Bible Dictionary: Isle

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Smith's Bible Dictionary

Isle

The radical sense of the Hebrew word seems to be "habitable places," as opposed to water, and in this sense it occurs in (Isaiah 42:15) Hence it means secondarily any maritime district, whether belonging to a continent or to an island; thus it is used of the shore of the Mediterranean, (Isaiah 20:6; 23:2,6) and of the coasts of Elishah, (Ezekiel 27:7) i.e. of Greece and Asia Minor.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) An island.

2. (n.) A spot within another of a different color, as upon the wings of some insects.

3. (v. t.) To cause to become an island, or like an island; to surround or encompass; to island.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ISLAND; ISLE

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, 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; Ze 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, 7, 9, 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 1 Chronicles 1:16; Ezekiel 27:8, 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 1 Chronicles 1:7 Isaiah 23:1, 12 Jeremiah 2:10 Ezekiel 27:6 Daniel 11:30); to Elisha, perhaps Carthage (Genesis 10:4 1 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; 24:15:00; Ezekiel 26:18); to "Tarshish and the isles" (Psalm 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, 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

Greek

3520. nesos -- an island
... Word Origin of uncertain origin Definition an island NASB Word Usage island (9).
island, isle. Probably from the base of naus; an island -- island, isle. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3520.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

339. i -- coast, region
... country, isle, island. From 'avah; properly, a habitable spot (as desirable); dry
land, a coast, an island -- country, isle, island. see HEBREW 'avah. ...
/hebrew/339.htm - 6k

Library

In the Isle of Man
... Chapter 19. An Ideal Circuit; Wesley in his Eighties; Wesley Visits Holland;
Incidents in Scotland In the Isle of Man. Wednesday, 30 ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/wesley/the journal of john wesley/in the isle of man.htm

Wesley in the Isle of Man
... Chapter 18. On the Isle of Man; City Road Chapel; Wesley Visits Lorg George
Gordon Wesley in the Isle of Man. Friday, 30."I went ...
/.../wesley/the journal of john wesley/wesley in the isle of.htm

How the Isle of Wight Received Christian Inhabitants, and Two ...
... BOOK IV CHAP. XVI. How the Isle of Wight received Christian inhabitants, and two
royal youths of that island were killed immediately after Baptism. [686 AD]. ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap xvi how the isle.htm

Arria and Her Brother were Far from the Shores of Hellas and Near ...
... CHAPTER 21 Arria and her brother were far from the shores of Hellas and
near the Isle� Arria and her brother were far from the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bacheller/vergilius/chapter 21 arria and her.htm

How Augustine, Coming into Britain, First Preached in the Isle of ...
... How Augustine, coming into Britain, first preached in the Isle of Thanet to the
King of Kent, and having obtained licence from him, went into Kent, in order to ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap xxv how augustine coming.htm

Letter x. To John, Theologos, Apostle and Evangelist, Imprisoned ...
... LETTERS OF DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE. LETTER X. To John, Theologos, Apostle and
Evangelist, imprisoned in the Isle of Patmos. I salute thee, the holy soul! ...
/.../dionysius/letters of dionysius the areopagite/letter x to john theologos.htm

How the Same King Oswald, Asking a Bishop of the Scottish Nation ...
... III. How the same King Oswald, asking a bishop of the Scottish nation, had Aidan
sent him, and granted him an episcopal see in the Isle of Lindisfarne. ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap iii how the same.htm

Naparima and Montserrat
... of those later disturbances of the earth-crust, which carried tertiary strata up
along the shoulders of the Alps; which upheaved the chalk of the Isle of Wight ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter x naparima and montserrat.htm

When Appius Told his Mother and his Sister what Augustus had Said ...
... "Know you the Isle of Doom?" said he. ... Antipater took from a bag many pieces
of gold and heaped them on the chart above the Isle of Doom. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bacheller/vergilius/chapter 19 when appius told.htm

