heaven
sha.ma.yim denotes the heavens as the upper realm, especially God’s dwelling and the expanse associated with weather, stars, and birds.
The term most often identifies the heavenly realm from which God hears, acts, or is described as dwelling; it also names the visible upper expanse associated with rain, clouds, stars, birds, and what is above the land. In several clauses it belongs to heaven-and-earth language that frames the whole created order or contrasts the upper realm with the land below.
Senses in use
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God’s heavenly dwelling and court · dominant
In 1 Kings 8:30 the plural noun occurs in Solomon’s request that God hear from the place of his dwelling, and the APB renders the clause “from heaven.” The same setting recurs in 1 Kings 8:32, where hearing there is followed by acting and judging, while 1 Kings 22:19 describes the LORD on his throne with the host of heaven beside him.
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The upper expanse above the land · common
The plural form marks the realm above the land in weather and aerial imagery: in 1 Kings 18:45 the APB renders the heavens growing black with clouds and wind before rain, and in 1 Kings 8:35 they are shut up so that there is no rain. The same upper region is associated with stars in 1 Chronicles 27:23 and with birds in 1 Samuel 17:44.
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Heaven in contrast with earth or land · occasional
In 1 Chronicles 29:11 the term stands with earth as the domain of all that belongs to the LORD. In 1 Kings 8:27 and 2 Chronicles 6:18, repeated forms occur in the statement that heaven and the heaven of heaven cannot contain God, contrasted with the house built on earth; Amos 9:6 likewise places heaven over against land.
In the Anselm Project Bible: Across the cited verses, the APB commonly presents the term as “heaven” or “heavens,” including phrases such as “from heaven,” “host of heaven,” and “birds of the heavens.” Its exact English wording does not always isolate the contribution of each occurrence, notably where several forms occur in one clause.