= the earth as opposed to the sky; sometimes used in a more specific sense to denote part of the earth, such as the dry land as opposed to the sea, or a specific region, area, country, or plot of land

literally: earth; hence: = state in which an entity is inferior in status to other entities

= a more or less fixed phrase: the heavens and the earth, equivalent to a single lexical item: the totality of God's creation