earth, land

Definition

The term “earth” refers to the world on which human beings and other living things live. In the Bible, this term is sometimes translated as “land” when used in a general way to refer to the ground or the soil, or when used in a specific way to refer to a particular geographical area, usually a country or nation.

• In the Bible, the term “earth” is often paired with the term “heaven” as a way of indicating the abode of humankind on the earth in contrast with the abode of God in heaven.
• This term is usually translated “land” when paired with the name of a people group to denote the territory belonging to those people, such as “the land of Canaan.”
• The term “earthly” is sometimes used to refer to things that are physical and/or visible in contrast to things that are non-physical and/or invisible.

Translation Suggestions

• This term can be translated by the word or phrase that the local language or nearby national languages use to refer to the planet earth on which we live.
• Depending on the context, “earth” could also be translated as “world” or “land” or “dirt” or “soil.”

• Ways to translate “earthly” could include “physical” or “things of this earth” or “visible.”

(See also: world, heaven)

Bible References

• 1 Kings 1:38-40
• 2 Chronicles 2:11-12
• Daniel 4:35
• Luke 12:51
• Matthew 6:10
• Matthew 11:25
• Zechariah 6:5

Word Data

• Strong’s: H0127, H0772, H0776, H0778, H2789, H3007, H3335, H6083, H7494, G10930, G19190, G27090, G28860, G36250, G45780, G55170