The phrase “circle of the earth” is found in Isaiah 40:22, which states: “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.” This verse paints a picture of God looking down on the earth from heaven, seeing the whole earth all at once in his omniscience. The Hebrew word translated here as “circle” is “chug”, which can also mean sphere or vault. So this verse indicates that the earth is round rather than flat or square. Let’s explore this topic further:
The Earth’s Sphericity in the Bible
Although Isaiah 40:22 contains the sole explicit mention of the earth’s circular shape, other biblical passages also suggest a spherical earth. Job 26:10 speaks of God inscribing a circle on the surface of the waters, at the horizon where earth and sky meet. This implies the curved shape of the earth’s surface. In Luke 17:34-36, Jesus describes his second coming as occurring while some are asleep at night and others are working at daytime activities, indicating he understood the earth’s rotation on its axis. Taken together, these and other verses indicate the biblical authors conceived of the earth as spherical rather than flat.
Historical Context of Isaiah
Isaiah contains prophecies dated from approximately 740-680 BC. During this time, belief in a flat earth was common in Isaiah’s cultural context. For instance, most Ancient Near Eastern cosmologies conceived of the earth as a flat disk floating on the primordial waters. The ancient Greeks initially held to flat earth and domed sky models. Against this backdrop, the biblical vision of a spherical earth stands out as remarkably ahead of its time. The spherical earth model did not become the predominant view in Western thought until Aristotle provided evidence for it in the 4th century BC.
The Earth’s Sphericity in Ancient Thought
While spherical earth models existed in ancient times, the dominant view was of a flat earth. In Mesopotamian and Egyptian maps, the earth was portrayed as a flat disk. This was generally thought to be surrounded by a circular ocean, with the heavens forming a dome above. The Israelites were likely familiar with such cosmologies from their contact with these civilizations. The Pythagoreans proposed a spherical earth as early as the 6th century BC. Around the same time, ancient Indian astronomers also conceived of a spherical earth surrounded by rings of continents and oceans. Evidence began mounting for sphericity as explorers traveled greater distances and scholars observed lunar eclipses. Aristarchus of Samos presented geometric arguments for a moving, spherical earth and sun in the 3rd century BC. Claudius Ptolemy’s comprehensive astronomical treatise, the Almagest, established the spherical earth model for centuries to come.
Cosmic Geography in the Ancient World
In the ancient world, cosmic geography was intertwined with theology and mythology. Many ancient cultures situated their lands at the center of the earth in their maps and conceived of the heavens above as the realm of divine beings. The earth was seen as a flat disc or rectangle, although some proposed early spherical models. Above the earth stood a solid dome or vault, which held back the cosmic waters. Below the earth lay the underworld, the realm of the dead. The sun, moon and stars were thought to move across the heavenly dome. While biblical authors inherited aspects of this cosmology, they transformed it in line with their monotheistic faith, worshiping the one Creator who set the boundaries of the earth and heavens.
The Earth’s Shape in Ancient Christianity
In the early centuries of Christianity, the church fathers taught that the earth was spherical based on scriptural passages like Isaiah 40:22. The Venerable Bede, a monk and scholar, also affirmed the earth’s sphericity in his influential biblical commentary in the 8th century AD. However, some early Christian writers followed cosmological views from Greek philosophy, describing the earth as a flat disc. By the medieval period, the spherical earth was the predominant model among European theologians, scientists and explorers. Christopher Columbus’ voyages demonstrated empirically that the earth was round. The spherical earth model was integrated into a comprehensively biblical worldview during the Scientific Revolution by figures like Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton.
Metaphorical Meanings of the Earth’s Shape
While Isaiah 40:22 refers literally to the earth’s physical shape, the reference to a circle also carries metaphorical and theological connotations. Circles symbolize perfection, wholeness, and completion. They have neither beginning nor end. For biblical authors, the circle epitomizes the majesty, infinitude and perfection of God’s creative work. God’s sitting above this circle depicts his sovereign rule over all of creation. The spherical earth manifests the glory, wisdom and care of its Creator. So the earth’s shape serves not only as a scientific fact but also as a symbol of God’s attributes and lordship over his creation.
Other Old Testament Passages About Nature
Several other Old Testament passages also demonstrate biblical insights into the natural world that prefigured modern science. In Job 28:25, the evaporation cycle is noted. Ecclesiastes 1:6-7 refers to wind patterns. Jeremiah 33:22 compares the stars of heaven and sands of the sea, anticipating modern notions of innumerable stars. So the Old Testament exhibits an accurate observational knowledge of the cosmos, the earth and its meteorological phenomena. This provides a helpful backdrop for the reference to the earth’s circular shape in Isaiah 40:22.
New Testament Affirmations of the Earth’s Sphericity
While the New Testament authors do not directly discuss the earth’s shape, they clearly affirmed and assumed the established spherical earth model of their day. Jesus’ statement about day and night occurring simultaneously at different places presupposes the rotundity of the earth (Luke 17:34-36). The Book of Acts records an extensive voyage similar to those contemporary sailors took based on the spherical earth. Revelation 7:1 also references the four corners of the earth, which matches ancient maps of a spherical earth. Although the New Testament does not elaborate on cosmic geography, its authors firmly relied on the spherical earth model.
The Earth’s Sphericity and Church History
The church fathers unambiguously proclaimed that the Bible teaches a spherical earth. Basil of Caesarea cited Isaiah 40:22 among other verses as evidence for the sphericity of the earth. Ambrose of Milan and Augustine of Hippo also affirmed this teaching. During the Middle Ages, medieval theologians accepted the earth’s sphericity and integrated it into an understanding of creation that balanced biblical faith and Greek natural philosophy. Copernicus’ heliocentric model was controversial not for its spherical earth but for displacing the earth from the center. While debates over biblical interpretation continued, the earth’s spherical shape remained the orthodox view.
Modern Denials of the Earth’s Sphericity
Although the spherical earth model gained near-universal acceptance by the Early Modern era, some religious fundamentalists continued to insist on a flat earth. In 19th century America, a flat-earth movement denied the sphericity doctrine for theological reasons tied to a hyper-literal hermeneutic. Advocates of flat earth models, including Samuel Rowbotham, gained a small but intense following. In the modern era, flat earth models have reemerged through internet forums and conspiracy theories, despite overwhelming scientific evidence of the earth’s rotundity. While tiny fringe groups remain, no major Christian denomination today denies the clear biblical teaching of the earth’s sphericity.
Evaluation and Application
Isaiah 40:22 strikingly aligns with modern science in describing the earth as a sphere. This bold cosmological statement counters the prevailing ancient belief in a flat earth. It demonstrates God revealed advanced scientific truths to the biblical authors centuries before their empirical confirmation. The earth’s spherical shape reflects the glory and wisdom of its divine Creator. As with other scientific insights, Scripture’s teachings on the earth’s rotundity should enrich our worship of the Lord over this awe-inspiring sphere on which we live.
Although the Bible was not written as a scientific textbook, where it touches on scientific matters, it speaks truly and accurately. Scripture’s straightforward statement about the circular earth affirms we need not fear where solid scientific findings may lead. Neither science nor theology should take precedence over the other, but both should be integrated in a holistic Christian worldview glorifying to God. As we learn more of the world God made, may we stand in greater awe of the One who set its circles.