'Foundations' in the Bible

‘For a fire is kindled by My anger,And it burns to the depths of Sheol (the place of the dead, the nether world),It devours the earth with its yield,And sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.

“Then the earth shook and quaked,The foundations of the heavens trembledAnd were shaken, because He was angry.

“The channels of the sea appeared,The foundations of the world were uncoveredAt the rebuke of the Lord,At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.

In his days, Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations with the loss of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord, which He spoke through Joshua the son of Nun.

Now this is the [measurement of the] foundation which Solomon laid for the house of God: the length in cubits—by the old standard of measure—was sixty cubits (90 ft.), and the width was twenty cubits (30 ft.).

Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem. They are rebuilding this rebellious and evil city and are finishing its walls and repairing the foundations.

In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: ‘Concerning the house of God in Jerusalem, let the temple (house), the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations be strongly laid, its height and its width each 60 cubits,

‘How much more [will He blame and charge] those who dwell in houses (bodies) of clay,Whose foundations are in the dust,Who are crushed like a moth.

Men who were snatched away before their time,Whose foundations were poured out like a river?

“On what were its foundations fastened?Or who laid its cornerstone,

“If the foundations [of a godly society] are destroyed,What can the righteous do?”

Then the earth shook and quaked,The foundations of the mountains trembled;They were shaken because He was indignant and angry.

Then the stream beds of the waters appeared,And the foundations of the world were laid bareAt Your rebuke, O Lord,At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

The rulers do not know nor do they understand;They walk on in the darkness [of complacent satisfaction];All the foundations of the earth [the fundamental principles of the administration of justice] are shaken.

“At the beginning You founded the earth;The heavens are the work of Your hands.

He established the earth on its foundations,So that it will not be moved forever and ever.

When He set for the sea its boundarySo that the waters would not transgress [the boundaries set by] His command,When He marked out the foundations of the earth—

And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, and the temple was filling with smoke.

[Those who are] the pillars and foundations of Egypt will be crushed;And all those who work for wages will be grieved in soul.

Then it will be that he who flees at the sound of terror will fall into the pit,And he who comes up out of the pit will be caught in the snare;For the windows of heaven are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble.

Do you [who worship idols] not know? Have you not heard?Has it not been told to you from the beginning?Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth [the omnipotence of God and the stupidity of bowing to idols]?

That you have forgotten the Lord your Maker,Who stretched out the heavensAnd laid the foundations of the earth,That you continually tremble with fear all day long because of the rage of the oppressor,As he takes aim to destroy?And where is the rage of the oppressor?

I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the [renewed] heavens and lay the foundations of the [renewed] earth, and to say to Zion (Jerusalem), ‘You are My people.’”

“O you afflicted [city], storm-tossed, and not comforted,Listen carefully, I will set your [precious] stones in mortar,And lay your foundations with sapphires.

“And your people will rebuild the ancient ruins;You will raise up and restore the age-old foundations [of buildings that have been laid waste];You will be called Repairer of the Breach,Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Thus says the Lord,“If the heavens above can be measuredAnd the foundations of the earth searched out below,Then I will also cast off and abandon all the descendants of IsraelFor all that they have done,” says the Lord.

“They will not take from you [even] a stone for a cornerstoneNor any rock for a foundation,But you will be desolate forever,” says the Lord.

Thus says the Lord of hosts,“The broad wall of Babylon will be completely overthrown and the foundations razedAnd her high gates will be set on fire;The peoples will labor in vain,And the nations become exhausted [only] for fire [that will destroy their work].”

The Lord has fulfilled His wrath;He has poured out His fierce angerAnd has kindled a fire in ZionThat has consumed her foundations.

So I will tear down the wall which you have plastered with whitewash and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundations will be exposed; when it falls, you will perish in its midst. And you shall know and understand fully that I am the Lord.

“A sword will come upon Egypt,And anguish and trembling will be in Ethiopia (Cush),When the slain fall in EgyptAnd they [of Babylon] carry away her great mass of people and her richesAnd her foundations are torn down.

I also saw that the temple (house) had a raised platform all around it; the foundations of the side chambers measured a full rod of six long cubits in height.

Therefore I [the Lord] shall make Samaria a heap of ruins [and of stones and arable land] in the open country,A place for planting vineyards;And I will pour her stones down into the ravineAnd lay bare her foundations.

“Hear, O mountains, the indictment of the Lord,And you enduring foundations of the earth,For the Lord has a case (a legal complaint) against His people,And He will dispute (challenge) Israel.

“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundations of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know (recognize, understand fully) that the Lord of hosts has sent me [as His messenger] to you.