Psalms 77:18 — Word Study
WLCק֤וֹל רַעַמְךָ֨׀ בַּגַּלְגַּ֗ל הֵאִ֣ירוּ בְרָקִ֣ים תֵּבֵ֑ל רָגְזָ֖ה וַתִּרְעַ֣שׁ הָאָֽרֶץ׃
BSAresoundedqôwl
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| ק֤וֹל | [the] sound of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| רַעַמְךָ֨׀ | thunder your | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| בַּגַּלְגַּ֗ל | [was] in the whirlwind | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| הֵאִ֣ירוּ | they lit up | Verb, Hiphil, perfect third person common plural |
| בְרָקִ֣ים | lightning flashes | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| תֵּבֵ֑ל | [the] world | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| רָגְזָ֖ה | it trembled | Verb, Qal, perfect third person feminine singular |
| וַתִּרְעַ֣שׁ | and it shook | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person feminine singular |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | the earth | Particle, noun common feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Your thunder resounded in the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked. |
| KJV | The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook. |
| ASV | The voice of thy thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lightened the world: The earth trembled and shook. |
| YLT | The voice of Thy thunder [is] in the spheres, Lightnings have lightened the world, The earth hath trembled, yea, it shaketh. |
| WEB | The voice of your thunder was in the whirlwind. The lightnings lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook. |
| BBE | The voice of your thunder went rolling on; the world was flaming with the light of the storm; the earth was shaking. |
Translations agree on the imagery of thunder and lightning as expressions of God's power.
The sentence is structured with a main clause followed by descriptive phrases, highlighting the powerful imagery of the storm.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectאַף
verbשַׁחַק
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 77:18
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Power in Naturegenerated
Psalm 77:18 presents a vivid image of God's power through natural phenomena. The psalmist reflects on a storm, using it as a metaphor for God's voice and presence. This passage emphasizes how God communicates through the elements, illustrating His majesty and control over creation, as seen in similar themes throughout the Psalms, such as in Psalm 29:3-9.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 29:3–9 | The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD is heard over many waters. |
| 2 | Exodus 19:16 | On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram’s horn went out, so that all the people in the camp trembled. |
| 3 | Job 37:1–5 | “At this my heart also pounds and leaps from its place. |
| 4 | Revelation 11:19 | Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and an earthquake, and a great hailstorm. |
| 5 | Psalm 97:4 | His lightning illuminates the world; the earth sees and trembles. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 12 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — קֹול, Kolgenerated
The word קֹול (kol) means 'voice' or 'sound' and can refer to various types of noise, including music and thunder. It is often used in the Bible to describe God's voice, emphasizing its power and authority.
This noun is in the masculine singular construct form, indicating a specific sound or voice. The root of the word suggests calling aloud, reinforcing the idea of a powerful proclamation or announcement.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations generally agree on the meaning of the verse.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb הֵאִ֣ירוּ (he'iru) governs the sentence, indicating the action of lighting up. The structure includes several noun phrases and prepositional phrases that describe the subject and the context of the action.
The sentence is structured with the subject בְרָקִ֣ים (barakim) followed by the verb and object, creating a clear depiction of the events occurring during the storm.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates קֹול as πλῆθος (plēthos), meaning 'multitude' or 'abundance'. This choice reflects a broader interpretation of the sound, suggesting not just a singular voice but a powerful chorus of nature responding to God.
This rendering emphasizes the overwhelming nature of God's presence as experienced through the storm, suggesting a collective response from creation.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 77:18 describes a storm where God's thunder is heard, and lightning illuminates the world. The earth responds by trembling and shaking, illustrating God's power over nature.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The thunder symbolizes God's powerful voice and presence, indicating His control over nature.
The lightning represents illumination and revelation, showcasing God's glory and the awe-inspiring aspects of His creation.
The trembling of the earth signifies the response of creation to God's might, illustrating the impact of His presence in the natural world.
This verse connects to themes of God's sovereignty and power over creation, similar to depictions found in other Psalms and prophetic literature.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I see God's power reflected in the natural world around me?
