Sea

Large basin.

Also he made a molten SEA of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the SEA round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast. ( 2 Chronicles 1:1 Deuteronomy 4:2-3 )

The sea, yam , is used in Scripture to denote--

1. "The gathering of the waters," "the Ocean." ( Genesis 1:2 Genesis 1:10 ; 30:13 ) etc.
2. Some portion of this, as the Mediterranean Sea, called the "hinder," the "western" and the "utmost" sea, ( 11:24 ; 34:2 ; Joel 2:20 ) "sea of the Philistines," ( Exodus 23:31 ) "the great sea," ( Numbers 36:6 Numbers 36:7 ; Joshua 15:47 ) "the sea." Genesis49:13; Psal 80:11 Also frequently of the Red Sea. ( Exodus 15:4 ) [RED SEA]
3. Inland lakes termed seas, as the Salt or Dead Sea. [See the special article]
4. Any great collection of waters, as the river Nile ( Isaiah 19:5 ) and the Euphrates. ( Jeremiah 51:36 )

SEA

se (yam; thalassa; in Acts 27:5 pelagos):

The Mediterranean is called ha-yam ha-gadhol, "the great sea" (Numbers 34:6; Joshua 1:4; Ezekiel 47:10, etc.); ha-yam ha-'acharon, "the hinder," or "western sea" (Deuteronomy 11:24; 34:2; Joel 2:20; Zechariah 14:8); yam pelishtim, "the sea of the Philis" (Exodus 23:31); the King James Version translates yam yapho' in Ezra 3:7 by "sea of Joppa," perhaps rightly.

The Dead Sea is called yam ha-melach, "the Salt Sea" (Numbers 34:3; Deuteronomy 3:17; Joshua 3:16, etc.); ha-yam ha-qadhmoni, "the east sea" (Ezekiel 47:18; Joel 2:20; Zechariah 14:8); yam ha-`arabhah,"the sea of the Arabah" (Deuteronomy 3:17; Joshua 3:16; 12:3; 2 Kings 14:25).

The Red Sea is called yam cuph, literally, "sea of weeds" (Exodus 10:19; Numbers 14:25; Deuteronomy 1:1; Joshua 2:10; Judges 11:16; 1 Kings 9:26; Nehemiah 9:9; Psalms 106:7; Jeremiah 49:21, etc.); (eruthra thalassa), literally, "red sea" (The Wisdom of Solomon 19:7; Acts 7:36; Hebrews 11:29); yam mitsrayim, "the Egyptian sea" (Isaiah 11:15).

Yam is used of the Nile in Nahum 3:8 and probably also in Isaiah 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" (Genesis 13:14); "western border" (Numbers 34:6). Yam is used for "sea" in general (Exodus 20:11); also for "molten sea" of the temple (1 Kings 7:23).

The Sea of Galilee is called kinnereth, "Chinnereth" (Numbers 34:11); kinaroth, "Chinneroth" (Joshua 11:2); kinneroth, "Chinneroth" (1 Kings 15:20); yam kinnereth, "the sea of Chinnereth" (Numbers 34:11; Joshua 13:27); yam kinneroth, "the sea of Chinneroth (Joshua 12:3); (he limne Gennesaret), "the lake of Gennesaret" (Luke 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" (Matthew 4:18; 15:29; Mark 1:16; 7:31; John 6:1); (he thalassa tes Tiberiados), "the sea of Tiberias" (John 21:1; compare John 6:1).

In Jeremiah 48:32 we have yam ya`zer, "the sea of Jazer." Jazer is a site East of the Jordan, not satisfactorily identified (Numbers 21:32; 32:1,3,15; Joshua 13:25; 21:39; 2 Samuel 24:5; 1 Chronicles 6:81; 26:31; Isaiah 16:8,9).

See SEA OF JAZER.

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

Alfred Ely Day