UBS Greek Dictionary Article

Notes: The overlapping features of meaning in γῆ[d], χώρα[b], κλίμα, ὅριον, and μέρος[c] may be readily illustrated by the comparable overlapping of English terms such as ‘region,’ ‘territory,’ and ‘land.’ For example, in the case of RV MAT 15:21 · LV MAT 15:21 · Read together MAT 15:21 it would be possible to speak of the ‘region of Tyre and Sidon,’ the ‘territory of Tyre and Sidon,’ the ‘land of Tyre and Sidon,’ and even the ‘district of Tyre and Sidon.’ The English terms ‘region,’ ‘territory,’ ‘land,’ and ‘district’ do differ in certain nuances of meaning reflecting primarily supplementary components which are largely connotative.; It is possible that in the case of such meanings as τόπος[f] (11.59: τόπος), πόλις[c] (11.61: πόλις), κώμη[b] (11.62: κώμη), and χώρα[e] (11.64: χώρα) one should count on certain more or less automatic semantic rules by which the meaning of ‘inhabitants’ could be derived by metonymy from expressions of place. Since, however, such metonymic developments are far from universal, the distinct meanings are listed here as a practical guide to translators. The same type of problem occurs with Ιεροσόλυμα ‘Jerusalem,’ Ἰουδαία ‘Judea,’ and περίχωρος ‘region’ in RV MAT 3:5 · LV MAT 3:5 · Read together MAT 3:5.

Form 1

Part of speech: noun, f.

Inflections: χώρα; -ας

Related lemmas: χωρέω

Sense 1: land

Semantic entry: 1.60

Semantic domains: Geographical Objects and Features

Subdomains: Land in Contrast With the Sea

Definition: dry land, in contrast with the sea

Notes: In a number of languages a clear distinction is made between terms which designate land in contrast with water and those which designate cultivated land. Even in English the normal term for land close to water is ‘shore’ or ‘coast,’ and therefore one may translate RV MAT 14:24 · LV MAT 14:24 · Read together MAT 14:24 as ‘the boat was already far away from the shore.’ Similarly, in RV ACT 27:27 · LV ACT 27:27 · Read together ACT 27:27 one may translate ‘we were getting close to shore.’

ACT 27:27: RV ACT 27:27 · LV ACT 27:27 · Read together ACT 27:27

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OET-RV ACT 27:27

27 So it happened that in the middle of our fourteenth night of being blown across the Adrias Sea, the sailors suspected that we were nearing land.

OET-LV ACT 27:27

27 But when the_fourteenth night became, us being _carried _through in the Adrias _Sea, to the_middle of _the night, the sailors were _suspecting a_certain to _be _coming _near to _them land.

Sense 2: region, territory, land (and even district, though this might imply too precisely a governmental area)

Semantic entry: 1.79

Semantic domains: Geographical Objects and Features

Subdomains: Sociopolitical Areas

Definition: region or regions of the earth, normally in relation to some ethnic group or geographical center, but not necessarily constituting a unit of governmental administration{N:001}

Notes: The meanings of γῆ[d], χώρα[b], κλίμαὅριον, and μέρος[c] are not to be regarded as completely synonymous, but in certain of their NT usages they are largely overlapping in reference.

MAT 2:12: RV MAT 2:12 · LV MAT 2:12 · Read together MAT 2:12

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OET-RV MAT 2:12

12 However, because they’d been warned in a dream not to return to King Herodes, they went home again to their own country.

OET-LV MAT 2:12

12 And having _been _warned in a_dream not to _return to Haʸrōdaʸs, they _withdrew by another way into the country of _them.

MAT 4:16: RV MAT 4:16 · LV MAT 4:16 · Read together MAT 4:16

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OET-RV MAT 4:16

16 The people sitting in darkness
⇔ saw a powerful light,
⇔ and those sitting in a land under the shadow of death
⇔ had a light rise over them.’

OET-LV MAT 4:16

16 The people which sitting in darkness saw a_ great _light, and to _the ones sitting in a_land and shadow of _death, a_light rose on _them.

All 21 recorded passages for this sense

MAT: RV MAT 2:12 · RV MAT 4:16 · RV MAT 8:28 · LV MAT 2:12 · LV MAT 4:16 · LV MAT 8:28 · Read together MAT 2:12 · Read together MAT 4:16 · Read together MAT 8:28

MRK: RV MRK 5:1 · RV MRK 5:10 · RV MRK 6:55 · LV MRK 5:1 · LV MRK 5:10 · LV MRK 6:55 · Read together MRK 5:1 · Read together MRK 5:10 · Read together MRK 6:55

LUK: RV LUK 2:8 · RV LUK 3:1 · RV LUK 8:26 · RV LUK 15:13–15 · RV LUK 19:12 · LV LUK 2:8 · LV LUK 3:1 · LV LUK 8:26 · LV LUK 15:13–15 · LV LUK 19:12 · Read together LUK 2:8 · Read together LUK 3:1 · Read together LUK 8:26 · Read together LUK 15:13–15 · Read together LUK 19:12

