Sea

se (yam; thalassa; in Ac 27:5 pelagos): The Mediterranean is called ha-yam ha-gadhol, "the great sea" (Nu 34:6; Jos 1:4; Eze 47:10, etc.); ha-yam ha-'acharon, "the hinder," or "western sea" (De 11:24; 34:2; Joe 2:20; Zec 14:8); yam pelishtim, "the sea of the Philis" (Ex 23:31); the King James Version translates yam yapho' in Ezr 3:7 by "sea of Joppa," perhaps rightly.

⇒See a list of verses on SEA in the Bible.

The Dead Sea is called yam ha-melach, "the Salt Sea" (Nu 34:3; De 3:17; Jos 3:16, etc.); ha-yam ha-qadhmoni, "the east sea" (Eze 47:18; Joe 2:20; Zec 14:8); yam ha-`arabhah,"the sea of the Arabah" (De 3:17; Jos 3:16; 12:3; 2Ki 14:25).

The Red Sea is called yam cuph, literally, "sea of weeds" (Ex 10:19; Nu 14:25; De 1:1; Jos 2:10; Jg 11:16; 1Ki 9:26; Ne 9:9; Ps 106:7; Jer 49:21, etc.); (eruthra thalassa), literally, "red sea" (The Wisdom of Solomon 19:7; Ac 7:36; Heb 11:29); yam mitsrayim, "the Egyptian sea" (Isa 11:15).

⇒See the definition of sea in the KJV Dictionary

Yam is used of the Nile in Na 3:8 and probably also in Isa 19:5, as in modern Arabic bachr, "sea," is used of the Nile and its affluents. Yam is often used for "west" or "westward," as "look from the place where thou art, .... westward" (Ge 13:14); "western border" (Nu 34:6). Yam is used for "sea" in general (Ex 20:11); also for "molten sea" of the temple (1Ki 7:23).

The Sea of Galilee is called kinnereth, "Chinnereth" (Nu 34:11); kinaroth, "Chinneroth" (Jos 11:2); kinneroth, "Chinneroth" (1Ki 15:20); yam kinnereth, "the sea of Chinnereth" (Nu 34:11; Jos 13:27); yam kinneroth, "the sea of Chinneroth (Jos 12:3); (he limne Gennesaret), "the lake of Gennesaret" (Lu 5:1); and (to hudor Gennesar), "the water of Gennesar" (1 Macc 11:67), from late Hebrew ginecar, or (genecar; he thalassa tes Galilaias), "the sea of Galilee" (Mt 4:18; 15:29; Mr 1:16; 7:31; Joh 6:1); (he thalassa tes Tiberiados), "the sea of Tiberias" (Joh 21:1; compare Joh 6:1).

⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia.

In Jer 48:32 we have yam ya`zer, "the sea of Jazer." Jazer is a site East of the Jordan, not satisfactorily identified (Nu 21:32; 32:1,3,15; Jos 13:25; 21:39; 2Sa 24:5; 1Ch 6:81; 26:31; Isa 16:8-9).

See SEA OF JAZER.

In midhbar yam, "the wilderness of the sea" (Isa 21:1), there may perhaps be a reference to the Persian Gulf.

Alfred Ely Day