H776. erets

אֶ֫רֶץ‎₂₄₀₇ noun feminine^{Genesis 10:11} & (seldom) masculine^13:16 earth, land (Phoenician, MI ארץ‎, Assyrian irƒitu COT^Gloss, Arabic , Sabean ארץֿ‎ e.g. Os⁹ DHM^{ZMG 1875, 594, 614}; Semitic Sprachf. 12, compare Prä^{BAS i. 374 n.}, Aramaic אֲרַע‎, ) — ׳א‎ absolute 1:24 +; construct 2:11 +; אָ֑רֶץ‎ 1:10 +; with article always הָאָ֫רֶץ‎ 1:11 +; with ָ ה‎ locative אַ֫רְצָה‎ 11:31 +, (this form also in poetry = אֶרֶץ‎ Job 34:13 +); suffix אַרְצִי‎ 20:15 +; אַרְצְךָ (אַרְצֶ֑ךָ)‎ 12:1 +, etc.; plural אֲרָצוֺת‎ Jeremiah 28:8 65t.; construct אַרְצוֺת‎ Ezekiel 39:27 6t.; suffix אַרְצֹתָם‎ Genesis 10:5 2t.; —

1. a. earth, whole earth (opposed to a part) Genesis 18:18, 25; 22:18 (= הָאֲדָמָה‎ 12:3) Jeremiah 25:26, 29, 30; 26:6; Isaiah 37:16, 20 = 2 Kings 19:15; 19:19; Zechariah 4:10; 4:14 +.

b. earth, opposed to heaven, sky Genesis 1:2; Exodus 20:4; Deuteronomy 5:8; 30:19; Judges 5:4; Lamentations 2:1; Isaiah 37:16 = 2 Kings 19:15; Psalm 146:6; 1 Chronicles 21:16; 29:11; 2 Chronicles 2:11 +; as permanent Ecclesiastes 1:4; built on foundations, or pillars 1 Samuel 2:8; Psalm 104:5; Job 38:4; Isaiah 48:13; 51:13, 16 compare also 24:18; Psalm 82:5; firm, so that its shaking is something terrible, & token of terrible power 1 Samuel 14:4; 2 Samuel 22:8 = Psalm 18:8; Job 9:6 compare Psalm 46:2 & 46:6; so also Amos 8:8; Isaiah 2:19, 21; 24:18-19, 20; Psalm 60:4; 77:19; 99:1; 114:7; as hung on nothing Job 26:7; with waters under it Exodus 20:4 = Deuteronomy 5:8 compare Genesis 7:11; personified, especially as addressed, called to witness, etc. Deuteronomy 32:1; Jeremiah 6:19; 22:29; Isaiah 1:2; Micah 1:2; Job 16:18.

c. earth = inhabitants of earth Genesis 6:11; 1 Kings 2:2; 10:24; Psalm 33:8; 66:4 +?א ׳תֵּבֵל‎ Proverbs 8:31; Job 37:12.

2 land =

a. country, territory, ׳א שִׁנְעָר‎ Genesis 10:10, ׳א מִצְרַיִם‎ 21:21; compare also 10:11; 11:28, 31; 13:10; 47:6, 27; 50:8; Isaiah 7:18; 23:1; 23:13; 27:13; Psalm 78:12; Jeremiah 25:20; 1 Chronicles 1:43; personified Isaiah 62:4; Ecclesiastes 10:16-17,.

b. district, region Genesis 19:28; 22:2; Joshua 11:3; Psalm 42:7.

c. tribal territory Deuteronomy 34:2; Judges 21:21; 1 Samuel 9:4, 16; 13:7; 1 Kings 15:20; Isaiah 8:23; and still smaller territories 1 Samuel 9:4-5,.

d. piece of ground Genesis 23:15.

e. specifically land of Canaan, or Israel Genesis 11:31; 12:1; 12:5; 12:6; 12:7; 31:3; Exodus 14:34; Deuteronomy 17:14; 18:9; 2 Kings 5:2, 4 +; especially object of יָרַשׁ‎ possess Deuteronomy 3:20 +? Deuteronomy, Psalms and elsewhere; so after נָחַל‎ Joshua 19:49 +; נָתַן‎ Deuteronomy 1:21 +.

f. = inhabitants land Leviticus 19:29; Ezekiel 14:13 +? Deuteronomy 24:4; Zechariah 12:12 etc.

g. used even of Sh®°ôl Job 10:21-22, (compare Assyrian irƒit la târat, land without return, in Descent of Ishtar, see Jr^{10. 65}); see also Psalm 139:15; Isaiah 44:23.

3. a. ground, surface of ground = אֲדָמָה‎ q. v. Genesis 1:26, 30; 18:2; 33:3; 38:9; Exodus 4:3; 16:4; Ruth 2:10; 1 Samuel 5:4 + very often in Samuel.

b. soil, as productive = אֲדָמָה‎ Genesis 1:11-12, Leviticus 19:9; 25:9; 26:4 compare Numbers 14:7-8, Isaiah 36:7 = 2 Kings 18:32; Psalm 72:6; 72:16; 107:34; 107:35; Ezra 9:12; Nehemiah 9:35.

4 אֶרֶץ‎ in phrases:

a. people of the land ׳עַםהָֿא‎ of non-Israelites Genesis 23:7, 12, 13 (P) Numbers 14:9 (JE); as well as Israel Leviticus 20:4 (H) 2 Kings 15:5; 16:15; 21:24 (twice in verse); especially common people, opposed to officials, princes Leviticus 4:27 (P) Ezekiel 7:27; 2 Kings 11:18-19,.

b. in measurements of distance, הָא ׳כִּבְרַת‎ the space or distance of country (see כּברה‎) Genesis 35:16, so א ׳כִּבְרַת‎ some distance 48:7; 2 Kings 5:19.

c. הַמִּישׁוֺר אֶרֶץ‎ the country of the plain, level or plain country Deuteronomy 4:33; Jeremiah 48:21; ׳א מִישׁוֺר‎ figurative Psalm 143:10 (but read ᵑ6 אֹרַח‎ Bi Gr Che, compare 27:11).

d. ׳א חַיִּים‎ land of the living Psalm 27:13; ׳א הַחַיִּים‎ 142:6.

e. הָא ׳קְצֵה‎ end(s) of the earth Isaiah 42:10; 43:6 ("" רָחוֺק‎) Psalm 135:7; Proverbs 17:24, so א ׳אַפְסֵי‎ 30:4 +; הָא ׳קְצוֺת‎ Isaiah 40:28; 41:5, 9.

5 plural אֲרָצוֺת‎ is almost wholly late, Jeremiah 16:15 6t. Jeremiah; 23t. Ezekiel; Isaiah 36:20; 37:11 = 2 Kings 18:35; 19:11 (Isaiah 37:18 read הַגּוֺיִם‎ see Che Di & compare 2 Kings 19:17); 22t. Chronicles; Daniel 9:7; 11:40, 42; Psalm 105:44; 106:27; 107:3; 116:9; besides these only P Genesis 10:5, 20, 31; Leviticus 26:36, 39, except Genesis 26:3-4, (J^R) 41:54 (JE); it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc., see especially absolute Ezekiel 20:32; 22:4; = the various petty divisions of Canaan afterward united under Israel's control Genesis 26:3-4, compare 1 Chronicles 13:2 יִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְצוֺת‎, 2 Chronicles 11:23 יְהוּדָה אַרְצוֺת‎.