Earth - Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
Earth
[ 1,,G1093, ge ]denotes
(a) earth as arable land," e.g., Matthew 13:5, Matthew 13:8, Matthew 13:23; in 1 Corinthians 15:47 it is said of the "earthly" material of which "the first man" was made, suggestive of frailty;
(b) "the earth as a whole, the world," in contrast, whether to the heavens, e.g., Matthew 5:18, Matthew 5:35, or to heaven, the abode of God, e.g., Matthew 6:19, where the context suggests the "earth" as a place characterized by mutability and weakness; in Colossians 3:2 the same contrast is presented by the word "above;" in John 3:31 (RV, "of the earth," for AV, "earthly") it describes one whose origin and nature are "earthly" and whose speech is characterized thereby, in contrast with Christ as the One from heaven; in Colossians 3:5 the physical members are said to be "upon the earth," as a sphere where, as potential instruments of moral evils, they are, by metonymy, spoken of as the evils themselves;
(c) "the inhabited earth," e.g., Luke 21:35; Acts 1:8; Acts 8:33; Acts 10:12; Acts 11:6; Acts 17:26; Acts 22:22; Hebrews 11:13; Revelation 13:8. In the following the phrase "on the earth" signifies "among men," Luke 12:49; Luke 18:8; John 17:4;
(d) "a country, territory," e.g., Luke 4:25; John 3:22;
(e) "the ground," e.g., Matthew 10:29; Mark 4:26, RV, "(upon the) earth," for AV, "(into the) ground;"
(f) "land," e.g., Mark 4:1; John 21:8-John 21:9, John 21:11. Cp. Eng. words beginning with ge, e.g., "geodetic," "geodesy," "geology," "geometry," "geography." See COUNTRY, GROUND, LAND, WORLD.
[ 2,,G3625, oikoumene ]
the present participle, Passive Voice, of oikeo, "to dwell, inhabit," denotes the "inhabited earth." It is translated "world" in every place where it has this significance, save in Luke 21:26, AV, where it is translated "earth." See WORLD.
Note: For epigeios, translated "on earth" in Philippians 2:10, ostrakino, "of earth," 2 Timothy 2:20, and katachthonios, "under the earth," Philippians 2:10, See EARTHEN.