# Let there be an expanse ... let it divide

These are commands. By commanding that the expanse should exist and that it divide the waters, God made it exist and divide the waters. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-imperative]])

# expanse

large empty space. The Jewish people thought of this space as being shaped like the inside of dome or the inside of a bowl that is turned upside down.

# between the waters

"in the water"

# God made the expanse and divided the waters

"In this way God made the expanse and divided the waters." When God spoke, it happened. This sentence explains what God did when he spoke.

# It was so

"It happened like that" or "That is what happened." What God commanded happened just as he said it should. This phrase appears throughout the chapter and has the same meaning wherever it appears.

# evening and morning

This refers to the whole day. The writer speaks of the whole day as if it were these two parts. In the Jewish culture, a day begins when the sun sets. See how you translated this in [Genesis 1:5](./03.md). (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-merism]])

# the second day

This refers to the second day that the universe existed. See how you translated "the first day" in [Genesis 1:5](./03.md) and decide if you should translate this the same way.

# translationWords

* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/god]]