The same earth that is mentioned in the first line of Genesis, which gives an immediate overview of who, what, and when....not in that order of course:
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Then it gives us the immediate status of the earth, among other things, relative to that point in creation:
Genesis 1:2
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Then of course, comes the first line of creation that everyone is familiar with.
The fact that they mention the non existent status of the earth in this way, does not mean exactly the opposite, that it did indeed exist at that point. Such a thing would be absurd and a contradiction of terms.
That is precisely why I question whether the description of "void and without form" might more accuratly translate as "lifeless and featureless".
That is precisely why I question whether the description of "void and without form" might more accuratly translate as "lifeless and featureless".