The meaning of Island; Isle in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
i'-land, il ((1) 'i, "island" or "isle"; the American Standard Revised Version has "coast" or "coast-land" in Isaiah 20:6; Isaiah 23:2, Isaiah 23:6; the Revised Version margin has "coast-lands" in Genesis 10:5; Isaiah 11:11; Isaiah 24:15; Isaiah 59:18; Jeremiah 25:22; Ezekiel 39:6; Daniel 11:18; Zephaniah 2:11; the Revised Version margin has "sea-coast" in Jeremiah 47:4. (2) plural 'iyim, the King James Version "wild beasts of the islands," the Revised Version (British and American) "wolves," the Revised Version margin "howling creatures" (Isaiah 13:22; Isaiah 34:14; Jeremiah 50:39). (3) nesion, "small island" (Acts 27:16) (4) nesos, "island" (Acts 13:6; Acts 27:26; Acts 28:1, Acts 28:7, Acts 28:9, Acts 28:11; Revelation 1:9; Revelation 6:14; Revelation 16:20)): Except as noted above, 'i in the Revised Version (British and American) is translated "isle" or "island." ARVAD (which see), a Phoenician island-city North of Tripoli, Syria, is mentioned in Genesis 10:18; I Chronicles 1:16; Ezekiel 27:8, Ezekiel 27:11. This and Tyre were the only important islands on the coast, both of them very small. We find references to Kittim or Chittim, Cyprus (Genesis 10:4; Numbers 24:24; I Chronicles 1:7; Isaiah 23:1, Isaiah 23:12; Jeremiah 2:10; Ezekiel 27:6; Daniel 11:30); to Elisha, perhaps Carthage (Genesis 10:4; I Chronicles 1:7; Ezekiel 27:7); to "isles of the nations" (Genesis 10:5; Zephaniah 2:11); to "isles of the sea" (Esther 10:1; 11:11; 24:15; Ezekiel 26:18); to "Tarshish and the isles" (Psalms 72:10; compare Isaiah 66:19); to "isle (the Revised Version margin "sea-coast") of Caphtor" (Jeremiah 47:4). Communication with these islands or distant coasts is kept up by the Tyrians (Ezekiel 27:3, Ezekiel 27:15). The Jews were not a maritime people, and in early times their geographical knowledge was very limited. Of 32 Old Testament passages referring to "island" or "isle," 25 are in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. In the New Testament, besides the passages noted above, and Patmos (Revelation 1:9), various islands are mentioned by name in connection with the voyages of Paul, e.g. Cyprus, Crete, Lesbos, Samos, Samothrace, Chios, Melita, Sicily (Syracuse, Acts 28:12). "Jackals" is a perfectly possible translation of 'iyim (the King James Version "wild beasts of the islands," the Revised Version (British and American) "wolves," the Revised Version margin "howling creatures").
See COAST; GEOGRAPHY; JACKAL; WOLF.
Alfred Ely Day
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