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Bible Encyclopedias
Island or Isle
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or is the invariable rendering in the ‘ Auth. Vers. of the Heb. word אַי (Sept. νῆσος , Vulg. izsula), which occurs in the following senses, chiefly in poetry: First, that of dry or habitable land in opposition to water: as. "I will make the rivers islands" (Isaiah 42:15 : comp. 43:19; 52:2). Especially is it a maritime region or sea-coast, like the East-Indian Dsib, which means both shore and island. In Isaiah 20:6, the isle of Ashdod means the country, and is so rendered in the margin, particularly as this was a sea- shore. In Isaiah 23:2; Isaiah 23:6, ‘ the isle'? means the country of Tyre and in Ezekiel 27:6-7, that of Chittim and Elisha, both being maritime regions. (In Job 22:30', אַיאּנָקַי means the non-guiltless.) In this sense it is more particularly restricted to the shores of the Mediterranean, sometimes in the fuller expression "islands of the sea" (Isaiah 11:11), or "isles of the Gentiles" (Genesis 10:5; comp. Zephaniah 2:11), and sometimes simply as ": isles" (Psalms 72:10; Ezekiel 26:15; Ezekiel 26:18; Ezekiel 27:3; Ezekiel 27:35; Ezekiel 39:6; Daniel 11:18): an exception to this, however, occurs in Ezekiel 27:15, where the shores of the Persian Gulf are intended. Secondly, it is used both in Hebrew and English, according to its geographical meaning, for an island proper, i.e. a country surrounded by water, as in Jeremiah 47:4, "the isle (margin) of Caphtor," which is probably that of Cyprus. "The isles of the sea" (Esther 10:1) are evidently put in opposition to "the land" or continent. Thirdly, the word is used by the Hebrews to designate all those countries divided from Palestine by water, as fully described in Jeremiah 25:22," the isles which are beyond the sea," which were hence regarded as the most remote regions of the earth (Isaiah 24:15; Isaiah 42:10; Isaiah 59:18; compare the expression in Isaiah 66:19, "the isles afar off"), and also as large and numerous (Isaiah 40:15; Psalms 97:1). (See J. D. Michaelis, Spicileqium, 1, 131-142.) In Isaiah 11:11, after an enumeration of countries lying on their own continent, the words "and the islands of the sea" are added in order to comprehend those situate beyond the ocean. It is observed by Sir I. Newton (on Daniel, p. 276), "By the earth the Jews understood the great continent of all Asia and Africa, to which they had access by land; and by the isles of the sea they understood the places to which they sailed- by sea, particularly all Europe. (See Gestnius, Thes. Heb. p. 38.) — Kitto; Smith. (See WILD BEAST). Islands of the Blessed were, according to a very old Greek myth, certain happy isles situated towards the edge of the Western Ocean, where the favorites of the gods, rescued from death. dwelt in joy, and possessed everything in abundance that could contribute to it.
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Island or Isle'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/i/island-or-isle.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
