earth, world

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(producer). The world (Gen. 1:1¹In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)); dry land (Gen. 1:10¹⁰And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:10)); the soil (Gen. 2:7⁷And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)).

“Earth” From Concise Bible Dictionary:

Several Hebrew words are translated “earth,” but they are not employed to distinguish the earth as a sphere from the surface of the earth, or ground; nor to discriminate between the general surface of the earth, and any portion of it as “land,” or the soil of the earth. Thus adanzah generally refers to the earth as ground or soil: the rain falls on “the earth” (Gen. 7:4⁴For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth. (Genesis 7:4)); “an altar of earth” (Ex. 20:24²⁴An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. (Exodus 20:24)); man “returneth to his earth” (Psa. 146:4⁴His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. (Psalm 146:4)); but it often refers to the “land” of Israel: “prolong your days upon the land”; “dwell in the land”; “live in the land”; “the land which I sware unto their fathers” (Deut. 30:18, 20¹⁸I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. (Deuteronomy 30:18)
²⁰That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. (Deuteronomy 30:20); Deut. 31:13, 20¹³And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it. (Deuteronomy 31:13)
²⁰For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant. (Deuteronomy 31:20)).

Another word, erets, has wider significations: sometimes the earth as a sphere: “God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen. 1:1¹In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)); He “hangeth the earth upon nothing” (Job 26:7⁷He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. (Job 26:7)): but in other places it is restricted to districts: “out of that land went forth Asshur”; “after their tongues in their countries”; “in his days was the earth divided” (Gen. 10:11,20,25¹¹Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, (Genesis 10:11)
²⁰These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations. (Genesis 10:20)
²⁵And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan. (Genesis 10:25)).

In the New Testament the word γῆ is employed for all the above various significations. It is used symbolically as a characteristic of man according to his natural estate. “He that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth” (John 3:31³¹He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. (John 3:31)).

From the above examples it will be seen that in some instances where the AV has “earth,” the “land” only, or the land of Canaan, may be intended; the context must be studied in each case.

“World, The” From Concise Bible Dictionary:

The word commonly so rendered in the Old Testament is tebel, signifying “the habitable earth:” it is an expression of limited bearing, applied to that sphere which comes more directly under divine dealings (Psa. 90:2²Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. (Psalm 90:2)); and to the inhabitants, who will be judged (Psa. 9:8⁸And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. (Psalm 9:8)). The word in the New Testament answering to the above, is; οἰκονμέη its various applications can be seen (Luke 2:1¹And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (Luke 2:1); Acts 11:28²⁸And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. (Acts 11:28); Acts 17:6, 31⁶And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; (Acts 17:6)
³¹Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31); Acts 19:27²⁷So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. (Acts 19:27); Heb. 2:5⁵For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. (Hebrews 2:5)). In the last passage it is the coming world, that is, that which is put under the Son of Man, that is spoken of.

In the New Testament κόσμος is the more general word, which in Greek writers signifies “order, regularity, ornament”; it is translated “adorning” (1 Pet. 3:3³Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; (1 Peter 3:3)). The heaven and the earth, because of their order and beauty, are called cosmos, “the world.” This word is employed for “world” in its various meanings, as for instance the material earth (Rom. 1:20²⁰For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Romans 1:20)); the inhabitants of the world that will be judged (Rom. 3:6⁶God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? (Romans 3:6)); and in a moral sense as the condition and spirit which is opposed to God (1 Cor. 2:12¹²Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (1 Corinthians 2:12); James 4:4⁴Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (James 4:4); 1 John 2:16¹⁶For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1 John 2:16)).

Another word, αἰών, “age, duration,” is applied both to the present age, the course of this world, and to age-enduring, or eternity (Rom. 12:2²And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2); Gal. 1:4⁴Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: (Galatians 1:4); Eph. 1:21²¹Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: (Ephesians 1:21); Eph. 6:12¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)). With a preposition it is translated “forever,” and when the word is repeated, “forever and ever,” or “to the ages of ages” (2 Cor. 9:9⁹(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. (2 Corinthians 9:9); Gal. 1:5⁵To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Galatians 1:5); Phil. 4:20²⁰Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Philippians 4:20); 1 Tim. 1:17¹⁷Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)). In two passages this word refers to the material worlds (Heb. 1:2²Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Hebrews 1:2); Heb. 11:3³Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Hebrews 11:3)).

Strong’s Dictionary of Greek Words:

Number:

3625 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)

Greek:

οἰκουμένη

Transliteration:

oikoumene

Phonic:

oy-kou-men’-ay

Meaning:

feminine participle present passive of 3611 (as noun, by implication, of 1093); land, i.e. the (terrene part of the) globe; specially, the Roman empire

KJV Usage:

earth, world