Psalms 48:7 — Word Study
WLCבְּר֥וּחַ קָדִ֑ים תְּ֝שַׁבֵּ֗ר אֳנִיּ֥וֹת תַּרְשִֽׁישׁ׃
BSAtremblingraʻad to graspʼâchaz thereshâm agonychîyl to begetyâlad
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּר֥וּחַ | with a wind of | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct |
| קָדִ֑ים | [the] east | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| תְּ֝שַׁבֵּ֗ר | you shatter | Verb, Piel, imperfect second person masculine singular |
| אֳנִיּ֥וֹת | ships of | Noun common, feminine plural construct |
| תַּרְשִֽׁישׁ׃ | Tarshish | Noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | With a wind from the east You wrecked the ships of Tarshish. |
| KJV | Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. |
| ASV | With the east wind Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish. |
| YLT | By an east wind Thou shiverest ships of Tarshish. |
| WEB | With the east wind, you break the ships of Tarshish. |
| BBE | By you the ships of Tarshish are broken as by an east wind. |
Where they part company is in the translation of תְּ֝שַׁבֵּ֗ר — see How Translations Differ.
One main verb with two phrases describing the means and the object of the action, clearly showing the relationship between them.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׁם
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 48:7
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Power Over Naturegenerated
Psalms 48:7 illustrates God's sovereignty as He uses the forces of nature to achieve His purposes, specifically in the destruction of Tarshish's ships. This verse is part of a larger celebration of God's might and protection over His people, as seen in the surrounding verses, which emphasize God's presence and strength in the face of adversities.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezekiel 27:25–26 | The ships of Tarshish carried your merchandise. And you were filled with heavy cargo in the heart of the sea. |
| 2 | 1 Kings 22:48 | Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber. |
| 3 | Isaiah 2:16 | against every ship of Tarshish, and against every stately vessel. |
| 4 | Jeremiah 18:17 | I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind. I will show them My back and not My face in the day of their calamity.” |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תְּ֝שַׁבֵּ֗ר, te.sha.Bergenerated
The verb שָׁבַר (shabar) means to break or shatter. In this context, it conveys the idea of a violent disruption, indicating that God has caused the ships to be wrecked completely.
The parsing as a Piel imperfect second person masculine singular indicates an action performed by God, emphasizing His direct involvement in the event. This form suggests an ongoing or repeated action, highlighting the severity of the destruction.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses wrecked.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb תְּ֝שַׁבֵּ֗ר, you shatter, governs the entire sentence, with a prepositional phrase indicating the means and a noun phrase specifying the object of the action.
The structure emphasizes the action of God as the subject performing the verb, with the wind as the means of destruction, showcasing a clear cause-and-effect relationship.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates תְּ֝שַׁבֵּ֗ר as ἐκεῖ, which conveys a sense of location or presence rather than direct action. This choice may reflect a different interpretive angle on the event described.
The use of ἐπελάβετο for בְּר֥וּחַ indicates a focus on the wind's encompassing or taking hold, suggesting a powerful influence rather than just a physical wind.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 48:7 states that God used a powerful wind from the east to wreck the ships of Tarshish. This shows God's control over nature and His ability to protect His people from threats.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies God's power to disrupt and destroy even the mightiest human endeavors, demonstrating His sovereignty over nature.
The east wind is often associated with powerful storms in the Bible, symbolizing God's might and the forces He can unleash.
Tarshish refers to a distant maritime region, often associated with trade and wealth, making its destruction a significant statement about God's power.
It underscores the theme of God's strength and protection, showing that He is a refuge for His people against any threats.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I seen God's power at work in my life?
- How can I recognize the forces of nature as part of God's creation and His control over them?
- What does it mean for me to trust in God's protection as the psalmist did?
- How can I share the message of God's sovereignty with others?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early church fathers comment on this verse to illustrate God's power and the fulfillment of His promises, referencing the psalmist's declaration.