How Claudius, the Second of the Romans who came into Britain ...
... of the Romans who came into Britain, brought the islands Orcades into subjection
to the Roman empire; and Vespasian, sent by hint, reduced the Isle of Wight ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap iii how claudius the.htm

Thesaurus

Isle (15 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To cause to become an island, or like an island; to surround or encompass;
to island. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ISLAND; ISLE. ...
/i/isle.htm - 15k

Island (16 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) See Isle. 4. (vt) To cause to become or to resemble an island; to make an
island or islands of; to isle. ... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ISLAND; ISLE. ...
/i/island.htm - 16k

Coast (70 Occurrences)
... RVm in a number of places renders 'i English Versions of the Bible "isle" or "island"
(which see), by "coastland," eg Isaiah 11:11; Isaiah 23:6; Isaiah 24:15 ...
/c/coast.htm - 31k

Patmos (1 Occurrence)
... was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony
of Jesus" (dia ton logon tou theou kai ten marturian Iesou). ...
/p/patmos.htm - 9k

Caphtor (4 Occurrences)
... It should be noted, however, that the word 'i, used by Jeremiah, denotes not only
"isle," but also "coastland." 2. Second Theory: Phoenicia: Ebers (Aegypten ...
/c/caphtor.htm - 11k

Coastland (6 Occurrences)
... (See NAS). Jeremiah 25:22 and all the kings of Tyre, and all the kings of Sidon,
and the kings of the isle which is beyond the sea; (See NAS RSV NIV). ...
/c/coastland.htm - 8k

Islands (32 Occurrences)

/i/islands.htm - 16k

Isles (32 Occurrences)

/i/isles.htm - 17k

Sidon (35 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 25:22 and all the kings of Tyre, and all the kings of Sidon, and the kings
of the isle which is beyond the sea; (WEB ASV NAS RSV NIV). ...
/s/sidon.htm - 25k

Ithamar (20 Occurrences)
... Palm isle, the fourth and youngest son of Aaron (1 Chronicles 6:3). He was consecrated
to the priesthood along with his brothers (Exodus 6:23); and after the ...
/i/ithamar.htm - 16k

Bible Concordance

Isle (15 Occurrences)

Acts 13:6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:
(KJV WBS)

Acts 27:16 And running under a certain isle which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:
(WBS YLT)

Acts 27:26 But we must be cast upon a certain isle.
(WBS)

Acts 28:1 And when they had escaped, then they knew that the isle was called Melita.
(WBS)

Acts 28:7 In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the isle, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously.
(WBS)

Acts 28:9 So when this was done, others also who had diseases in the isle, came, and were healed:
(WBS)

Acts 28:11 And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.
(KJV WBS YLT)

Revelation 1:9 I John, your brother and partner with you in oppression, Kingdom, and perseverance in Christ Jesus, was on the isle that is called Patmos because of God's Word and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
(WEB KJV ASV WBS YLT)

Revelation 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and isle were moved out of their places.
(WBS)

Revelation 16:20 And every isle fled away, and the mountains were not found.
(WBS)

Isaiah 20:6 And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape?
(KJV WBS YLT)

Isaiah 23:2 Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.
(KJV DBY WBS YLT)

Isaiah 23:6 Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.
(KJV WBS YLT)

Jeremiah 25:22 and all the kings of Tyre, and all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the isle which is beyond the sea;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Jeremiah 47:4 because of the day that comes to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains: for Yahweh will destroy the Philistines, the remnant of the isle of Caphtor.
(WEB JPS ASV YLT)

Subtopics

Isle

Isle of The Gentiles

Related Terms

Island (16 Occurrences)

Coast (70 Occurrences)

Patmos (1 Occurrence)

Caphtor (4 Occurrences)

Coastland (6 Occurrences)

Islands (32 Occurrences)

Isles (32 Occurrences)

Sidon (35 Occurrences)