Bible Encyclopedias
Earth

　　Besides the ordinary senses of the word or words rendered 'earth' in our translation—namely, as denoting mold, the surface of the earth, and the terrestrial globe—there are others in Scripture which require to be discriminated.

　　 1. 'The earth' denotes 'the inhabitants of the earth' (; ).

　　 2. Heathen countries, as distinguished from the land of Israel, especially during the theocracy, i.e. all the rest of the world excepting Israel (; , etc.).

　　 3. In the New Testament especially, 'the earth' appears in our translation as applied to the land of Judea. As in many of these passages it might seem as if the habitable globe were intended, the use of so ambiguous a term as 'the earth' should have been avoided, and the original rendered by 'the land,' as in;; and elsewhere. This is the sense which the original bears in;;;;;; .