[Daniel 10:6] "And his body was like chrysolite." For "chrysolite," one of the twelve gems inserted in the oracular breastplate of the high priest, the Hebrew has trs'ys (tharsis) ,Early Church Fathers on Psalms 48 →
"As we have heard, so have we seen" [Psalms 48:7]. Blessed Church! At one time you have heard, at another time you have seen.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 48 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 48:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThou breakest the ships of Tarshish with east wind. This is either another simile, expressing the greatness of the dread and fear that shall now seize the kings of the earth; which will be, as Kimchi
Read John Gill on Psalms 48 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind - implying God's omnipotence; just as with thy blast thou breakest the largest vessels
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 48 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThis is not reported as a matter of fact, for we read of no ships in those expeditions to which this Psalm relates, nor did any ships come near Jerusalem, because that was at a great distance from the sea, and from any navigable river running into the sea; but only added by way of illustration or allusion. The sense is, Thou didst no less violently and suddenly destroy these proud and raging enemies of Jerusalem, than sometimes thou destroyest the ships at sea with a fierce and vehement wind, such as the eastern winds were in those parts, . The words are and may be rendered thus, Thou didst break them as (such ellipses of the pronoun, and of the note of similitude, being very frequent; as I…
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 48 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 48:7 Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.Ver. 7. Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish] i.e. Of the ocean, or of the Mediterranean Sea, Isaiah 2:16; Isaiah 23:1; Isaiah 23:6; Isaiah 23:10; Isaiah 23:14. The meaning is, Like as thou, O God, with thine east wind, that Euroclydon especially, which Pliny calleth Navigantium pestem (the mariner’ s mischief), art wont to dash and drown the tallest ships at thy pleasure; so thou both canst and wilt deal by thy Church’ s enemies. To whom, therefore, this text should be as those knuckles of a man’ s hand were to Belshazzar, to write them their destiny; or as Daniel was to him, to read it unto them.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 48 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(7) Breakest.—It is natural at first sight to connect this verse immediately with the disaster which happened to the fleet of Jehoshaphat (1 Kings 22:48-49; 2 Chronicles 20:36). And that event may indeed have supplied the figure, but a figure for the dispersal of a land army. We may render: With a blast from the east Thou breakest (them as) Tarshish ships. Or, With a blast from the east (Which) breaketh Tarshish ships (thou breakest them), according as we take the verb, second person masculine, or third person feminine. Shakespeare, in King John, compares the rout of an army to the dispersion of a fleet— “So, by a roaring tempest on the flood, A whole Armada of convicted sail Is scattered…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 48 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 7. Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish] Calmet thinks this may refer to the discomfiture of Cambyses, who came to destroy the land of Judea. "This is apparently," says he, "the same tempest which struck dismay into the land-forces of Cambyses, and wrecked his fleet which was on the coasts of the Mediterranean sea, opposite to his army near the port of Acco, or the Ptolemais; for Cambyses had his quarters at Ecbatana, at the foot of Mount Carmel; and his army was encamped in the valley of Jezreel." Ships of Tarshish he conjectures to have been large stout vessels, capable of making the voyage of Tarsus, in Cilicia.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 48 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges7. With an east wind Thou shatterest ships of Tarshish. As he gazes upon the wreck of the Assyrian enterprise, the poet apostrophises God with mingled awe and thankfulness. The language is plainly metaphorical. God’s might is irresistible. He shatters the stately ships of Tarshish with a sudden storm: with equal ease He annihilates the vast Assyrian army. Cp. Isaiah 14:24-27, noting the phrase, “I will break the Assyrian in my land.” For the metaphor comp. Ezekiel 27:26, where the fall of Tyre is described as a wreck; and Isaiah 33:23, where Jerusalem in her extremity (or, according to some commentators, the Assyrian power) is represented as a disabled ship. The east wind, notorious for its…
Read Cambridge on Psalms 48 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThou breakest the ships of Tarshish - On the ships of Tarshish, see the notes on Isaiah 2:16. The allusion to these ships here may have been to illustrate the power of God; the ease with which he destroys that which man has made.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 48 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
With a wind from the east You wrecked the ships of Tarshish.
With the east wind, you break the ships of Tarshish.
With a wind from the east You wrecked the ships of Tarshish.
With an east wind you shatter the large ships.
Tyndale line
Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.
With the east wind Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish.
With the east wind thou breakest the ships of Tarshish.
Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.
As with an East winde thou breakest the shippes of Tarshish, so were they destroyed.
Strictly literal
With an east wind thou hast broken the ships of Tarshish.
By an east wind Thou shiverest ships of Tarshish.
