Job 12:15 — Word Study
WLCהֵ֤ן יַעְצֹ֣ר בַּמַּ֣יִם וְיִבָ֑שׁוּ וִֽ֝ישַׁלְּחֵ֗ם וְיַ֖הַפְכוּ אָֽרֶץ׃
BSAIfhên He holds backʻâtsâr▸ [the Almighty, All-Powerful, restrains, withholds] the watersmayim [liquid, source of refreshment] they dry upyâbêsh▸ [wither, become parched] and if He releases themshâlach▸ [sends forth, unleashes] they overwhelmhâphak▸ [overturn, flood] the landʼerets [earth, territory, region]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הֵ֤ן | there! | Particle |
| יַעְצֹ֣ר | he holds back | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| בַּמַּ֣יִם | the waters | Preposition, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| וְיִבָ֑שׁוּ | so they may be dry | Conjunction, verb qal third person masculine plural |
| וִֽ֝ישַׁלְּחֵ֗ם | and he lets loose them | Conjunction, verb piel third person masculine singular, suffix |
| וְיַ֖הַפְכוּ | and they may devastate | Conjunction, verb qal third person masculine plural |
| אָֽרֶץ׃ | [the] earth | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land. |
| KJV | Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth. |
| ASV | Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; Again, he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth. |
| YLT | Lo, He keepeth in the waters, and they are dried up, And he sendeth them forth, And they overturn the land. |
| WEB | Behold, he withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth. |
| BBE | Truly, he keeps back the waters and they are dry; he sends them out and the earth is overturned. |
The translations agree on the essential meaning of God's control over the waters.
The sentence is structured with conditional clauses that present God's actions and their direct consequences.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbעָצַר
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 — Job 12:15
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 — Job's Reflection on God's Sovereigntygenerated
Job 12:15 expresses Job's insight into the might of God, who can control the waters of the earth. This verse is part of a larger argument where Job emphasizes God's unmatched power compared to human wisdom. He illustrates how God's actions can lead to both desolation and abundance, reinforcing the theme of divine authority throughout the chapter.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 12:10 | The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind. |
| 2 | Genesis 8:1–2 | But God remembered Noah and all the animals and livestock that were with him in the ark. And God sent a wind over the earth, and the waters began to subside. |
| 3 | 1 Kings 8:35–36 | When the skies are shut and there is no rain because Your people have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and they turn from their sins because You have afflicted them, |
| 4 | 1 Kings 17:1 | Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD lives—the God of Israel before whom I stand—there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word!” |
| 5 | Jeremiah 14:22 | Can the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies alone send showers? Is this not by You, O LORD our God? So we put our hope in You, for You have done all these things. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 13 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יַעְצֹ֣ר, ya'.Tzorgenerated
The verb עָצַר (atsar) means to restrain or hold back. It is used here to describe God's ability to control the waters, a powerful metaphor for His dominion over nature. The parsing indicates it is in the imperfect tense, suggesting an ongoing capability rather than a one-time action.
This word is significant in the context of Job's discourse, highlighting the contrast between God's omnipotence and human frailty. The use of this verb underscores the idea that God actively restrains the forces of nature, demonstrating His sovereign will.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered similarly across translations, with the BSB, KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE all conveying the essential meaning of God's control over the waters.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse consists of two main clauses connected by 'and': the first clause describes God's action of holding back the waters, and the second details the consequence of His release. This parallelism emphasizes the contrast between restraint and unleashing.
The finite verbs are יַעְצֹ֣ר (he holds back) and ישַׁלְּחֵ֗ם (he lets loose them), with the subsequent phrases describing the resulting actions of the waters and their effects on the land.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יַעְצֹ֣ר as κωλύσῃ, meaning 'to hinder' or 'to restrain'. This choice emphasizes the active role of God in controlling the waters, aligning with the Hebrew meaning but possibly suggesting a more direct intervention.
The Greek translation reflects the same themes of control and authority, indicating the translators understood the significance of God's power over creation.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 12:15 shows that God has the power to control the waters of the earth. If He holds them back, they dry up, but if He releases them, they can flood the land. This reflects God's authority over nature and His ability to bring about both drought and abundance.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies God's control over nature and His ability to prevent calamity or desolation.
By showing that God can both restrain and unleash the waters, demonstrating His sovereignty over creation.
