### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **édaphos**, represented by `{{G1475}}`, is defined as a basis or bottom, meaning the soil or **ground**. It is a rare term in scripture, appearing only **1 time** across **1 unique verse**. Its singular use marks the physical location of one of the most pivotal moments of divine confrontation in the New Testament.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole instance of `{{G1475}}` is in Saul's recounting of his conversion experience. As he describes the heavenly vision that stopped him, he states, "I fell unto the **ground**, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" [[Acts 22:7]]. Here, **édaphos** is the literal earth where a man is physically humbled by a power he cannot resist. It is the endpoint of his journey as a persecutor and the starting point of his new life.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several words from this verse provide a fuller picture of the event occurring on the **ground**:
* `{{G4098}}` **píptō**: This word means "to fall (literally or figuratively)". Saul’s action of falling is the immediate result of the heavenly encounter, and the **ground** `{{G1475}}` is where he lands. This act of falling often signifies submission or reverence in the face of overwhelming power [[Revelation 19:10]].
* `{{G5456}}` **phōnḗ**: Defined as "a tone... an address... saying or language," this **voice** is the catalyst for the entire event. The authority in this **voice** is what causes Saul to fall to the **ground** [[Acts 22:7]].
* `{{G1377}}` **diṓkō**: Meaning "to pursue... by implication, to persecute," this term explains the reason for the divine intervention. The question "why **persecutest** thou me?" directly addresses Saul's actions and ties his fall to the **ground** to the end of his campaign against the church.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{G1475}}` is derived entirely from this single, dramatic context.
* **The Locus of Humbling:** The **ground** serves as the place where human pride and purpose are brought low before divine authority. Saul, a man of status and conviction, is laid flat upon the soil, a universal symbol of mortality and submission.
* **A Site of Divine Confrontation:** The **ground** is not a passive element but the stage for a life-altering encounter. It is the place where the persecutor is arrested and directly addressed by the one he is persecuting.
* **Foundation for a New Life:** The base definition of **édaphos** as "a basis (bottom)" is significant. In falling to the **ground**, Saul is brought to a new, lower foundation from which his apostolic ministry would be built, demonstrating that a true calling often begins in a place of complete humility.
### Summary
In summary, while **édaphos** `{{G1475}}` is used only once, its appearance is unforgettable. It marks the physical spot where Saul of Tarsus was humbled, confronted, and given a new foundation for his life. The word **ground** thus represents more than just soil; it signifies the precise location where a man's earthly mission was halted by a heavenly one, forever changing the course of history.
TRV