Earth - A Word Study

This page contains a section from the book In the Heart of the Earth: The Secret Code that Reveals What is in the Heart of God.

Let's now consider the other important word in the phrase, "in the heart of the earth." The word "earth" used here is translated from the Greek word "ge" (Strong's NT#1093) for which the possible meanings given in Strong's Concordance are:

"soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe (including the occupants in each application):-country, earth (-ly), ground, land, world."

This is reasonable, that the same word could mean either the earth or its occupants. Remember, as the following verses say, that we are made from the dust of the earth:

"In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." (Gen 3:19)

"All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust." (Job 34:15)

There are other verses that suggest a connection between the earth and its inhabitants:

"Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth." (Deut 32:1)

"Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me." (Isa 1:2)

"O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD." (Jer 22:29)

These verses are not talking about the literal earth or heavens hearing, but the occupants of them. Here is another verse:

"And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world ("ge," Strong's NT#1093) wondered after the beast." (Rev 13:3)

It is people who are wondering after the beast, not the world as in the planet. The Greek word "ge" that is here translated "world" - and meaning people - is the same word that is translated "earth" in the phrase "three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."