A Defense of “Heaven” in Genesis 1:1

Often, opponents of the King James Only position will point to the KJV reading “heaven” found in Genesis 1:1. They say, “This is an error on the part of the translators.” However, I want to contest this assertion and, Lord willing, prove the KJV reading is correct.

 

The argument states: “The Hebrew word behind 'heaven' is plural, but the KJV translates it as singular, making it incorrect.” This claim shows a misunderstanding of the Hebrew language. The Hebrew word translated as "heaven" is שָׁמַיִם (shamayim), a masculine plural noun meaning "heavens." At first glance, the King James Bible appears to be wrong. However, this overlooks the fact that plural words in Hebrew are often translated as singular in English.

 

For example, the Hebrew word אֱלֹהִים (Elohim) is also plural, yet it is translated many times throughout the Old Testament (and even in Genesis 1:1) as singular. Context determines how it is to be understood and translated. Another example would be מַיִם (mayim), which is translated both as singular and plural throughout the Bible. שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) is even translated as “heaven” in the NASB (often considered the “best” translation) in Genesis 1:8.

 

Hebrew doesn’t have a word for “heaven” in the singular, so context tells whether שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) is to be translated plural or singular. The Septuagint (LXX) translators felt that “heaven” was correct. The LXX version of Genesis 1:1 says “Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν.” The word “οὐρανὸν” (ouranon) is an accusative singular masculine, thus “heaven.”

 

Why would they translate it this way? Well, the rest of Genesis 1 gives us the answer. In verses one through five, God begins His creation work, His Spirit moves upon the waters, and God creates the light (which would later be put under the rule of the sun on day four). On day two, we read this:

 

“[6] ¶ And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. [7] And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. [8] And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.” (Genesis 1:6-8)

 

We see that the firmament is created and there is an expanse above it that contains the “waters which were above the firmament” and below is the earth.

 

If God, in Genesis 1:1, created heavens (plural), what are they? It cannot be the expanse above the firmament nor can it be the firmament which is called “Heaven.” In 2 Corinthians 12:2, we read of the “third heaven”—which is the “heaven of heavens”; God’s dwelling place. So of these three heavens, two are created on the second day. The first verse can only refer to God’s dwelling place as the first and second heavens are not created until day two. Now that we realize that, we understand why the KJV (and both the LXX and Latin Vulgate) translators chose to translate the Hebrew word שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) as singular in this first verse of the Bible—because it refers to the dwelling place of the Almighty.

 

This “error” in the KJV is simply not an error. Instead, it proves that the King James Bible is truly the perfect Word of God in English!