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G1093 · Greek · New Testament
γῆ
Noun Feminine
earth, land, soil, ground

Definition

The noun is one of the most common Greek nouns in the NT, carrying three main senses: (1) the physical earth or world as the habitat of humans (contrasted with heaven); (2) a specific land or region (the land of Israel, Egypt, etc.); and (3) the ground or soil itself (as in agricultural metaphors). It translates the Hebrew erets (H776) extensively in the LXX.

Usage & Theological Significance

The opening verse of the Bible establishes as God's creation: 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth [gē]' (Gen 1:1 LXX). Jesus' fifth Beatitude (Matt 5:5) promises the meek that they will 'inherit the earth [gē]' — a direct echo of Psalm 37:11, anchoring a bodily, material eschatology in which the redeemed receive tangible inheritance. John 12:24 uses in the grain parable: a kernel falls into the earth [] and dies — the image of Christ's own death and resurrection as the seed that produces abundant harvest. Revelation 21:1 announces a 'new earth [gē]' — the creation redeemed and renewed, not destroyed and replaced. The arc of Scripture is a movement: from the garden-earth of Genesis to the city-earth of Revelation, with Christ's resurrection as the firstfruits guarantee of the whole earth's eventual renewal.

Key Bible Verses

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth [].
Matthew 5:18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth [] disappear, not the smallest letter will disappear from the Law.
John 12:24 …unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground [] and dies, it remains only a single seed.
Acts 1:8 …and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth [].
Revelation 21:1 Then I saw 'a new heaven and a new earth [],' for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.

Related Words

External Resources

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