The waters symbolize life and sustenance; their control reflects God's authority over life itself.
It emphasizes the contrast between divine wisdom and human understanding, a central theme in Job's discourse.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I seen God's control over nature in my own life?
- How can I better understand the balance of God's power and human frailty?
- What does this verse teach me about trusting in God's sovereignty?
- How does recognizing God's authority over creation impact my perspective on challenges I face?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers also reflected on this verse, interpreting it to illustrate God's control and the significance of water as a metaphor for knowledge and preaching.
If He withholdeth the waters, all things are dried up. If He sendeth them out, they will overturn the earth. If 'water' be understood of knowledge for preaching, as when it is written, The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters,Early Church Fathers on Job 12 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 12:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleBehold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up,.... Or "lays a restraint in" or "on the waters" (s); either in the ocean, as he did at the creation, when he gathered the waters that were upon the
Read John Gill on Job 12 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryBehold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth. Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 12 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHe withholdeth the waters; which are reserved in the clouds, that they may not fall upon the earth. They dry up, i.e. the waters upon the earth, ponds, and springs, and brooks, and rivers.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 12 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 12:15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.Ver. 15. Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up] He not only, when he pleaseth, imprisoneth men, but waters also, that they cannot get out of the clouds, those bottles of rain, those airy sponges, vessels as thin as the liquor that is contained in them; it is from the power of God that they dissolve not upon us at once, and overwhelm us. Bartholinus reports that in the year of grace 1551 a great number of men and cattle were drowned by the sudden breaking of a cloud; various vineyards, stone walls, strong houses, were destroyed and ruined. At sea, sometimes, ships…
Read John Trapp on Job 12 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 15. He withholdeth the waters] This is, I think, an allusion to the third day's work of the creation, Genesis 1:9: And God said, Let the waters be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear. Thus the earth was drained, and the waters collected into seas, and bound to their particular places. Also he sendeth them out] Here is also an allusion to the flood, for when he broke up the fountains of the great deep, then the earth was overturned.
Read AdamClarke on Job 12 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges15. withholdeth the waters] In droughts. The second half of the verse refers to floods and cataclysms.
Read Cambridge on Job 12 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHe withholdeth the waters - From the clouds and springs. He has control over the rains and the fountains; and when these are withheld, rivers and lakes become dry.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 12 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible15. Is thought by some to refer to the deluge. Compare Psalms 104:29-30.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 12 →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
If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.
Behold, he withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth.
If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.
If he holds back the waters, then they dry up; if he releases them, they destroy the land.
Tyndale line
Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; Again, he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; again, he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
Beholde, he withholdeth the waters, and they drie vp: but when he sendeth them out, they destroy the earth.
Strictly literal
Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; and he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
Lo, He keepeth in the waters, and they are dried up, And he sendeth them forth, And they overturn the land.
Behold, He keeps in the waters, and they are dried up, || And He sends them forth, || And they overturn the land.
Behold, he restraineth the waters, and they dry up; or he suffereth them to flow, and they overturn the earth.
See, if he withholds the waters, they dry up; and if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
From the Latin
If he withhold the waters, all things shall be dried up: and if he send them out, they shall overturn the earth.
Simplified
If God holds back the waters, everything dries up; if he releases the waters, the earth floods.
Truly, he keeps back the waters and they are dry; he sends them out and the earth is overturned.
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 for this verse, with six of the seven words matched. The Septuagint's word order differs, but the essential meaning remains consistent across both texts.
הֵ֤ן יַעְצֹ֣ר בַּמַּ֣יִם וְיִבָ֑שׁוּ וִֽ֝ישַׁלְּחֵ֗ם וְיַ֖הַפְכוּ אָֽרֶץ׃
6 of the 7 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.
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 Job 12:15
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.
הֵן (hen) is a demonstrative adverb or interjection meaning 'lo!' or 'behold!'. It is primarily used to draw attention to a fact that prompts action or leads to a conclusion. The word can also express surprise and is less common than its counterpart הִנֵּה (hinneh). Additionally, it can function hypothetically as 'if'.