- In what ways can I respond to God's voice in my life?
- What does it mean for me that God communicates through creation?
- How can I cultivate a sense of awe for God's majesty as revealed in nature?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Augustine of Hippo reflects on this verse in his Exposition on Psalms 77, exploring its meaning and implications.
"The voice of Your thunder is in the wheel" [Psalms 77:18]. What is this? How are we to understand it? May the Lord give aid.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 77 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 77:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThe voice of thy thunder was in the heaven,.... Thunder is the voice of God, Job 37:5 this is heard in "the orb" (b), or the air, so called, because spherical; the Targum is "the voice of thy thunder
Read John Gill on Psalms 77 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThe voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 77 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThis tempest is not particularly recorded in its proper place, yet it may well be gathered from what is said ,25, and is in effect acknowledged by Josephus in his history. And this is no new thing in Scripture, for some circumstances of history omitted in the first and properest places to be supplied in following passages; whereof instances have been already given.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 77 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 77:18 The voice of thy thunder [was] in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.Ver. 18. The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven] Heb. in the sphere or round orb of the air. Of the thunder in the air, see Job 37:2-5 Psalms 29:1-11 This made the Egyptians say, Let us flee, for God fighteth for Israel against us. The lightnings lightened the world] Such flakes of fire there were with flashes of lightning, as darkened the sun, and made the whole heaven seem to be on a light fire.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 77 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(18) In the heavens.—Literally, in the vault. The Hebrew, galgal, from gâlal, “to roll,” has the same derivation as “vault” (volutum, from volvo). It is strange that this rendering, which so well suits the parallelism, should have been set aside by modern scholars in favour of “whirlwind” or “rolling chariot wheels.” The LXX. and Vulg. have “wheel,” but possibly with reference to the apparent revolution of the sky. The word, where it occurs in Isaiah 17:13, means something rolled by the whirlwind, not the whirlwind itself.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 77 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges18. in the heaven] The word galgal, derived from a root meaning to roll, was understood by the Jewish commentators to mean the vault or circuit of the heaven. More probably it should be rendered in the whirlwind (R.V.), or, with rumbling, the rolling of the thunder being conceived of as the rolling of God’s chariot-wheels. Cp. Habakkuk 3:8.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 77 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe voice of thy thunder was in the heaven - Compare the notes at Psalms 29:1-11.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 77 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible18. Earth trembled and shook—A description of an earthquake, which associates literally with Sinai, not the Red Sea. See Exodus 19:18; Exodus 20:18; Hebrews 12:18-19
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 77 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Your thunder resounded in the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.
The voice of your thunder was in the whirlwind. The lightnings lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook.
Your thunder resounded in the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.
Your thunderous voice was heard in the wind; the lightning bolts lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
Tyndale line
The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.
The voice of thy thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lightened the world: The earth trembled and shook.
The voice of thy thunder was in the whirlwind; the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.
The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.
The voyce of thy thunder was rounde about: the lightnings lightened the worlde: the earth trembled and shooke.
Strictly literal
The voice of thy thunder was in the whirlwind, lightnings lit up the world; the earth was troubled and it quaked.
The voice of Thy thunder [is] in the spheres, Lightnings have lightened the world, The earth hath trembled, yea, it shaketh.
The voice of Your thunder [is] in the spheres, || Lightnings have lightened the world, || The earth has trembled, indeed, it shakes.
(77:19) The voice of thy thunder was in the whirlwind; lightnings gave light to the world; the earth trembled and quaked,
Your thunderous voice was heard in the wind; the lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
From the Latin
And they tempted God in their hearts, by asking meat for their desires.
Simplified
Your thunder rumbled from the whirlwind; lightning flashes lit up the world; the earth quaked and shook.
The voice of your thunder went rolling on; the world was flaming with the light of the storm; the earth was shaking.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording, with eight out of nine words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain fragments that partially align with the MT, indicating consistency in the core message despite some textual variations.
