Reference: Isle, Island
American
The Hebrew word which is more commonly translated isle, means strictly dry land, habitable country, in opposition to water, or to seas and rivers, Isa 42:15. Compare Isa 50:2. Hence, as opposed to water in general, it means land adjacent to water, either washed or surrounded by it, that is, maritime country, coast, island. Thus it means coast, when used of Ashdod, Isa 20:6; of Tyre, Isa 23:2,6; of Peloponnesus, or Greece, Eze 27:7; "the isles of Elishah." It means island when used of Caphtor, for example, or Crete, Jer 47:4; 2:10; Ps 97:1; Es 10:1, where the phrase isles of the sea is in antithesis with the land or continent. The plural of this word, usually translated islands, was employed by the Hebrews to denote distant regions beyond the sea, whether coasts or islands; and especially the islands and maritime countries of the west, which had become indistinctly known to the Hebrews, through the voyages of the Phoenicians, Isa 24:15; 40:15; 42:4,10,12; Ps 72:10. In Eze 27:15, the East Indian Archipelago would seem to be intended.
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May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring gifts, and may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer tribute.
The LORD reigns! Let the earth rejoice! May many islands be glad!
At that time, the inhabitants of this coastland will say, "See, this is what has happened to those on whom we counted and relied for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How, then, can we escape?'"
"Be silent, you inhabitants of the coast, you merchants of Sidon, whose messengers crossed over the sea,
Therefore, you in the east, give glory to the LORD! You in the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the LORD God of Israel!
"Look! The nations are like a drop in a bucket, and are reckoned as dust on the scales. Look! He even lifts up the islands like powder!
And he won't grow faint or be crushed until he establishes justice on the mainland, and the coastlands take ownership of his Law."
Sing to the LORD a new song, and his praise from the ends of the earth, you who sail down the sea and by everything in it, you coastlands and their inhabitants.
I'll devastate the mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation; I'll turn rivers into islands, and dry up the ponds.
Why is it that when I came, no one was there? Why was there no answer when I called? Was my arm too short to redeem you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? Look! By my mere rebuke I dry up the sea, I turn rivers into a desert. Their fish stink for lack of water and die of thirst.
"Indeed, go over to the coasts of Cyprus and see, send to Kedar and pay very close attention. See if there has ever been such a thing as this!
for the day is coming to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains. For the LORD is destroying the Philistines, the remnant of the coastlands of Caphtor.
with sails made with embroidered Egyptian linen, festooned with blue banners, and with your sun shades made with purple cloth from Cypress.
Men from the low country south of Edom and many of the coastlands were your markets for ivory tusks and ebony that they brought to trade with you.