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Dr. Réville admits that in Genesis I, the Hebrew for 
firmament signifies expansion of something. 
And adds that it also expresses something solid. 
He selects the latter interpretation as serving his purpose 
to convict the author of the Bible’s first chapter with a 
solid sky. 
How one anxious to acquit the author might have 
shuffled the letters; and rejected the latter interpretation in 
favour of the former. 
Dr. Réville says in the Septuagint the word is 
rendered ‘stereoma’ a solid vault: but the Hebrew is the 
original; the Septuagint, a Greek translation by men 
inspired no more than the Revisers of the English version 
of our day. 
By a further choice of letters, the friendly critic 
might point to the express expression in the 20th verse, 
‘open firmament,’ where the Hebrew certainly signifies expanse. 
But this Dr. Réville carefully omits to notice: these 
letters, if noticed, were rejected as not helping to spell 
out the word wanted. 
It all looks very like “saying nothing about| those letters 
which do not suit the purpose.” 
In defending himself against Mr. Gladstone, Dr. 
Réville ‘‘vegrets to tell him” that, although the Hebrew 
it also 
and adds that ‘steveoma’ is the 
Septuagintal word for firmament, he says: “Stereos, in fact, 
for firmament expresses expansion of “ something,’ 
expresses “something solid :” 
expresses the idea of firmness and solidity.” 
The Greek translation serves best his purpose, there- 
fore he suggests that the Sacred author represents the 
sky as solid; with cracks during the deluge when the 
waters above the solid vault flooded the earth. 
Dr. Réville’s interpretation must be modified it the 
2oth verse be taken into account; there the expression 
