Amos 9:6

That buildeth his upper chambers in the heaven, and hath founded his vault upon the earth The Hebrews pictured the sky as a solid vault (firmamentum), resting at its extremities upon the earth (Job 26:11): in this vault the heavenly bodies were imagined to revolve: "in front of it" (i.e. in the open air below its lower surface) the birds flew (Genesis 1:20): above it were reservoirs in which rain was stored (as also snow and hail); and above these "waters above the firmament" Jehovah sat enthroned. The words are thus intended to illustrate Jehovah's power by pointing to the palace which He has constructed for Himself on high, and firmly secured, by resting its foundations upon the solid earth. The word rendered upper chamberselsewhere means ascent, steps(hence A.V. stories, i.e. successive heights), which has been adopted by some commentators here (as though the reference were to the ascentor stepsby which Jehovah's heavenly palace was to be reached). But most authorities treat ma-ălâhhere as a synonym of -ăliyyâhin Psalms 104:3, "Who layeth the beams of his upper chambersin the waters," cf. Amos 9:14 "Who watereth the mountains from his upper chambers."

vault] lit. band, properly, it is probable, like the Arab. "ijâd, an arch, as something firmly held together. The word (which is a rare one) is used elsewhere of a bunchof hyssop (Exodus 12:22), of the bandsof a yoke (Isaiah 58:6), and of a bandof men (2 Samuel 2:25). Here it denotes what is usually called the râḳîa-(lit. something beatenor spread out) [199], the (στερέωμα, or "firmament," the vast hemi-spherical vault which, to the eye innocent of the truths of astronomy, seems to rest as a huge cupola upon the earth.

[199] Comp. the cognate verb, as applied to metals, Exodus 39:3; Numbers 16:39: Jeremiah 10:9; Isaiah 40:19 (R.V. spreadeth over).

that calleth for the waters of the sea, &c. repeated from Amos 5:8 b(where see note). The violent, and long-continued rains, occurring in Eastern climates, are another proof of Jehovah's power over nature.