שָׁמַיִם

Strong’s Definition

the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve)

Etymology & Derivation

dual of an unused singular שָׁמֶה; from an unused root meaning to be lofty;

KJV Usage

air, [idiom] astrologer, heaven(-s).

Detailed Definition

From the Brown–Driver–Briggs (BDB) Hebrew lexicon outline.

• 1.heaven, heavens, sky
• 2.visible heavens, sky
• 3.heaven (as the abode of god)

Scholarly Notes

Transliteration: shâmayim; Pronunciation: shaw-mah'-yim