The meaning of Coast in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)

kost (gebhul, etc., "boundary"; compare gebhal, "mountain" and Arabic jebel, "mountain"; chebhel, literally, "a rope"; compare Arabic chabl (Joshua 19:29 the King James Version; Zephaniah 2:5-7); choph, literally, "that which is washed"; compare Arabic chaffet (Joshua 9:1 the King James Version; Ezekiel 25:16); paralios, literally, "by the sea" (Luke 6:17)): "Coast" (from Latin costa, "rib" or "side") in the sense of "seacoast," occurs but a few times in the Bible. In nearly all the many passages where the King James Version has "coast," the Revised Version (British and American) correctly has "border," i.e. "boundary," translating gebhul, etc.; in Acts 27:2 the American Standard Revised Version, "coast" is the translation of topos, literally, "place." That the seacoast is but seldom mentioned arises naturally from the fact that, while the promised land extended to the sea, the coast was never effectively occupied by the Israelites.

RVm in a number of places renders 'i English Versions of the Bible "isle" or "island" (which see), by "coastland," e.g. Isaiah 11:11; Isaiah 23:6; Isaiah 24:15; Isaiah 59:18; Jeremiah 25:22; Ezekiel 39:6; Daniel 11:18; Zephaniah 2:11. In Isaiah 20:6, the King James Version has "isle," the King James Version margin"country," and the Revised Version (British and American) "coast-land." In Jeremiah 47:4, the King James Version has "country," the King James Version marginand the Revised Version (British and American) "isle," and the Revised Version, margin "sea-coast."

See ISLE.

Alfred Ely Day

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