Sea

Sea se (yam; thalassa; in Ac 27:5 pelagos): The Mediterranean is called ha-yam ha-gadhol, "the great sea" (Num 34:6, Josh 1:4, Ezek 47:10, etc.); ha-yam ha-'acharon, "the hinder," or "western sea" (Deut 11:24, Deut 34:2, Joel 2:20, Zech 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.

The Dead Sea is called yam ha-melach, "the Salt Sea" (Num 34:3, Deut 3:17, Josh 3:16, etc.); ha-yam ha-qadhmoni, "the east sea" (Ezek 47:18, Joel 2:20, Zech 14:8); yam ha-`arabhah,"the sea of the Arabah" (Deut 3:17, Josh 3:16, Josh 12:3, 2Kgs 14:25).

The Red Sea is called yam cuph, literally, "sea of weeds" (Exod 10:19, Num 14:25, Deut 1:1, Josh 2:10, Judg 11:16, 1Kgs 9:26, Neh 9:9, Ps 106:7, Jer 49:21, etc.); (eruthra thalassa), literally, "red sea" (The Wisdom of Solomon 19:7, Acts 7:36, Heb 11:29); yam mitsrayim, "the Egyptian sea" (Isa 11:15).

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" (Num 34:11, Josh 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" (Macc 11:67), from late Hebrew ginecar, or (genecar; he thalassa tes Galilaias), "the sea of Galilee" (Matt 4:18, Matt 15:29, Mark 1:16, Mark 7:31, John 6:1); (he thalassa tes Tiberiados), "the sea of Tiberias" (Joh 21:1; compare Joh 6:1).

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

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