a.rub.bah denotes an opening or set of openings, especially those of heaven and also those associated with houses or dwellings.

The term most often denotes openings of heaven, portrayed as opened, closed, or hypothetically made in connection with rain, provision, or disaster. It also denotes openings associated with earthly dwellings, through which people look, smoke exits, or doves fly.

1. Openings of heaven · dominant

   In Genesis 7:11 the plural construct form occurs in the clause where the openings of the heavens are opened, while Genesis 8:2 places them among what was closed and associates the result with rain being restrained. In 2 Kings 7:2, 2 Kings 7:19, Isaiah 24:18, and Malachi 3:10, the plural forms occur in statements about heavenly openings in relation to an anticipated event, earth's trembling, or blessing poured out.

   Genesis 7:11Genesis 8:22 Kings 7:22 Kings 7:19Isaiah 24:18Malachi 3:10
2. Openings associated with dwellings · common

   In Ecclesiastes 12:3 the plural form identifies the places through which people look as they grow dim. Hosea 13:3 compares transience to smoke from an opening, and Isaiah 60:8 uses a construct plural in the image of doves flying to their openings.

   Ecclesiastes 12:3Hosea 13:3Isaiah 60:8

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across the occurrences, the APB regularly uses "windows," including "windows of the heavens" and "windows of heaven"; it also has "smoke from a window" and "doves to their windows." These renderings confirm the verse-level imagery rather than establish a separate meaning for each English phrase.