Does the Bible say the Earth is Flat? updated /added more info

[Tatum2U]

Does the Bible say the Earth is Flat? I saw this on Answerbag and thought it was pretty interesting especially considering all the religious posts I came across tonight.

According to the Bible, the Earth has corners and an end:

Isaiah 11:12
12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH. (KJV)

Revelation 7:1
1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. (KJV)

Job 38:13
13 That it might take hold of the ENDS OF THE EARTH, that the wicked might be shaken out of it? (KJV)

Jeremiah 16:19
19 O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ENDS OF THE EARTH, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit. (KJV)

Daniel 4:11
11 The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the ENDS OF ALL THE EARTH: (KJV)


The Earth doesn't move, according to the Bible:

Psalm 104:5
He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.

Ecclesiastes 1:5
The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.


According to the Bible, the Earth has edges:

"that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it? (From the NIV Bible, Job 38:13)"

"He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth. (From the NIV Bible, Job 37:3)"

"for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. (From the NIV Bible, Job 28:24)"

"Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea. (From the NIV Bible, Job 11:9)"


According to the often quoted Isaiah 40:22:

"He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. (From the NIV Bible, Isaiah 40:22)"

The word they used was 'hug' which means circle. A circle is NOT a sphere or a ball or an egg-shaped object. If they meant to say a sphere, they could've used the word 'dur,' which means 'ball.' That passage only talks about the circularity of a flat earth-disc not of a sphere.

So, the Bible not only did NOT show that the Earth was a sphere, ball, or egg-shaped, but it also claimed in several verses that the Earth was flat, that it had edges, four corners, an end, a tent-like sky, foundations, and pillars.

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Some of you may already know this , There are actually still people who will argue that the Earth is Flat. They are often referred to as Flat-Earthers . I didn't know that they are also religiously based in that belief. Sorta makes me think of the people who are quiverful or who think the Bible says they need to be obedient to their husbands or have more wives.

 

http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/febible.htm       

from the very beginning, ultra-orthodox Christians have been flat-earthers, arguing that to believe otherwise is to deny the literal truth of the Bible.

[norahsmommy]

Those passages are not meant to be taken literally. No they didn't think the earth actually had 'corners' or that the earth was flat and had an 'end'.  It is meant to be a guide for good living and is full of stories to inspire good as well as to prevent sin with examples of good and evil.  Its meant to make you think. 

[Tatum2U]

ROFLMAO I knew that would be the type of answer I got if any. Seems whenever there is something odd in the Bible it's not meant literally or perhaps was translated incorrectly etc etc..It couldn't be that the Bible is saying the Earth is flat..

[lovetocook64]

Quoting Tatum2U:

ROFLMAO I knew that would be the type of answer I got if any. Seems whenever there is something odd in the Bible it's not meant literally or perhaps was translated incorrectly etc etc..It couldn't be that the Bible is saying the Earth is flat..

lol I was thinking the same thing Iv hear this alot ,we are not suspose to take it literally then how are we suspose to take it? althogh in my case I believe the bible is fichinal and people do take it literally I just dont know why

[CallieLynsMommy]

Well, they are always reinterpreting the Bible to fit new scientific discoveries. When the Bible was composed, there was no knowledge that the Earth was round (actually, egg shaped...lol) so of course they would refer to the Earth as being flat but upon scientific findings and proof that the world was not round, they reinterpreted certain passages dealing with that. I wrote an undergraduate paper on the discovery of heliocentrism and how scripture was reinterpreted to fit with the new findings if you're interested, lol.

Note: I am not religious, this is my viewpoint as an aspiring historian. I'll consider myself a "real" historian once I receive my Masters! In short, I'm not meaning to offend anyone.

[RheaF]

No it does not. Scholers today still refrance the "four corners of the Earth". Many of your Refrances actually are talking about the four points on the compass. There are also many different translations of the words that were originally in the Bible.

[i.heart.rachel]

Quoting Tatum2U:

ROFLMAO I knew that would be the type of answer I got if any. Seems whenever there is something odd in the Bible it's not meant literally or perhaps was translated incorrectly etc etc..It couldn't be that the Bible is saying the Earth is flat..

It's only meant to be taken literally when it says "a man is not to lay with another man in the way he lays with a woman". Hmph.

[retsillacam]

precisely why I don't take any part of the bible literally:-)

Quoting Tatum2U:

ROFLMAO I knew that would be the type of answer I got if any. Seems whenever there is something odd in the Bible it's not meant literally or perhaps was translated incorrectly etc etc..It couldn't be that the Bible is saying the Earth is flat..

[Tatum2U]

Quoting CallieLynsMommy:

Well, they are always reinterpreting the Bible to fit new scientific discoveries. When the Bible was composed, there was no knowledge that the Earth was round (actually, egg shaped...lol) so of course they would refer to the Earth as being flat but upon scientific findings and proof that the world was not round, they reinterpreted certain passages dealing with that. I wrote an undergraduate paper on the discovery of heliocentrism and how scripture was reinterpreted to fit with the new findings if you're interested, lol.

I agree with you . How did you do with your paper? I bet it was interesting material.

[Tatum2U]

Quoting i.heart.rachel:

Quoting Tatum2U:

ROFLMAO I knew that would be the type of answer I got if any. Seems whenever there is something odd in the Bible it's not meant literally or perhaps was translated incorrectly etc etc..It couldn't be that the Bible is saying the Earth is flat..

It's only meant to be taken literally when it says "a man is not to lay with another man in the way he lays with a woman". Hmph.

Oh the Gay thing , Yeah I hear the Dragon will Get ya if you do that ! lol

[i.heart.rachel]

Quoting Tatum2U:

Quoting i.heart.rachel:

Quoting Tatum2U:

ROFLMAO I knew that would be the type of answer I got if any. Seems whenever there is something odd in the Bible it's not meant literally or perhaps was translated incorrectly etc etc..It couldn't be that the Bible is saying the Earth is flat..

It's only meant to be taken literally when it says "a man is not to lay with another man in the way he lays with a woman". Hmph.

Oh the Gay thing , Yeah I hear the Dragon will Get ya if you do that ! lol

So they say!