JHN: RV JHN 11:55 · LV JHN 11:55 · Read together JHN 11:55

ACT: RV ACT 8:1 · RV ACT 10:39 · RV ACT 12:20 · RV ACT 13:49 · RV ACT 16:6 · RV ACT 18:23 · RV ACT 26:20 · LV ACT 8:1 · LV ACT 10:39 · LV ACT 12:20 · LV ACT 13:49 · LV ACT 16:6 · LV ACT 18:23 · LV ACT 26:20 · Read together ACT 8:1 · Read together ACT 10:39 · Read together ACT 12:20 · Read together ACT 13:49 · Read together ACT 16:6 · Read together ACT 18:23 · Read together ACT 26:20

Sense 3: countryside, fields, rural area

Semantic entry: 1.87

Semantic domains: Geographical Objects and Features

Subdomains: Areas Which Are Uninhabited or Only Sparsely Populated

Definition: a rural area in contrast with a population center

Notes: A rural area is often identified by a term or phrase meaning ‘extension of fields’ or ‘place of field after field’ or ‘area of farms.’

LUK 21:21: RV LUK 21:21 · LV LUK 21:21 · Read together LUK 21:21

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OET-RV LUK 21:21

21 Then those who are in Yehudah (Judea) should flee to the hills and those in the central area should get out, and foreigners should no longer go there

OET-LV LUK 21:21

21 Then the ones in the Youdaia, let _them _be _fleeing to the mountains, and the ones in midst of _her, let _them _be _departing _out, and the ones in the countries, them _let_ not _be _coming _in into her.

JHN 11:54: RV JHN 11:54 · LV JHN 11:54 · Read together JHN 11:54

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OET-RV JHN 11:54

54 Because of that, Yeshua no longer walked around Yehudah (Judah) in public, but went out to the town of Efrayim (Ephraim) out in the wilderness and stayed there with his followers.

OET-LV JHN 11:54

54 therefore The Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa) no _longer was _walking in _public among the Youdaiōns, but went _away from _there into the region near the wilderness, to a_city being _called Ephraim, and _there he _remained with the apprentices/followers.

Sense 4: field, land

Semantic entry: 1.95

Semantic domains: Geographical Objects and Features

Subdomains: Pastures and Cultivated Lands

Definition: land under cultivation or used for pasture

LUK 12:16: RV LUK 12:16 · LV LUK 12:16 · Read together LUK 12:16

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OET-RV LUK 12:16

16 Then he told them all this parable, “One time a rich man’s farm produced a really good harvest.

OET-LV LUK 12:16

16 And he _spoke a_parable to them saying:
The land of_a_ certain rich _man yielded _well.

JHN 4:35: RV JHN 4:35 · LV JHN 4:35 · Read together JHN 4:35

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OET-RV JHN 4:35

35 “Don’t you all have a saying about needing to wait four months for a harvest? But I’m telling you that you all should open your eyes and look at the fields, because they’re already lightening up as harvest time approaches.

OET-LV JHN 4:35

35 Not you _all are _saying, that Still four _month it _is and the harvest is _coming?
Behold, I _am _saying to _you _all, lift _up the eyes of _you _all and see the fields, because they _are already white toward harvest.

All 3 recorded passages for this sense

LUK: RV LUK 12:16 · LV LUK 12:16 · Read together LUK 12:16

JHN: RV JHN 4:35 · LV JHN 4:35 · Read together JHN 4:35

JAM: RV JAM 5:4 · LV JAM 5:4 · Read together JAM 5:4

Sense 5: region, inhabitants of a region

Semantic entry: 11.64

Semantic domains: Groups and Classes of Persons and Members of Such Groups and Classes

Subdomains: Socio-Political

Definition: the inhabitants of a region{N:002}

Notes: In a number of languages it is quite impossible to speak of ‘a region going out’ (RV MRK 1:5 · LV MRK 1:5 · Read together MRK 1:5), since the term for ‘region’ cannot substitute for ‘the people of the region.’ Therefore, all such references must be made personal.

MRK 1:5: RV MRK 1:5 · LV MRK 1:5 · Read together MRK 1:5

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OET-RV MRK 1:5

5 and many from the Yehudah (Judea) region and from Yerushalem (Jerusalem) city went out to hear him, and asked Yohan to immerse them in the Yarden (Jordan) river as they confessed their sins.

OET-LV MRK 1:5

5 And all the Youdaia region and all of _the ones_from _Hierousalaʸm/(Yərūshālam) was _going _out to him and they _were _being _immersed by him in the Yordanaʸs/(Yardēn) river, confessing the sins of _them.

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

χώρα

Form 1

Sense 1: land

Sense 2: region, territory, land (and even district, though this might imply too precisely a governmental area)

Sense 3: countryside, fields, rural area

Sense 4: field, land

Sense 5: region, inhabitants of a region