הֵן 100 demonstr.adv. or interj. lo!, behold (on etym. v. הִנֵּה), less widely used than הִנֵּה, and in prose mostly confined to calling attention to some fact upon which action is to be taken, or a conclusion based
base
H2005 הֵן demonstr. adv. or interj. lo!, behold (on etym. v. הִנֵּה), less widely used than הִנֵּה, and in prose mostly confined to calling attention to some fact upon which action is to be taken, or a conclusion based
2005 hen hane
a primitive particle; lo!; also (as expressing surprise)
if:--behold, if, lo, though.
הֵן (hen) — look!.
interj
1) behold, lo, though hypothetical part
2) if
Aramaic equivalent: hen (הֵן "look!" H2006A)
Part — ParticleHTj
עָצַר (atsar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to restrain or retain. It encompasses a range of actions such as holding back, stopping, and withholding. The entries indicate it can be used in various forms, including Qal and Niphal, to express both active and passive restraint. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
עָצַר 46 vb. restrain, retain
Qal
restrain
(late) retain
Niph. be restrained, stayed
.
base
H6113 עָצַר restrain, retain
6113 `atsar aw-tsar'
a primitive root; to inclose; by analogy, to hold back; also
to maintain, rule, assemble:--X be able, close up, detain,
fast, keep (self close, still), prevail, recover, refrain, X
reign, restrain, retain, shut (up), slack, stay, stop,
withhold (self).
עָצַר (a.tsar) — to restrain.
1) to restrain, retain, close up, shut, withhold, refrain, stay, detain
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to restrain, halt, stop
1a2) to retain
1b) (Niphal) to be restrained, be stayed, be under restraint
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
מַי (mayim) is a Hebrew word meaning 'water' and is used in the plural form. It encompasses various meanings, including literal water, urine, and metaphorical uses related to refreshment or danger. The entries indicate it is derived from a primitive noun and is primarily referenced in contexts involving water.
[מַי] 580 n.m. only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water
base
H4325 מַי only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water
4325 mayim mah'-yim
dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense);
water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:--+
piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).
מַי (ma.yim) — water.
1) water, waters
1a) water
1b) water of the feet, urine
1c) of danger, violence, transitory things, refreshment (fig.)
מַי (ma.yim) — Water (Gate).
This name means water, refreshment
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absoluteHRd/Ncmpa
wo'-terz (mayim, plural of may, "water"; in the New Testament hudor, "water"; kindunois potamon (2Co 11:26), the King James Version "perils of waters," is in the Revised Version (British and American) "perils of rivers"): In the New Testament there is frequent reference to the water of baptism. Pilate washes his hands with water to signify his guiltlessness. Jesus tells the Samaritan woman of the living water. The Lamb shall guide the redeemed unto fountains of waters of life.
The uses of mayim are well classified in BDB, especially the figurative references, as follows: a symbol of distress, "when thou passest through the waters" (Isa 43:2); of force, "like the breach of waters" (2Sa 5:20); of that which is overwhelming, "a…
יָבֵשׁ (yabesh) primarily means to be dry or to wither. It can refer to something that is dried up or lacking moisture, as well as the act of drying something out. The word has different forms, including Qal (to be dry), Piel (to make dry), and Hiphil (to dry up). It conveys a sense of desiccation or loss of vitality.
יָבֵשׁ vb. be dry, dried up, withered
Qal
be dry, dried up without moisture
be dried up
Pi. make dry, dry up
Hiph. dry up, make dry
dry up water
make dry, wither
exhibit dryness
base
H3001 יָבֵשׁ be dry, dried up, withered
3001 yabesh yaw-bashe'
a primitive root; to be ashamed, confused or disappointed;
also (as failing) to dry up (as water) or wither (as
herbage):--be ashamed, clean, be confounded, (make) dry (up),
(do) shame(-fully), X utterly, wither (away).
יָבֵשׁ (ya.vesh) — to wither.
1) to make dry, wither, be dry, become dry, be dried up, be withered
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be dry, be dried up, be without moisture
1a2) to be dried up
1b) (Piel) to make dry, dry up
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to dry up, make dry
1c1a) to dry up (water)
1c1b) to make dry, wither
1c1c) to exhibit dryness
Conj | V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Conjunction · verb qal third person masculine pluralHC/Vqu3mp
The Hebrew word שָׁלַח (shalach) is a primitive root meaning 'to send' with a wide range of applications. It can refer to sending away, stretching out (especially a hand), or letting go. The entries indicate various forms, including sending off, casting out, and setting free. Notably, it can also imply divorce or being sent away in a marital context.