ק֤וֹל רַעַמְךָ֨׀ בַּגַּלְגַּ֗ל הֵאִ֣ירוּ בְרָקִ֣ים תֵּבֵ֑ל רָגְזָ֖ה וַתִּרְעַ֣שׁ הָאָֽרֶץ׃
8 of the 9 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[אף] [חצצי׳כה] יתהלכו
3 words of the verse are on this fragment — 1 partly restored, 2 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 77:18
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
קוֹל (qol) primarily means 'voice' or 'sound,' encompassing various contexts such as music, noise, and even thunder. It can also denote lightness or frivolity. The word is built from a root meaning to call aloud and appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament, including a reference in Jeremiah 3:9.
ref
H6963a קוֹל sound, voice H6963b קֹל lightness, frivolity
6963 qowl kole
or qol {kole}; from an unused root meaning to call aloud; a
voice or sound:--+ aloud, bleating, crackling, cry (+ out),
fame, lightness, lowing, noise, + hold peace, (pro-)claim,
proclamation, + sing, sound, + spark, thunder(-ing), voice, +
yell.
קוֹל (qol) — voice.
: voice/shout/loud
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קֹל (qol) — frivolity.
lightness, frivolity
קוֹל (qol) — voice: sound.
: sound/noise
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: thunder.
: thunder
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: message.
: message/proclaim
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: [sound of].
: [sound_of](THING)
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: listen.
: listen
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
רַ֫עַם (ra`am) means 'thunder' and is derived from the root word for a peal of thunder. The entries consistently define it as a masculine noun referring specifically to thunder, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
רַ֫עַם n.[m.] thunder
base
H7482 רַ֫עַם thunder
7482 ra`am rah'am
from 7481; a peal of thunder:--thunder.
see HEBREW for 07481
רַ֫עַם (ra.am) — thunder.
thunder
HNcmsc/Sp2ms — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp2ms
גַּלְגַּל (galgal) refers to a wheel or a whirlwind, with implications of something that rolls or whirls, such as dust or chaff. The word is built from reduplication and connects to the concept of movement. It appears in contexts that involve rolling or whirling, but no specific verses are cited.
גַּלְגַּל n.m. wheel, whirl, whirlwind
base
H1534 גַּלְגַּל wheel, whirl, whirlwind
1534 galgal gal-gal'
by reduplication from 1556; a wheel; by analogy, a whirlwind;
also dust (as whirled):--heaven, rolling thing, wheel.
see HEBREW for 01556
גַּלְגַּל (gal.gal) — wheel.
1) wheel, whirl, whirlwind, whirling
1a) wheel
1b) whirl (of dust, chaff)
Aramaic equivalent: gal.gal (גַּלְגַּל "wheel" H1535)
HRd/Ncmsa — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHRd/Ncmsa
- Generally came from the south
- Sometimes came from the north
- Called the whirlwind of God
Jer 23:19; 30:23
- Arose up from the earth
אוֹר (or) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be or become light, covering various contexts such as shining of the sun, illumination by celestial bodies, and lighting lamps. It has different forms: Qal (to shine), Niphal (to be illuminated), and Hiphil (to give light). The entries emphasize both literal and metaphorical uses, including making one's face shine and enlightening the eyes.
[אוֹר] 43 vb. be or become light
Qal;—become light, shine of sun (esp. in early morn.)
Niph.—become lighted up of day-break
Hiph.—
give light, of sun, moon & stars
light up, cause to shine, shine
light a lamp
lighten, of the eyes
make shine, of face of God
base
H215 אוֹר be or become light .—become light, shine of sun (esp. in early morn.)
.—become lighted up of day-break
.— . give light, of sun, moon & stars
. light up, cause to shine, shine
. light a lamp
. lighten, of the eyes
. make shine, of face of God
215 'owr ore
a primitive root; to be (causative, make) luminous (literally
and metaphorically):--X break of day, glorious, kindle, (be,
en-, give, show) light (-en, -ened), set on fire, shine.
אוֹר (or) — to light.
