Earth

"(1.) In the sense of soil or ground, the translation of the word" "adamah'. In Gen. 9:20 "husbandman" is literally "man of the" "ground or earth." Altars were to be built of earth (Ex. 20:24)." "Naaman asked for two mules' burden of earth (2 Kings 5:17)," "under the superstitious notion that Jehovah, like the gods of" "the heathen, could be acceptably worshipped only on his own" soil. "(2). As the rendering of 'erets, it means the whole world (Gen. 1:2); the land as opposed to the sea (1:10). Erets also denotes a country (21:32); a plot of ground (23:15); the ground on which a man stands (33:3); the inhabitants of the earth (6:1; 11:1); all the world except Israel (2 Chr. 13:9). In the New Testament the earth denotes the land of Judea (Matt. 23:35); also things "carnal in contrast with things heavenly (John 3:31; Col. 3:1," 2).

Mentioned among the extraordinary phenomena of Palestine (Ps. 18:7; comp. Hab. 3:6; Nah. 1:5; Isa. 5:25). "The first earthquake in Palestine of which we have any record "happened in the reign of Ahab (1 Kings 19:11, 12). Another took" "place in the days of Uzziah, King of Judah (Zech. 14:5). The" most memorable earthquake taking place in New Testament times happened at the crucifixion of our Lord (Matt. 27:54). An earthquake at Philippi shook the prison in which Paul and Silas were imprisoned (Act 16:26). "It is used figuratively as a token of the presence of the Lord (Judg. 5:4; 2 Sam. 22:8; Ps. 77:18; 97:4; 104:32).