שָׁלַח 814 vb. send
Qal
send: human subj.
send: subj. י׳ (God)
stretch out, esp. acc. hand
rarely send away: human subj.
let loose
Niph. letters were sent
Pi.
send off, away, human subj.
send away, subj. י׳
give over
cast out
send out, forth
let go, set free
shoot forth branches
let down
shoot
Phrases
Pu. be sent off (started on journey); be put away, divorced, of wife; be impelled(?)
Hiph. and I (י׳) will send
base
H7971 שָׁלַח send .. send: human subj.
. send: subj. י׳ (God)
. stretch out, esp. acc. hand
. rarely send away: human subj.
. let loose
. letters were sent
. . send off, away, human subj.
. . send away, subj. י׳
. give over
. cast out
. send out, forth
. let go, set free
. shoot forth branches
. let down
. shoot
. Phrases
. be sent off (started on journey); be put away, divorced, of wife; be impelled(?)
. and I (י׳) will send
7971 shalach shaw-lakh'
a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great
variety of applications):--X any wise, appoint, bring (on the
way), cast (away, out), conduct, X earnestly, forsake, give
(up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose),
push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send
(away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread,
stretch forth (out).
שָׁלַח (sha.lach) — to send: depart.
: depart/send
1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to send
1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct
1a3) to send away
1a4) to let loose
1b) (Niphal) to be sent
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out
1c2) to let go, set free
1c3) to shoot forth (of branches)
1c4) to let down
1c5) to shoot
1d) (Pual) to be sent off, be put away, be divorced, be impelled
1e) (Hiphil) to send
שָׁלַח (sha.lach) — to send: let go.
: let_go/free
1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to send
1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct
1a3) to send away
1a4) to let loose
1b) (Niphal) to be sent
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out
1c2) to let go, set free
1c3) to shoot forth (of branches)
1c4) to let down
1c5) to shoot
Conj | V-Piel-Imperf-3ms | Suff — Conjunction · verb piel third person masculine singular · suffixHC/Vpu3ms/Sp3mp
הָפַךְ (haphak) is a Hebrew verb meaning to turn or overturn, with implications of change and transformation. It can describe actions like turning back, being reversed, or even being perverse. The entries highlight various grammatical forms, including reflexive and passive uses, indicating a wide range of applications in the Old Testament.
הָפַךְ vb. turn, overturn
Qal
trans.
turn, turn about, turn over
overturn, overthrow
turn = change, transform
intrans.
turn, turn back
turn = change, change into
Niph.
reflex. & intrans.
turn oneself, turn, turn back
turn = change (oneself)
be perverse
pass.
be turned, turn over to
be reversed
be turned, changed
be overturned, overthrown
be upturned, of subterran. work of miners
Hithp.
turn this way & that, every way
transform oneself
Hoph. there have been turned upon me terrors
base
H2015 הָפַךְ turn, overturn .. trans. . turn, turn about, turn over
. overturn, overthrow
. turn = change, transform
. intrans. . turn, turn back
. turn = change, change into
. . reflex. & intrans. . turn oneself, turn, turn back
. turn = change (oneself)
. be perverse
. pass. . be turned, turn over to
. be reversed
. be turned, changed
. be overturned, overthrown
. be upturned, of subterran. work of miners
. . turn this way & that, every way
. transform oneself
. there have been turned upon me terrors
2015 haphak haw-fak'
a primitive root; to turn about or over; by implication, to
change, overturn, return, pervert:--X become, change, come, be
converted, give, make (a bed), overthrow (-turn), perverse,
retire, tumble, turn (again, aside, back, to the contrary,
every way).
הָפַךְ (ha.phakh) — to overturn.
1) to turn, overthrow, overturn
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to overturn, overthrow
1a2) to turn, turn about, turn over, turn around
1a3) to change, transform
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to turn oneself, turn, turn back
1b2) to change oneself
1b3) to be perverse
1b4) to be turned, be turned over, be changed, be turned against
1b5) to be reversed
1b6) to be overturned, be overthrown
1b7) to be upturned
1c) (Hithpael)
1c1) to transform oneself
1c2) to turn this way and that, turn every way
1d) (Hophal) to turn on someone
Conj | V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Conjunction · verb qal third person masculine pluralHC/Vqu3mp
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
N-cs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
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