The term "habitable" refers to a place suitable for living, often implying the presence of conditions necessary to sustain life. In the context of the Bible, the concept of habitability is closely tied to God's creation and provision for humanity. The Scriptures frequently highlight God's sovereignty in establishing the earth as a dwelling place for His creatures, particularly humans.

Creation and Divine Order

The Bible begins with the account of creation, where God meticulously prepares the earth to be a habitable environment. Genesis 1:1-2 states, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters." The subsequent verses describe how God transformed this formless void into a structured and life-sustaining world, culminating in the creation of humans in His image (Genesis 1:26-27).

Provision and Sustenance

Throughout Scripture, God's provision for a habitable world is evident. Psalm 104:14-15 illustrates God's care in sustaining life: "He makes the grass grow for the livestock and provides crops for man to cultivate, bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil that makes his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart." This passage underscores the abundance and variety of resources God has provided to ensure the earth remains a suitable home for His creation.

The Promised Land

The concept of habitability is also significant in the context of the Promised Land, a place God prepared for the Israelites. Deuteronomy 8:7-9 describes the land as "a good land, a land with streams and springs and deep waters gushing out into the valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you will eat food without scarcity, where you will lack nothing." This description emphasizes the fertility and abundance of the land, making it a desirable and habitable place for God's people.

Divine Judgment and Restoration

The Bible also addresses the theme of habitability in the context of divine judgment and restoration. When humanity's sin leads to corruption and desolation, God often intervenes to restore the earth's habitability. For instance, the flood narrative in Genesis 6-9 depicts a world overwhelmed by sin, leading to God's judgment through the flood. However, God preserves Noah and his family, along with representatives of all living creatures, to repopulate and restore the earth's habitability after the floodwaters recede.

Similarly, the prophetic literature often speaks of a future restoration where God will renew the earth. Isaiah 65:17-18 proclaims, "For behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy." This promise of a new creation reflects God's ultimate plan to establish a perfectly habitable world for His people.

Eschatological Hope

In the New Testament, the theme of habitability extends to the eschatological hope of a new heaven and a new earth. Revelation 21:1-3 envisions the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.'" This passage highlights the culmination of God's redemptive plan, where the new creation becomes the eternal, perfect habitation for God and His people.(a.) Capable of being inhabited; fit to dwell in; as, the habitable world.2936. ktizo -- to build, create
... God who alone can make what was "not there before" (Latin, , out of nothing, J.Thayer);
figuratively to begin ("found"), especially what is habitable or useful ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2936.htm - 7k8399. tablith -- destruction
... Word Origin from balah Definition destruction NASB Word Usage destruction (1).
habitable part, world. From balah; consumption -- destruction. see HEBREW balah. ...
/hebrew/8399.htm - 6k

339. i -- coast, region
... country, isle, island. From 'avah; properly, a habitable spot (as desirable); dry
land, a coast, an island -- country, isle, island. see HEBREW 'avah. ...
/hebrew/339.htm - 6k

8398. tebel -- world
... a partic. Land, as Babylonia, Palestine -- habitable part, world. see HEBREW
yabal. 8397, 8398. tebel. 8399 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/8398.htm - 6k

How Crassus came into Judea, and Pillaged the Temple; and Then ...
... 2. And let no one wonder that there was so much wealth in our temple, since all
the Jews throughout the habitable earth, and those that worshipped God, nay ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 7 how crassus came.htm

Wisdom and Christ
... him; 31. Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights
were with the sons of men.'"Proverbs 8:30, 31. There is ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/wisdom and christ.htm

Judaism and Heathenism in Contact.
... Footnotes: [86] Jos., Bell. Jud., VII. c. 3, 3: "As the Jewish nation is widely
dispersed over all the habitable earth," etc. Antiqu., XIV. ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 13 judaism and heathenism.htm

Indians.
... the following limits, viz.: Beginning on Red River, on the Mexican boundary, and
as far west of the state of Arkansas as the country is habitable; thence down ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hayward/the book of religions/indians.htm

After the Above, this Jew of Celsus, as if He were a Greek who ...
... For we assert that the whole habitable world contains evidence of the works of Jesus,
in the existence of those Churches of God which have been founded through ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter lxvii after the above.htm

Whether Paradise is a Corporeal Place?
... Objection 3: Further, although men have explored the entire habitable world,
yet none have made mention of the place of paradise. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether paradise is a corporeal.htm

Cestius Sends Neopolitanus the Tribune to See in what Condition ...
... Hath not your army been often beaten even by your neighboring nations, while the
power of the Romans is invincible in all parts of the habitable earth? ...
/.../chapter 16 cestius sends neopolitanus.htm

How Taricheae was Taken. A Description of the River Jordan, and of ...
... For as to us, Romans, no part of the habitable earth hath been able to escape our
hands hitherto; but as for the Jews, that I may speak of them too, though ...
/.../chapter 10 how taricheae was.htm

And Now the Time is Come for us to Proceed to the Demonstration of ...
... an object in great measure already secured, and destined to be still more perfectly
attained, even to the final conquest of the ends of the habitable world, by ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/chapter xvi and now the.htm

A Description of the Temple.
... well as all their sacred treasures were exhausted, which were still replenished
by those tributes which were sent to God from the whole habitable earth,] they ...
/.../chapter 5 a description of 2.htm

Habitable (19 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Capable of being inhabited; fit to dwell in; as,
the habitable world. Multi-Version Concordance Habitable (19 Occurrences). ...
/h/habitable.htm - 12k

Habit (9 Occurrences)

/h/habit.htm - 10k

Glad (421 Occurrences)
... Matthew 24:14 And these glad tidings of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole
habitable earth, for a witness to all the nations, and then shall come the ...
/g/glad.htm - 37k

Guidance (9 Occurrences)
... Job 37:12 It is turned around by his guidance, that they may do whatever he commands
them on the surface of the habitable world, (WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV). ...
/g/guidance.htm - 9k

Water-courses (9 Occurrences)
... countries, and will bring them to their own land; and I will feed them upon the
mountains of Israel by the water-courses, and in all the habitable places of ...
/w/water-courses.htm - 9k

Inhabited (64 Occurrences)
... (WEB). Job 37:12 It is turned around by his guidance, that they may do whatever
he commands them on the surface of the habitable world, (See NAS). ...
/i/inhabited.htm - 26k

Inspected (18 Occurrences)
... errest not, (YLT). Job 34:13 Who hath inspected for Himself the earth? And
who hath placed all the habitable world? (YLT). Psalms 17 ...
/i/inspected.htm - 11k

Fixtures (1 Occurrence)
... sit with nobles, Yea, a throne of honour He doth cause them to inherit, For to Jehovah
'are' the fixtures of earth, And He setteth on them the habitable world. ...
/f/fixtures.htm - 6k

Tidings (169 Occurrences)
... Matthew 24:14 And these glad tidings of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole
habitable earth, for a witness to all the nations, and then shall come the ...
/t/tidings.htm - 38k

Traverse (5 Occurrences)
... 16. (v.) To wander over; to cross in traveling; as, to traverse the habitable
globe. 17. (v.) To pass over and view; to survey carefully. 18. ...
/t/traverse.htm - 10k

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