Ground

(1) "Ground" is in the King James Version the translation of 'adhamah, "the soil," the ground so called from its red color, frequently also translated "earth" and "land" (Gen 2:5 f, etc.; Ex 3:5; 8:21, etc.); it is more often the translation of 'erets, which means rather the earth, most often translated "earth" and "land" (Gen 18:2; Ps 74:7; Isa 3:26, etc.); other words are chelqah, "portion," "field" (2 Sam 23:12, the Revised Version (British and American) "plot"); charish, "ploughing" (1 Sam 8:12); sadheh, "a plain," "a field" (1 Ch 11:13, the Revised Version (British and American) "plot of ground"); for other special words see DRY; FALLOW; PARCHED.

(2) In the New Testament the common word for "ground" is ge, "earth," "soil," "land" (Mt 13:8; Acts 7:33, "holy ground," etc.); other words are agros, "field" (Lk 14:18, "I have bought a piece of ground" the Revised Version (British and American) "field"); chorion, "spot," "place" (Jn 4:5, "parcel of ground").

(3) As past participle of "to grind," "ground" appears as the translation of riphoth, pounded grain (2 Sam 17:19, the Revised Version (British and American) "bruised"); "ground" is also the translation of Tachan (Ex 32:20; Nu 11:8; Dt 9:21, the Revised Version (British and American) "grinding").

(4) "Ground," as the basis or foundation of anything, occurs in 1 Tim 3:15 as the translation of hedraioma (from edaphos), "the pillar and ground of the truth," the Revised Version, margin "stay."

"Grounded" is used in the sense of founded, based, fixed in (Isa 30:32), "and in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him," the King James Version margin "Hebrew every passing of the rod founded," the Revised Version (British and American) "and every stroke (margin "Hebrew passing") of the appointed staff (margin "Or staff of doom (Hebrew foundation)"), which Yahweh shall lay upon him"; following, Isa 30:31, "with his rod will he (Yahweh) smite him"; Delitzsch, "every stroke of the rod of destiny which Yahweh causes to fall upon Asshur"; the word is mucadhah, from yacadh, "to place," "to found," "to appoint," "to ordain," hence, "appointed rod (of punishment)," seems the simplest rendering.

In Eph 3:17 we have "rooted and grounded in love," and in Col 1:23, "if ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled," the Revised Version (British and American) "steadfast," both themelioo, "to lay a foundation." In Ecclesiasticus 18:6 "ground" is used for the "bottom of things," but the Revised Version (British and American) has "to track them out" (exichneuo), "to trace out."

(5) Figurative uses of "ground" are as representing the heart in relation to its reception of words of truth and righteousness (Jer 4:3; Hos 10:12, "Break up your fallow ground"); to the word of the kingdom as preached by Christ (Mt 13:8,23); dry, parched, thirsty ground stands for a poor condition (Ps 107:33,15; Isa 35:7; 44:3; 53:2; Ezek 19:13).

W. L. Walker