your name and they return from their sin because you punished them,

He who dies for Jeroboam in the city, the dogs will eat. He who dies in the open field, the birds from the heavens will eat, for Yahweh has spoken [it]." '

Those who die for Baasha in the city, the dogs will eat; those who die for him in the field, the birds of the heavens will eat."

{In no time} the heavens grew black [with] clouds and wind, and there was heavy rain. Ahab rode and he went to Jezreel,

Then they [were] walking, talking as they went. Suddenly a fiery chariot with horses of fire [appeared] and separated between the two of them. Elijah went up in the storm [to] the heavens

Yahweh did not decree to blot out the name of Israel from under the heavens, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Jehoash.

They abandoned all the commands of Yahweh their God and made for themselves two molten calf-shaped idols; they made a pole of Asherah worship and bowed down to the army of the heavens and served Baal.

Then Hezekiah prayed before the face of Yahweh and said, "O Yahweh, God of Israel who lives [above] the cherubim. You [are] God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the world; you have made the heavens and the earth.

For all the gods of the nations [are] idols, but Yahweh made the heavens.

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad, and let them tell the peoples, "Yahweh reigns!"

To you, O Yahweh, [is] the greatness and the power and the splendor and the glory and the strength, for everything in the heavens and in the earth. Yours, O Yahweh, [is] the kingdom and exaltation over all as head!

Now who indeed has adequate strength to build a house for him? For the heavens and {the highest heavens} are not able to contain him. Now who [am] I that I would build a house for him, except to burn incense before him?

Then Huram said, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who has made the heavens and the earth, who has given to King David a wise son knowing discretion and understanding, who will build for Yahweh a house and a royal palace for himself.

And he said, "O Yahweh, God of Israel, there is none like you, a God in the heavens and on the earth, keeping the covenant and loyal love with your servants who walk before you with all their heart,

"But will God indeed dwell with humankind upon the earth? Look, the heavens and {the highest heavens} cannot contain you! Surely then this house that I have built [will not contain you!]

And listen to the pleas of your servant and your people Israel when they pray toward this place, that you yourself might hear from the place of your dwelling, from the heavens, that you might hear and forgive.

then may you yourself hear from the heavens and act and judge your servants, to repay the guilty by bringing his way upon his head and to vindicate the righteous by giving to him according to his righteousness.

then may you yourself hear from the heavens and forgive the sin of your people Israel and again bring them back to the land that you gave to them and to their ancestors.

"When the heavens are stopped up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you and they pray to this place and confess your name and turn back from their sin when you humble them,

then may you yourself hear from the heavens and forgive the sin of your servants and your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and give rain upon your land that you have given to your people as an inheritance.

then may you yourself hear from the heavens, your dwelling place, and forgive and give to each according to all his ways, since you know the heart of the children of humankind,

then may you yourself hear from the heavens, from your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner asks of you, so that all peoples of earth will know of your name and fear you, as [do] your people Israel, and that they may know that your name {possesses} this house that I have built.

then may you hear their prayer and their pleas from the heavens and uphold their case.

then may you hear their prayer and their pleas from the heavens, from your dwelling place, and uphold their case and forgive your people who sinned against you.

When I hold back the heavens so that there is not rain, and when I command the locust to devour the earth, and if I send disease among my people,

[then if] my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and will pray and will seek my face and will turn from their evil ways, then I myself shall hear from the heavens and will forgive their sins and heal their land.

Now a prophet of Yahweh was there; Oded [was] his name. And he went out before the army that was coming to Samaria and said to them, "Look, [it is] on account of the anger of Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, against Judah [that] he gave them into your hands, and you killed them in a rage reaching to the heavens.

Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy dwelling place in the heavens.

Then King Hezekiah and Isaiah the son of Amoz, the prophet, prayed concerning this. And they cried to the heavens.

"Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: Yahweh, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. And he himself has appointed me to build a house for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

"Artaxerxes, the king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of the heavens. Peace. And now

and said, "My God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God. For our sins have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.

When I heard these words, I sat and wept and mourned for days, and I was fasting and praying before the God of the heavens.

I said, "O Yahweh God of the heavens, the great and awesome one who keeps the covenant and loyal love for the ones who love him and for those who keep his commands.

Then the king said to me, "What is your request?" So I prayed to the God of the heavens.

Then I answered and said to them, "The God of the heavens himself will let us succeed, and we his servants shall arise and build. But for you there is no share, right, or memorial in Jerusalem."

"You alone are Yahweh. You alone have made the heavens, the heavens of the heavens, and all of their army, the earth and all that is in it, the waters and all that is in them. You give life to all of them, and the army of the heavens worship you.

You made their children numerous like the stars of the heavens and brought them to the land that you told their ancestors to enter in order to take possession.

Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemy, and they brought trouble to them. Then in the time of their trouble they cried out to you, and you heard from the heavens, and according to your great compassions, you gave them saviors, and you saved them from the hand of their enemies.

But when they had rest they returned to doing evil before you, and you abandoned them in the hand of their enemies, and they ruled over them. Then they returned and cried out to you, and from the heavens you heard and many times rescued them according to your compassions.

While this one was still speaking, {another} came and said, "The fire of God fell from the heavens, and it blazed up against the sheep and goats and against the servants, and it consumed them. But I escaped, [even] I alone, to tell you."

[He is the one] who alone stretches out [the] heavens and [who] tramples on [the] waves of [the] sea.

{so} a man lies down, and he does not arise. {Until the heavens are no more}, they will not awaken, and they will not be roused out of their sleep.

Look, he does not trust his holy ones, and [the] heavens are not clean in his eyes.

So now look, my witness [is] in the heavens, and he [who] vouches for me [is] in the heights.

[The] heavens will reveal his guilt, and [the] earth will rise up against him.

"[Is] not God [in the] height of [the] heavens? But see how lofty are {the highest stars}.

"Domination and dread [are] with him who makes peace in his high heavens.

By his breath {the heavens were made clear}; his hand pierced [the] fleeing snake.

"Look at [the] heavens, and see; and observe [the] clouds [that] are higher than you.

[who] teaches us more than [the] animals of [the] earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?'

He lets it loose under all the heavens, and his lightning to the earth's corners.

Who has come to confront me, that I should repay [him]? Under all the heavens, {it belongs to me}.

[He who] sits [enthroned] in the heavens laughs. The Lord derides them.

Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic [is] your name in all the earth, who put your splendor above the heavens.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, [the] moon and [the] stars which you set in place--

Yahweh [is] in his holy temple; Yahweh [is] in the heavens [on] his throne. His eyelids see; they test [the] children of humankind.

So he bowed [the] heavens and came down with a thick cloud under his feet.

And Yahweh thundered from the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice [with] hail and coals of fire.

The heavens [are] telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands.

Its rising [is] from [one] end of the heavens and its circuit to the [other] end of them; and nothing [is] hidden from its heat.