θάλασσα G2281
Sea; a large body of water, whether a specific named sea or the sea as a cosmic entity
Thalassa is the standard Greek word for sea, covering every large body of water in the New Testament — the Sea of Galilee where Jesus calms the storm (Matt 8:26), the Red Sea of the Exodus recalled in Hebrews 11:29, and the Mediterranean implied in Acts' voyage narratives. It also carries apocalyptic significance: in Revelation 21:1 there is no more sea, symbolizing the end of chaos and separation. All four major target languages render it with a single, unambiguous equivalent — 'sea,' 'mar,' 'mer,' 'Meer' — confirming its tight semantic unity across all 91 occurrences.
1. sea, large body of water — Any large body of water, whether a specific named sea such as the Sea of Galilee (Matt 4:18) or the Red Sea (Heb 11:29), or the sea as a general geographic and cosmic entity. In Revelation the sea carries eschatological symbolism as a realm of chaos that will pass away (Rev 21:1). The uniform rendering across English ('sea'), Spanish ('mar'), French ('mer'), and German ('Meer') confirms a single cohesive sense across all New Testament occurrences. 91×
AR["البَحرَ", "البَحرِ", "البَحْرِ", "الْبَحْرِ", "بَحرَ", "بَحرُ", "بَحرِ", "بَحْرِ"]·ben["সমুদ্র", "সমুদ্র,", "সমুদ্র।", "সমুদ্রকে", "সমুদ্রে", "সমুদ্রে,", "সমুদ্রে;", "সমুদ্রের", "সমুদ্রের,", "সাগরে", "সাগরের"]·DE["Meer"]·EN["sea"]·FR["mer"]·heb["הַיָּם", "יָּם", "יָם"]·HI["के", "झील", "पर", "समुद्र", "समुद्र-के", "समुद्र-को", "समुद्र-में", "समुद्र-मेइन", "सारी"]·ID["laut", "laut,", "laut.", "laut;"]·IT["mare"]·jav["saganten", "seganten", "seganten,", "seganten.", "seganten;", "segara", "segara,", "segara."]·KO["바다", "바다-를", "바다-위를", "바다-의", "바다로", "바다를", "바다에", "바다와", "바다위에"]·PT["mar", "mar,", "mar."]·RU["море", "море,", "морю", "моря"]·ES["mar"]·SW["-cha-bahari", "bahari", "bahari,", "bahari.", "baharini", "na"]·TR["deniz", "denizde", "denizde,", "denize", "denize,", "denizi", "denizin", "denizin,", "denizin.", "denizini", "denizinin"]·urd["جھیل", "سمندر", "سمندر-میں", "سمندر-پر", "سمندر-کی", "سمندر-کے"]
Matt 4:18, Matt 4:18, Matt 8:24, Matt 8:26, Matt 8:27, Matt 8:32, Matt 13:1, Matt 13:47, Matt 14:25, Matt 14:26, Matt 15:29, Matt 17:27 (+38 more)
Senses
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)H7760a 2. make into, turn into (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
θάλασσα [θᾰ], Attic dialectθᾰλᾰμ-ττα Refs (but θάλασσα 22.236 Refs 4th c.BC+, ἡ: —sea, Refs 8th c.BC+: frequently of the Mediterranean sea, ἥδε ἡ θ. Refs 5th c.BC+; ἡ παρ᾽ ἡμῖν θ. Refs 5th c.BC+; ἡ ἐντὸς καὶ κ. ἡ. λεγομένη θ. Refs 1st c.BC+; ἡ ἔσω θ. Refs 4th c.BC+; ἡ ἔξω θ., of the Ocean, Refs; ἡ Ἀτλαντικὴ θ. Refs; ἡ μεγάλη θ. Refs 1st c.AD+; of a salt lake, Refs 5th c.BC+; κατὰ θάλασσαν by sea,…