χώρα G5561
Region, country, or open land; a space defined by geography, cultivation, or territorial possession
In the New Testament, chora denotes a bounded expanse of land viewed from different angles: as a named region or district (the country of the Gadarenes, the region of Judea), as open farmland awaiting harvest (John 4:35), or as physical territory someone possesses or approaches (Luke 12:16; Acts 27:27). Spanish renders the regional sense as 'pais' or 'region,' while German distinguishes 'Gegend' (area) from 'Land' (country/land), reflecting the same spectrum the Greek holds in a single word.
Senses
1. region, country, district — The predominant sense across all four Gospels and Acts: a geographical or administrative district, province, or country. Used for named territories like 'the country of the Gadarenes' (Mark 5:1) and broader regions like 'the region and shadow of death' (Matt 4:16). French 'contree' and Spanish 'region' both capture this bounded-territory nuance. 24×
AR["أَرْضِ", "البِلَادِ", "الكورَةِ", "الْكُورَةِ", "بِلادٍ", "بِلادِ", "بِلَادٍ", "بِلَادُ", "بِلَادِ", "بِلَادِهِمْ", "كورَةَ", "كورَةِ", "كُورَةَ", "كُورَةِ", "مِنْطَقَةِ"]·ben["অঞ্চলে", "অঞ্চলের", "দেশ", "দেশে", "দেশের"]·DE["Gegend", "Land"]·EN["a-country", "country", "region"]·FR["contrée", "région"]·heb["אֵזוֹר", "אֶרֶץ", "הָאָרֶץ"]·HI["क्षेत्र", "गरासेनियों", "देश", "देश-के", "देश-में", "देशमें", "प्रदेश"]·ID["daerah", "itu", "negeri"]·IT["regione"]·jav["daérah", "dhaérah", "nagari", "negaranipun", "tanah", "tanah.", "tegal", "tlatah", "tlatah,", "wewengkon", "wilayah"]·KO["나라", "나라가", "나라의", "들-에", "지방", "지방-에서", "지방과", "지방에서", "지방을", "지역", "지역을"]·PT["região", "região,", "região.", "terra"]·RU["область", "страна", "стране", "страной", "страну", "страны"]·ES["país", "región"]·SW["ile", "nchi", "nchi."]·TR["bölgede", "bölgeden", "bölgenin", "bölgesinde", "bölgesine", "bölgesini", "bölgesinin", "bölgeye", "bölgeyi", "diyarında", "ülke", "ülkede", "ülkelerine", "ülkenin", "ülkeye"]·urd["علاقہ", "علاقے", "علاقے-کے", "ملک", "ملک-کی"]
2. field, countryside — Open agricultural land or countryside, as in Jesus' exhortation to lift your eyes and look at the fields ripe for harvest (John 4:35) and the laborers' fields whose wages cry out (Jas 5:4). German 'Land' here carries the rural, cultivated sense distinct from the political-territory meaning. 2×
AR["حُقولَكُم", "حُقُولَ"]·ben["জমি", "মাঠগুলোকে"]·DE["Land"]·EN["fields"]·FR["Land", "contrée"]·heb["שְׂדוֹתֵיכֶם", "שָׂדוֹת"]·HI["खेत", "खेत,"]·ID["ladang-ladang,", "ladang-ladangmu"]·IT["chōras", "regione"]·jav["pategalan", "pategalan,"]·KO["밤들-을", "밭들을"]·PT["campos,"]·RU["поля"]·ES["campos"]·SW["mashamba"]·TR["tarlalara", "tarlalarınızı"]·urd["دیکھو", "کھیت"]
3. land, ground, territory — Physical land or ground viewed as territory or material possession, as when a rich man's land produced abundantly (Luke 12:16) or sailors sensed they were approaching some land (Acts 27:27). The emphasis falls on the earth itself rather than on jurisdictional boundaries. 2×
AR["أَرْضٌ", "أَرْضُهُ"]·ben["জমি", "দেশ"]·DE["Gegend"]·EN["land"]·FR["contrée", "région"]·heb["אֶרֶץ", "שָׂדֶה"]·HI["जमीन", "भूमि"]·ID["daratan,", "tanah"]·IT["regione"]·jav["pategal", "tanah,"]·KO["땅이"]·PT["terra,"]·RU["землю", "земля"]·ES["tierra"]·SW["ardhi", "nchi"]·TR["tarlası", "ülke"]·urd["زمین"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
χώρα, Ionic dialect χώρη, ἡ, ={χῶρος}, space or room in which a thing is, defined as partly occupied space, distinguished from κενόν and τόπος, Refs 5th c.BC+ = countryRefs 8th c.BC+; χώραν τινὶ καταλιπεῖν leave room for it, Refs 1st c.AD+ __2 generally, place, spot, στρέψεσθ᾽ ἐκ χώρης ὅθι.. Refs 8th c.BC+; χώραν ἐκ χώρας μεταβάλλειν move from place to place, Refs 5th c.BC+; field in a ceiling,…