1) to be or become light, shine
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to become light (day)
1a2) to shine (of the sun)
1a3) to become bright
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be illuminated
1b2) to become lighted up
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to give light, shine (of sun, moon, and stars)
1c2) to illumine, light up, cause to shine, shine
1c3) to kindle, light (candle, wood)
1c4) lighten (of the eyes, his law, etc)
1c5) to make shine (of the face)
HVhp3cp — Verb · Hiphil · perfect third person common pluralHVhp3cp
בָּרַק (baraq) refers to lightning and its associated phenomena, such as flashes of light or gleams. It can also describe a bright or glittering object, like a sword or an arrowhead. The entries consistently emphasize its connection to the natural phenomenon of lightning, with no significant disagreement among lexicons.
בָּרַק vb. flash, of lightning
base
בָּרָק n.m. lightning
lit. mostly pl. = lightnings, lightning flashes
fig. (always sing.) of flashing arrow-head
base
H1300a בָּרַק flash of lightning H1300b בָּרָק lightning
1300 baraq baw-rawk'
from 1299; lightning; by analogy, a gleam; concretely, a
flashing sword:--bright, glitter(-ing sword), lightning.
see HEBREW for 01299
בָּרַק (ba.raq) — to use lightning.
to flash (with lightning)
בָּרָק (ba.raq) — lightning.
1) lightning
1a) lightnings, lightning flashes
1b) of flashing arrow-head (fig.)
HNcmpa — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
תֵּבֵל (tebel) means 'world' and is derived from a root meaning 'to be moist.' It refers to the earth as a habitable place, encompassing both the globe and its inhabitants, and can specifically denote regions like Babylonia and Palestine. The entries consistently highlight its connection to the concept of a productive, inhabited land.
תֵּבֵל n.f. world (perh. orig. as productive)
base
H8398 תֵּבֵל world
8398 tebel tay-bale'
from 2986; the earth (as moist and therefore inhabited); by
extension, the globe; by implication, its inhabitants;
specifically, a partic. land, as Babylonia,
Palestine:--habitable part, world.
see HEBREW for 02986
תֵּבֵל (te.vel) — world.
world
HNcfsa — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
The earth on which we dwell, 1Sa 2:8; its inhabitants, Joh 3:16, or a large number of them, Joh 12:19. In several places it is equivalent to "land," meaning the Roman Empire, or Judea and its vicinity, Lu 2:1 4:3 Ac 11:28. It also denotes the objects and interests of time and sense, Ga 6:14 1Jo 2:15.
→ See EARTH
רָגַז (ragaz) is a Hebrew verb meaning to tremble or quake, often in response to strong emotions like anger or fear. It can describe both a state of agitation and the act of causing agitation in others. The entries indicate its use in various forms, including Qal, Hiphil, and Hithpael, covering a range of emotional responses.
רָגַז vb. be agitated, quiver, quake, be excited, perturbed
Qal quake
Hiph. cause to quake, disquiet, enrage
Hithp. excite oneself
base
H7264 רָגַז be agitated, quiver, quake, be excited, perturbed .quake
. cause to quake, disquiet, enrage
. excite oneself
7264 ragaz raw-gaz'
a primitive root; to quiver (with any violent emotion,
especially anger or fear):--be afraid, stand in awe,
disquiet, fall out, fret, move, provoke, quake, rage, shake,
tremble, trouble, be wroth.
רָגַז (ra.gaz) — to tremble.
1) tremble, quake, rage, quiver, be agitated, be excited, be perturbed
1a)(Qal) to quake, be disquieted, be excited, be perturbed
1b) (Hiphil) to cause to quake, disquiet, enrage, disturb
1c) (Hithpael) to excite oneself
HVqp3fs — Verb · Qal · perfect third person feminine singularHVqp3fs
רָעַשׁ (ra`ash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to quake or shake. It describes actions such as trembling or moving, often due to fear, and can also refer to the springing of a horse. The verb appears in different forms, including Qal (to shake), Niphal (to be made to quake), and Hiphil (to cause to quake or leap).