By an east wind You shatter ships of Tarshish.
(48:8) With the east wind thou breakest the ships of Tharshish.
With the east wind you break the ships of Tarshish.
From the Latin
They that trust in their own strength, and glory in the multitude of their riches,
Simplified
just as the strong east wind wrecks the ships from Tarshish.
By you the ships of Tarshish are broken as by an east wind.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text aligns with the Septuagint in meaning, as both reflect the same action of destruction. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain partial restorations but agree on the core elements of the verse, affirming the destructive power attributed to God.
בְּר֥וּחַ קָדִ֑ים תְּ֝שַׁבֵּ֗ר אֳנִיּ֥וֹת תַּרְשִֽׁישׁ׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
רעדה אחזת׳ם [שם] [חיל] [כיולדה]
1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 3 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 48:7
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
רוּחַ (ruach) means breath, wind, or spirit. It encompasses various meanings, including the breath of life, emotional disposition, and the spirit of God. The term can refer to both physical phenomena, like wind, and abstract concepts, such as moral character or mental acts. Notably, it is used frequently in the context of divine inspiration and the Holy Spirit.
רוּחַ 378 n.f. (less oft. m.) breath, wind, spirit
breath of mouth or nostrils (33 t.)
wind (117 t.)
spirit, as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation = temper, disposition (76 t.)
spirit of the living, breathing being
spirit as seat of emotion
occasionally (and late) = seat or organ of mental acts
rarely of the will
רוּחַ esp. of moral character
spirit of God (94 t.)
base
H7307 רוּחַ breath, wind, spirit . breath of mouth or nostrils (33 t.)
. wind (117 t.)
. spirit, as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation = temper, disposition (76 t.)
. spirit of the living, breathing being
. spirit as seat of emotion
. occasionally (and late) = seat or organ of mental acts
. rarely of the will
. רוּחַ esp. of moral character
. spirit of God (94 t.)
7307 ruwach roo'-akh
from 7306; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or
even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger,
unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by
resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including
its expression and functions):--air, anger, blast, breath, X
cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit((-ual)),
tempest, X vain, ((whirl-))wind(-y).
see HEBREW for 07306
רוּחַ (ru.ach) — spirit.
: spirit
1) wind, breath, mind, spirit
1a) breath
1b) wind
1b1) of heaven
1b2) quarter (of wind), side
1b3) breath of air
1b4) air, gas
1b5) vain, empty thing
1c) spirit (as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation)
1c1) spirit, animation, vivacity, vigour
1c2) courage
1c3) temper, anger
1c4) impatience, patience
1c5) spirit, disposition (as troubled, bitter, discontented)
1c6) disposition (of various kinds), unaccountable or uncontrollable impulse
1c7) prophetic spirit
1d) spirit (of the living, breathing being in man and animals)
1d1) as gift, preserved by God, God's spirit, departing at death, disembodied being
1e) spirit (as seat of emotion)
1e1) desire
1e2) sorrow, trouble
1f) spirit
1f1) as seat or organ of mental acts
1f2) rarely of the will
1f3) as seat especially of moral character
HR/Ncfsc — Preposition · noun common feminine singular constructHR/Ncfsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
קָדִים (qadiym) refers to the direction east and also denotes an east wind. It is derived from another Hebrew root, indicating its connection to the concept of the front or fore part. The entries consistently emphasize its geographical and meteorological meanings.
קָדִים 69 n.m. East, east wind
base
H6921 קָדִים East, east wind
6921 qadiym kaw-deem'
or qadim {kaw-deem'}; from 6923; the fore or front part;
hence (by orientation) the East (often adverbially, eastward,
for brevity the east wind):--east(-ward, wind).
see HEBREW for 06923
קָדִים (qa.dim) — east.
1) east, east wind
1a) east (of direction)
1b) east wind
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
East
(1.) The orient (mizrah); the rising of the sun. Thus “the east country” is the country lying to the east of Syria, the Elymais (Zech. 8:7).
