A Look at S 69:17

In this post we shall be looking at S 69:17.

And the angel on its edges and eight carry your lord’s throne above them on that day.

It begins with not an untold number of angels, but with one. If the author or editor meant 'angels', he didn't put it. He also says the angel, with the article. What specific angel might this refer to? This unnamed angel is 'on' 'its' edges. The edges of what? The Earth, presumably. But the Jalalayn say:

and the angels will be all over its borders the edges of the heavens and above them — the angels that have been mentioned — on that day eight angels or eight files of them will carry the Throne of your Lord. https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=74&tSoraNo=69&tAyahNo=17&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2

Well, if heavens, plural, is meant, then do the seven skies have edges? They're not like domes? The Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs, for verses 16-17 has:

(And the heaven will split asunder) out of awe for the Beneficent and the descent of the angels, (for that day it will be frail) and split.

(And the angels will be on the sides thereof) on its extremities, sides, different directions and parts (and eight) He says: eight different angels, each one of them has four different faces: a human face, a face of an eagle, a face of a lion, and a face of a bull; and it is also said: eight rows; and it is also said: eight parts of the Cherubim, who dwell on the seventh heaven (will uphold the Throne of their Lord that day) the Day of Judgement, (above them) on their necks.

He seems to be thinking of the 'heaven'. Ibn Kathir has:

(And the angels will be on its sides,) The word Malak here is referring to the species of angels (all of them); meaning the angels collectively will be standing on the sides of the heavens. Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said concerning Allah's statement,وَالْمَلَكُ عَلَى أَرْجَآئِهَآ(And the angels will be on its sides,) "This means that they will be standing on what has been ground to powder of the heavens looking at the people of the earth.' https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Kathir/69.13

If the angel(s) is/are standing on the powdered heavens, what supports it/them?

The verse continues and says that eight carry the throne of the author's lord 'above' them. Does this mean that they, whoever, they might be, would be lifting it above their heads 'on that day' (resurrection day?)? Would Allah be on it at the time? These bearers are supposedly angels. A hadith speaks of eight mountain goats. Can a mountain goat be an angel?

It was narrated that 'Abbas bin 'Abdul-Mutallib said:

"I was in Batha with a group of people, among them whom was the Messenger of Allah. A cloud passed over him, and he looked at it and said: 'What do you call this?' They said: 'Sahab (a cloud).' He said: 'And Muzn (rain cloud).' They said: 'And Muzn.' He said: 'And 'Anan (clouds).' Abu Bakr said: "They said: 'And 'Anan.'" He said: 'How much (distance) do you think there is between you and the heavens?' They said: 'We do not know.' He said: 'Between you and it is seventy-one, or seventy-two, or seventy-three years, and there is a similar distance between it and the heaven above it (and so on)' until he counted seven heavens. 'Then above the seventh heaven there is a sea, between whose top and bottom is a distance like that between one heaven and another. Then above that there are eight (angels in the form of) mountain goats. The distance between their hooves and their knees is like the distance between one heaven and the next. Then on their backs is the Throne, and the distance between the top and the bottom of the Throne is like the distance between one heaven and another. Then Allah is above that, the Blessed and Exalted."

https://sunnah.com/urn/1251920