Page 16 - BV10

times in the Bible. Literally hundreds of references prove that ERETS is used most often of LIM-
ITED or REGIONAL land areas.

Let's, for example, look at the way ERETS is used concerning Abraham in Genesis 12:1:
"Get out of you COUNTRY [ERETS]...To a LAND [ERETS] that I will show you." If the word
ERETS meant the earth as a planet, this would be like telling Abraham to leave the earth and go to
another planet! Quite absurd! Later we read, "And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and
dwelt between Kadesh and Shur..." (Genesis 20:1). If the word "erets" meant the whole earth or
planet, then this verse would not make any sense -- obviously there was not a south planet earth as
compared to a north planet earth!

Many other references in Genesis also prove that ERETS was used to designate certain
land areas: "the whole land [ERETS] of Havilah," "the whole land [ERETS] of Ethiopia," "the
land [ERETS] of Nod, on the east of Eden," "the land [ERETS] of Shinar," "the land [ERETS] of
Canaan," "the land [ERETS] of Egypt," "the Philistine's land [ERETS]," "the land [ERETS] of
Moriah" (Genesis 2:11, 13, etc.). To substitute the word "earth" (as meaning the planet) in any of
these verses would be totally ludicrous.

The word ERETS is also used in the plural. In numerous places in the Old Testament we
read of Gentiles "in their lands [ERETS]," of "enemies' lands [ERETS]," and of various nations
called "lands [ERETS]" -- see Genesis 10:5; Leviticus 26:36; II Kings 19:11, 17; etc. The word
"every" is also used with ERETS: "In every land [ERETS] where they were put to shame" (Zeph.
3:19). Now, if ERETS meant the planet earth, then the plural would be talking about planetS -- re-
ducing the whole sentence to absurdity!

The famine that occurred in the time of Joseph affected "all lands [ERETS]" -- not all plan-
ets (see Genesis 41:54)! When the grain storehouses were thrown open in Egypt, "all countries
[ERETS]" came to buy the grain (verse 57). Once again, it would be absurd to read this as though
all planets suffered from famines at the same time and came to Egypt to buy grain!

During the plagues upon Egypt just prior to the Exodus, we read that "the rain was not
poured on the earth [ERETS]" (Exodus 9:33). All but superficial readers of the Bible understand
that here ERETS means "land" -- the land of Egypt. Why on earth, then, should we assume that "the
waters of the flood were upon the earth [ERETS]" or "the rain was upon the earth [ERETS]"
means the entire planet earth?

The logical conclusion is that the ERETS destroyed by the Flood was the land in which
Noah lived. However, just how much land, or how far the Flood extended, is not defined by this
word.

The Face of the Earth

In Exodus 10:5, 14 and 15 we actually find that the Bible itself defines the word "erets."
During one of the plagues upon Egypt, swarms of locusts descended to "cover the face of the earth
[ERETS], that one cannot be able to see the earth...They covered the face of the WHOLE earth
[ERETS]...THROUGH ALL THE LAND OF EGYPT." This couldn't be any plainer! So, in light of

16