[רָעַשׁ] vb. quake, shake
Qal quake, shake
Niph. is made to quake
Hiph.
cause to quake
cause (horse) to spring, leap (like locust)
base
H7493 [רָעַשׁ] quake, shake
7493 ra`ash raw-ash
a primitive root; to undulate (as the earth, the sky, etc.;
also a field of grain), partic. through fear; specifically, to
spring (as a locust):--make afraid, (re-)move, quake, (make
to) shake, (make to) tremble.
רָעַשׁ (ra.ash) — to shake.
1) to quake, shake
1a) (Qal) to quake, shake
1b) (Niphal) to be made to quake
1c)(Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to quake
1c2) to cause to spring or leap (of horse)
Hc/Vqw3fs — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singularHc/Vqw3fs
אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.
אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land
earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
earth, opp. to heaven, sky
earth = inhabitants of earth
land =
country, territory
district, region
trial territory
piece of ground
specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
= inhabitants of land
used even of Shᵉʼôl
ground, surface of ground
soil, as productive
אֶרֶץ in phrases
people of the land
in measurements of distance
the country of the plain, level or plain country
land of the living
end(s) of the earth
pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
base
H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
. earth, opp. to heaven, sky
. earth = inhabitants of earth
. land = . country, territory
. district, region
. trial territory
. piece of ground
. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
. = inhabitants of land
. used even of Shᵉʼôl
. . ground, surface of ground
. soil, as productive
. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land
. in measurements of distance
. the country of the plain, level or plain country
. land of the living
. end(s) of the earth
. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
776 'erets eh'-rets
from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth
(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,
field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.
אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.
: country/field
1) land, earth
1a) earth
1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
1a3) earth (inhabitants)
1b) land
1b1) country, territory
1b2) district, region
1b3) tribal territory
1b4) piece of ground
1b5) land of Canaan, Israel
1b6) inhabitants of land
1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world
1b8) city (-state)
1c) ground, surface of the earth
1c1) ground
1c2) soil
1d) (in phrases)
1d1) people of the land
1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)
1d3) level or plain country
1d4) land of the living
1d5) end(s) of the earth
1e) (almost wholly late in usage)
1e1) lands, countries
1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan
אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.
: soil
1) land, earth
1a) earth
1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
1a3) earth (inhabitants)
1b) land
1b1) country, territory
HTd/Ncfsa — Particle · noun common feminine singular absoluteHTd/Ncfsa
urth ('adhamah, 'erets, 'aphar; ge, oikoumene):
In a hilly limestone country like Palestine, the small amount of iron oxide in the rocks tends to be oxidized, and thereby to give a prevailing reddish color to the soil. This is especially the case on relatively barren hills where there is little organic matter present to prevent reddening and give a more blackish tinge.
'Adhamah (compare 'adham, "a man," and Adam) is from 'adham, "to be red," and is used in the senses: "earth" (Ex 20:24), "land" (Ps 105:35), a "land" or country (Isa 14:2), "ground" (Ge 4:11), "the earth" (Ge 7:4).
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 (
The term is used in two widely-different senses: (1) for the material of which the earth’s surface is composed; (2) as the name of the planet on which man dwells. The Hebrew language discriminates between these two by the use of separate terms, adamah for the former, erets for the latter. Adamah is the earth in the sense of soil or ground, particularly as being susceptible of cultivation. (Genesis 2:7) Erets is applied in a more or less extended sense-- (1) to the whole world, (Genesis 1:1) (2) to land as opposed to sea, (Genesis 1:10) (3) to a country, (Genesis 21:32) (4) to a plot of ground, (Genesis 23:15) and (5) to…
In both Hebrew and Greek the same word is used to denote the earth as a whole, and a particular land. Only the context can enable us to decide in which of these senses it is to be taken in a given passage.
Thus in Mt 27:45 we might, so far as the original word is concerned, render either "there was darkness over all the land," or over all the earth. The expression "all the earth" is sometimes used hyperbolically for a large portion of it, Ezr 1:2. The word is used of the whole world, etc. In a moral sense, earthly is opposed to what is heavenly, spiritual and holy, Joh 3:31 1Co 15:47 Col 3:2