the Fourth Week of Advent
Click here to join the effort!
Bible Lexicons
Old Testament Hebrew Lexical Dictionary Hebrew Lexicon
Strong's #8659 - תַּרְשִׁישׁ
- Brown-Driver-Briggs
- Strong
- Tarshish or Tharshish = "yellow jasper"
- n pr m
- son of Javan
- a Benjamite, son of Bilhan
- one of the wise men close to king Ahasuerus of Persia
- n pr loc
- a city of the Phoenicians in a distant part of the Mediterranean Sea to which the prophet Jonah was trying to flee
- site unknown but perhaps in Cyprus or Spain
- a city somewhere near and accessible to the Red Sea to which ships constructed at Ezion-geber on the Elanitic Gulf on the Red Sea were to sail
- a city of the Phoenicians in a distant part of the Mediterranean Sea to which the prophet Jonah was trying to flee
- Book
- Word
did not use
this Strong's Number
1. location a distant port, site not certainly known (Wkl Altor. Forsch. see 445); most Tartessues in Spain Thes (after older authorities) Ges Isa i. 719 Mey Geschichte. d. Alt. i, § 281; other views are: Tyrseni (Etruscans) in Italy, WMM Hast. DB TARSHISH, Phoenicia Renouf PSBA xvi. 134ff., Sardinia Hal REJ xiii. 14; see also Ency. Bib. TARSHISH; — Tarshish, ᵐ5 usually Θαρς(ε)ις ( Isaiah 23:1,14 Καρχήδων = Carthage); — especially in phrase ׳אֳנִיּוֺת ת Tarshish-ships (large, sea-going vessels, fit to ply to Tarshish) Isaiah 2:16 (ᵐ5 πλοῖον θαλάσσης), Isaiah 23:1,14; Isaiah 60:9; Ezekiel 27:25; 1 Kings 22:49, "" 2 Chronicles 20:36,37 (where the ships go to ׳ת); ׳אֳנִי ת 1 k 2 Chronicles 10:22 (twice in verse) "" 2 Chronicles 9:21 (אֳנִיּוֺת), + 2 Chronicles 9:21; (ships go to ׳ת); ׳ת alone Isaiah 23:6; Jonah 1:3 (twice in verse); Jonah 4:2 (all with ה locative), Genesis 10:4 "" 1 Chronicles 1:7 (erroneous ה locative), Isaiah 66:19; Psalm 72:10; Jonah 1:3; ׳בַּתתֿ Isaiah 23:10; trading-port Ezekiel 27:12; Ezekiel 38:13, whence comes silver Jeremiah 10:9.
2. masculine a. in Benjamin 1 Chronicles 7:10.
b. Persian noble Esther 1:14; explained By Scheft53as Old Iranian tršus, 'der Gierige.'
תַּרְשִׁישׁ (perhaps, “breaking,” “subjection,” i.e. region subjected, from the root רָשַׁשׁ) [Tarshish, Tharshish], pr.n.
(1) Tartessus, Ταρτησσός (more rarely, Ταρσηΐον, Polyb. Steph. Byz.), a city of Spain with the adjacent country, situated between the two mouths of the river Bætis (now Guadalquivir), a very flourishing colony and emporium of the Phœnicians, Genesis 10:4; Psalms 72:10; Isaiah 23:1, Isaiah 23:6, 10 Isaiah 23:10, 66:19 Jonah 1:3, 4:2 Ezekiel 38:13 hence silver (comp. Diod. Sic., v. 35-38. Strab. iii. page 148; Casaub.), iron, tin, and lead were brought to Tyre, Jeremiah 10:9; Ezekiel 27:12, 25 Ezekiel 27:25. See Bochart, in Geogr. Sacra, lib. iii. cap. 7, p. 165 seqq.; J. D. Michaëlis, Spicileg. Geogr. Hebr. Exteræ, i. p. 82-103; and G. G. Bredovii Disqui. Histor. fasc. ii. p. 260-803. Compare my Comment. on Isaiah 23:1, אֳנִיּוֹת תַּרְשִׁישׁ ships of Tarshish, partly properly so called, the Tyrian ships sent to Tartessus, or returning thence, Isaiah 23:1, Isaiah 23:4, 60:9 partly used as a general term for large ships of burden, although going into other countries, Isaiah 2:16; Psalms 48:8 and so, 1 Kings 10:22 (compare 9:28 ); 22:49 used of the ships going to Ophir; although the author of the Chronicles seems either not to know, or acknowledge this usage of language; see 2 Chronicles 9:21, 20:36, 37 2 Chronicles 20:37 compare my Gesch. d. Heb. Spr. p. 42.
(2) a precious stone, so called no doubt from Tartessus, as Ophir is used for gold of Ophir, Exodus 28:20, 39:13 Ezekiel 1:16, 10:9 28:13 Song of Solomon 5:14; Daniel 10:6. The chrysolite, i.e. the topaz of the moderns (which is still found in Spain), according to LXX. and Josephus, is understood by Braun (De Vestitu Sacerdot. ii. 7). Others prefer amber, but this is contrary to Exodus 28:20, 39:13.
(3) [Tarshish], pr.n.
(a) of a Persian prince, Esther 1:14.
(b) 1 Chronicles 7:10.
