H0339 H0339
Island, coastland, or distant shore; remote habitable lands across or beside the sea
A noun designating land that is reached by sea—whether a true island or a distant coastal territory. From a mariner's perspective, it originally meant a place where one could come ashore and rest. In Genesis 10:5 it describes the maritime territories of Japheth's descendants; in the prophets it becomes a powerful image for the farthest reaches of the known world, summoned to hear God's voice (Isa 41:1) or to tremble at his judgment (Ezek 27:35). The plural 'iyyim' evokes the Mediterranean coastlands and beyond—Kittim (Cyprus), Elishah, Caphtor (Crete). Spanish renders it both as 'islas' (islands) and 'costas' (coasts), capturing the dual geographic reference.
Senses
1. island, coastland — Habitable land across or alongside the sea, whether a literal island or a distant coastland. The term appears in geographic catalogs (Gen 10:5, the 'coastlands of the nations') and in prophetic oracles summoning far-off peoples (Isa 41:1, 42:4, 49:1). Specific referents include Caphtor/Crete (Jer 47:4), Kittim/Cyprus (Jer 2:10), and Elishah (Ezek 27:7). Spanish splits between 'islas' and 'costas,' French between 'ile' and 'cote,' reflecting the word's genuine ambiguity between island and coastland. 36×
AR["أَيُّهَا-الجُزُرُ", "أَيُّهَا-الْجَزَائِرُ", "الجُزُرُ", "السَّاحِلِ", "الْجَزَائِرَ", "الْجَزَائِرُ", "الْجَزَائِرِ", "الْجَزِيرَةِ", "الْجُزُرُ", "جَزَائِرَ", "جَزَائِرُ"]·ben["-দ্বীপের", "দ্বীপ", "দ্বীপ-এর", "দ্বীপগুলি", "দ্বীপগুলির", "হে-দ্বীপগুলো"]·DE["Inseln", "Kueste", "der-coastlands", "der-es-ist-nicht"]·EN["O-coastlands", "coastland", "coastlands", "islands", "the-coastland", "the-coastlands"]·FR["côte", "le-il-n'y-a-pas", "île"]·heb["אי", "איים", "ה-אי", "ה-איים"]·HI["-टापूओं-के", "टापुओ", "टापू", "टापूओं-ने", "तट", "द्वीप", "द्वीप-के"]·ID["pesisir", "pulau", "pulau-pulau", "pulau-pulau?"]·IT["[איים]", "costa", "il-non-c'è", "isole"]·jav["pulo", "pulo-pulo", "pulo-pulo?"]·KO["그-섬들에게", "그-섬들의", "그-섬들이", "그-섬의", "섬-들-이", "섬들", "섬들아", "섬들은", "섬들이", "섬들이여", "섬의"]·PT["a-ilha", "as-ilhas", "ilha", "ilhas"]·RU["hа-острова", "острова", "островам", "островов"]·ES["costas", "isla", "islas", "la-costa", "la-isla", "las-costas", "las-costas?", "las-islas"]·SW["visiwa", "wa-pwani"]·TR["adalar", "adalara", "adaları", "adaların", "adanin", "kiyi"]·urd["اے-جزیرو", "جزیروں", "جزیروں-نے", "جزیروں-کو", "جزیروں-کے", "جزیرے", "جزیرے-کا", "جزیرے-کے"]
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×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. אִי n.m. Is 20:6 (†f. Is. 23:2) coast, region (contr. from אֱוִי so Ol§ 152 b; place whither one betakes oneself for resting, etc., orig. from mariner’s standpoint)—אִי abs. Is 20:6 +; cstr. Je 47:4; (Jb 22:30 v. sub IV. אִי cf. Di) pl. אִיִּים ψ 72:10 +; אִיִּן Ez 26:18 (Co איים) אִיֵּי Gn 10:5 +;—coast, border region (mostly late), of Philistia & Phoenicia with adjacent country Is 20:6;…