Earth

• 1 min. read • grade level: 7

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.

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