The Bible does not explicitly state the shape of the Earth as either flat or spherical, using poetic and phenomenological language instead. Interpretations vary widely among scholars and denominations.
Key Verses Cited
Isaiah 40:22 describes God sitting "above the circle of the earth," where the Hebrew word "khug" means circle but can imply a spherical vault or disk depending on context. Job 26:7 says God "hangs the earth on nothing," and Job 26:10 references a "circle" at the boundary of light and darkness, suggesting a rounded horizon visible from above. Genesis 1 implies land gathered in one place amid waters, compatible with a spherical model geometrically.
Flat Earth Arguments
Some point to references like "four corners of the earth" (Revelation 7:1), "pillars" (Psalm 75:3), or "ends of the earth" (multiple verses) as evidence of a flat disk under a dome (raqia in Genesis 1:6-9). These are often seen as idiomatic for directions or stability rather than literal geography.
Scholarly Consensus
Most biblical scholars view these as ancient Near Eastern metaphors, not scientific claims about cosmology. The Bible aligns implicitly with a round Earth in some readings but prioritizes theological truths over physical descriptions.
