Why does the bible imply that the earth is flat?

Question

Why doesn't god mention anywhere in the bible that the earth is spherical? Why does everyone in it seem to think that it is flat? Is there a reason got never enlightened people on this? Or is it just evidence that the people who wrote the bible believed the earth to be flat?

For example-

Isaiah 11:12
"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."

Revelation 7:1
"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."

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

Job 37:33
"He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ENDS OF THE EARTH."

wait... north, south, east, and west are SIDES OF THE EARTH now?? .. Wow, and all this time I thought they were directions! Thanks for the enlightenment!

Circle of the earth? So you are saying circles equal spheres now? I think you skipped geometry class.

Do you even know WHY the sun "setting and rising" is a figure of speach? It is because the bible said it. They also thought the sun actually rose and set. I remember reading a passage where god actually "stops" the sun and moon so that the day last longer. Too mad the sun does not move in relation to the earth. It would be the earth stopping- not the sun, sorry god!

The bible is supposed to be something god gave us to explain to people how to live their lives. Is my diary going to be the basis for human behavorior in the futire? No, therefore your comparison does not work.

Answer 1

It is a form of literary discussion, the same as when we say "the sun rises and sets," we know that the sun doesn't actually "rise" nor "set" but that is how it is visually perceived.

Actually, the book of Issiah mentions "the curves of the Earth," which would indicate to me that the Earth is not flat, but round.

Answer 2

Isaiah 40:22 "He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth."
Psalm 97:1 "...let the earth rejoice" The word for rejoice here is giyl (guwl is the root) which means to spin round.

There are 3 Hebrew words that are translated "corners" in English. The first means the corners of a room, or a square, etc. The second means the supporting pillars of a building. The third (as in Corners of the Earth) means the Ends of the Earth. As far reaching as possible. This doesn't answer your question, but might give you some more scriptures to see that God did cover his tracks, so to speak.
There is also a verse that says "the earth sits upon nothing" which was an unheard of concept in those days. They thought it was on the shoulders of Atlas, on the back of a giant tortoise, etc.
But God knew.

Answer 3

The four corners that are mentioned are the directions, north, south, east, and west. Men at the time thought the earth was flat, so the metaphors they use are in that vein. Remember, god did not write the bible, men did. The four corners, and "ends" of the earth are used to convey supreme distance. It is not necessarily literal.

Answer 4

These verses really don't say that the earth is flat. You're making an assumption based on the way we interpret a 3000 year old dialect of Hebrew.

3000 years from now, if someone finds your diary and reads where you told a friend that you were just "chillin' ", I'm sure theree will be conspiracy theorists who will think that in our time we voluntarily sat in refrigerators for therapy.

Answer 5

Ever heard of descriptive language? People still use it today.I can't count the amount of times I've heard people say 'corners of the earth' or 'the ends of the earth'.It doesn't mean that the person believes the earth is flat,they are using a figure of speech.

Answer 6

The intellect of biblical people is always covered up, especially in religious movies. The illiteracy rate was 99%. They thought that lightening occurred because God was angry. We have been forced to accept a god concept that came from ancient people who didn't have a clue as to what was going on and that's why they came up with so many beliefs that since have been proven wrong.

Answer 7

Those are figures of speech and not meant to describe what the earth looks like in shape. Unlike other religions that claim that the earth is being held up by Atlas or riding on the back of a turtle the Bible gives an accurate description of this planet.

Job 26:7 He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing.

In these verses you can see several phases of the hydrologic cycle—the worldwide processes of evaporation, translation aloft by atmospheric circulation, condensation with electrical discharges, and precipitation

Job 36:27-29
For He draws up drops of water, Which distill as rain from the mist, Which the clouds drop down And pour abundantly on man. Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds, The thunder from His canopy?

The Bible describes the circulation of the atmosphere.


Ecclesiastes 1:6
The wind goes toward the south,And turns around to the north;
The wind whirls about continually,And comes again on its circuit.

Isaiah 40:21 Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; 23 who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. 24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. 25 To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.

Answer 8

I suggest that these verses are designed to imply awe in a being greater than man because nothing in them makes literal sense. However you can believe that only Good exists in the Bible like many, but does that make their belief valid? Even Jesus tells us that the Anti-christ is a biblical character, but that doesn't stop many from trying to pin that label on present day people.

Answer 9

I'd say the four corners would be North, South, East, West.

2) Would "ends of the horizon" be more accurate?

Answer 10

that is only an expression..........while i don't believe people in those times actually thought the earth was round, i dont think they thought it was square either. What you must remember is that the Bible IS NOT a history book, it is historical, but it definately is not scientific.
The concept for the world being round wouldn't come for another 1400 years