Difference between revisions of "Earth"

<p> '''Earth.''' The term is used in two widely-different senses: </p> <p> (1) for the material of which the earth's surface is composed; </p> <p> (2) as the name of the planet on which man dwells. </p> <p> The Hebrew language discriminates between these two by the use of separate terms, '''adamah''' for the former, '''erets''' for the latter. </p> <p> 1. '''Adamah''' is the ''earth'' in the sense of soil or ground, particularly as being susceptible of cultivation. &nbsp;Genesis 2:7. </p> <p> 2. '''Erets''' is applied in a more or less extended sense - </p> <p> (1) to the whole world, &nbsp;Genesis 1:1, </p> <p> (2) to land as opposed to sea, &nbsp;Genesis 1:10, </p> <p> (3) to a country, &nbsp;Genesis 21:32, </p> <p> (4) to a plot of ground, &nbsp;Genesis 23:15, and </p> <p> (5) to the ground on which a man stands. &nbsp;Genesis 33:3. </p> <p> The two former senses alone concern us, the first involving an inquiry into the opinions of the Hebrews on cosmogony, the second on geography. </p> <p> [[I.]] ''' Cosmogony.''' - (1) The Hebrew cosmogony is based upon the leading principle that the universe exists, not independently of God, nor yet co-existent with God, nor yet in opposition to him as a hostile element, but dependently upon him, subsequently to him and in subjection to him. </p> <p> (2) [[Creation]] was regarded as a progressive work - a gradual development from the inferior to the superior orders of things. </p> <p> [[Ii.]] ''Geography.'' - There seems to be traces of the same ideas as prevailed among the Greeks, that the world was a disk, &nbsp;Isaiah 40:22, bordered by the ocean, with [[Jerusalem]] as its centre, like [[Delphi]] as the navel, or, according to another view, the highest point of the world. As to the size of the earth, the Hebrews had but a very indefinite notion. </p>