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Earth ( ãῆ ) is used in a variety of meanings, which may be distinguished as follows: (1) the dust or matter of which the first man was made (1Co_15:47); (2) the fertile soil which yields grass and herbs and fruit (Heb_6:7, Jam_5:7, Rev_9:4); (3) the solid ground upon which men stand or fall (Act_9:4; Act_9:8); (4) the land in contrast with the sea (2Pe_3:5, Rev_10:5); (3) the whole world as the abode of men (Act_1:8, etc.; equivalent here to the more frequent ïἰêïõìÝíç ) or beasts (Act_10:12; Act_11:6); (6) the earth in space, in contrast with the visible heavens-skies and stars (Act_2:19, Rev_6:13); (7) the earth in contrast with the invisible heavens-the dwelling-place of God and Christ, of angels and perfected saints (Act_7:49, 1Co_15:47, Eph_3:15, Heb_8:4; cf. Heb_8:1); (8) the earth in contrast with the underworld (Php_2:10, Rev_5:3; Rev_5:13); (9) the earth with a moral connotation, as the sphere of a merely worldly life to which is opposed the heavenly life with Christ in God (Col_3:2; Col_3:5).
Earthen ( ὀóôñÜêéíïò , fr. [Note: fragment, from.] ὄóôñáêïí =‘burnt clay,’ or anything made therefrom).-The Gr. word occurs twice in the NT, but in English Version is only once translated ‘earthen.’ In 2Ti_2:20 the rendering is ‘of earth,’ and the reference is simply to the material of the earthen vessels in contrast with those of gold and silver and wood. In 2Co_4:7, where ‘earthen’ is used, there appears to be a suggestion not only of the meanness of the earthen vessels in contrast with the preciousness of the treasure they contain, but of their frailty in contrast with the exceeding greatness of the Divine power of God who uses them as His instruments.
Earthy ( ÷ïúêüò , ‘made of earth,’ fr. [Note: fragment, from.] ÷ïῦò =‘earth,’ ‘dust,’ by which in the Septuagint òָôָø is rendered in Gen_2:7, etc.; though in other passages ãῆ is frequently employed for the same purpose, just as it is by St. Paul in 1Co_15:47).-The only occurrence of the word is in 1Co_15:47-49, where Adam is called ‘earthy,’ i.e. consisting of earth-material, in contrast with Christ, the ‘heavenly,’ i.e. of heavenly origin. The meaning of ‘earthy’ here is thus suggested by (7) above as well as by (1).
Earthly ( ἐðßãåéïò , ‘upon the earth,’ ‘terrestrial,’ 2Co_5:1, Php_3:19, Jam_3:15).-Outside of the Fourth Gospel ‘earthly’ occurs only 3 times in the NT, but ἐðßãåéïò is found also in 1Co_15:40, where English Version renders ‘terrestrial,’ and Php_2:10, where English Version gives ‘things on earth.’ In all these passages there is a contrast of the earthly with the heavenly. In 1Co_15:40, 2Co_5:1 the contrast is that suggested under (7). In Php_3:19, Jam_3:15 it is that suggested under (9). In Php_2:10, while ‘things on earth’ are contrasted with ‘things in heaven’ the meaning of ἐðßãåéïò itself is that suggested by (5), the ‘things on earth’ being the inhabitants of the whole world; and there is a further contrast with the ‘things under the earth,’ the inhabitants of the under world (cf. (8)).
J. C. Lambert.