(2). Properly what is in front of one, or a country that is before or in front of another; the rendering of the word kedem. In pointing out the quarters, a Hebrew always looked with his face toward the east. The word kedem is used when the four quarters of the world are described (Gen. 13:14; 28:14); and mizrah when the east only is distinguished from the west (Josh. 11:3; Ps. 50:1; 103:12, etc.). In Gen. 25:6 “eastward” is literally “unto the land of kedem;” i.e., the lands…
The Hebrew term kedem properly means that which is before or in front of a person, and was applied to the east form the custom of turning in that direction when describing the points of the compass, before, behind, the right and the left representing respectively east, west, south and north. (Job 23:8,9) The term as generally used refers to the lands lying immediately eastward of Palestine, viz., Arabia, Mesopotamia and Babylonia; on the other hand mizrach is used of the far east with a less definite signification. (Isaiah 42:2,25; 43:5; 46:11)
The Hebrews, in speaking of the different quarters of the heaven, always suppose the face to be turned towards the east. Hence "before," or "forwards," means the east; "behind" is the west; the right-hand is south, and the left hand, north. Besides the ordinary meanings of the word east, Jos 4:19; Ps 103:12, the Jews often used it to designate a large region lying northeast and southeast of Palestine, including Syria and Arabia near at hand, and Babylonia, Assyria, Armenia, etc., with the whole region from the Caspian sea to the Arabian gulf, Ge 29:1; Nu 23:7; Jud 6:3; 7:12; 8:10. The wise men who visited the infant…
שָׁבַר (shabar) means to break or shatter, with various nuances including breaking in pieces, causing to break out (like bringing to birth), and being broken or crushed. It appears in different forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating active and passive meanings. The lexicons do not present any significant disagreements.
שָׁבַר 148 vb. break, break in pieces
Qal 53 break, lit.
Niph. 57 be broken
Pi. 26 shatter, break
Hiph. cause to break out, i.e. bring to the birth
Hoph. be broken, shattered (in heart)
base
H7665 שָׁבַר break, break in pieces .break, lit.
. be broken
. shatter, break
. cause to break out, i.e. bring to the birth
. be broken, shattered (in heart)
7665 shabar shaw-bar'
a primitive root; to burst (literally or
figuratively):--break (down, off, in pieces, up),
broken((-hearted)), bring to the birth, crush, destroy, hurt,
quench, X quite, tear, view (by mistake for 7663).
see HEBREW for 07663
שָׁבַר (sha.var) — to break.
1) to break, break in pieces
1a) (Qal)
1a1) break, break in or down, rend violently, wreck, crush, quench
1a2) to break, rupture (fig)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be broken, be maimed, be crippled, be wrecked
1b2) to be broken, be crushed (fig)
1c) (Piel) to shatter, break
1d) (Hiphil) to cause to break out, bring to the birth
1e) (Hophal) to be broken, be shattered
Aramaic equivalent: te.var (תְּבַר "to break" H8406)
HVpi2ms — Verb · Piel · imperfect second person masculine singularHVpi2ms
אֳנִיָּה (oniyah) is a feminine noun meaning 'a ship.' It is derived from the root word for 'ship' and can refer to both the vessel itself and its crew, including seamen. The term appears in contexts related to maritime activities.
אֳנִיָּה n.f. unit. a ship
base
H591 אֳנִיָּה a ship
591 'oniyah on-ee-yaw'
feminine of 590; a ship:--ship((-men)).
see HEBREW for 0590
אֳנִיָּה (o.niy.yah) — fleet.
1) ship
1a) men of ships, seamen
HNcfpc — Noun common · feminine plural constructHNcfpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
תַּרְשִׁישׁ (Tarshish) refers to a distant port, possibly linked to the Mediterranean, and is associated with trade and merchant vessels. It also denotes a man from the tribe of Benjamin and a Persian noble. The word is connected to yellow jasper and appears in various contexts, including a city mentioned in relation to Jonah's flight.
תַּרְשִׁישׁ n.pr.
loc. a distant port, site not certainly known
m.
in Benjamin
Persian noble
base
H8659 תַּרְשִׁישׁ . a distant port, site not certainly known
. . in Benjamin
. Persian noble
8659 Tarshiysh tar-sheesh'
probably the same as 8658 (as the region of the stone, or the
reverse); Tarshish, a place on the Mediterranean, hence, the
ephithet of a merchant vessel (as if for or from that port);
also the name of a Persian and of an Israelite:--Tarshish,
Tharshish.
see HEBREW for 08658
תַּרְשִׁישׁ (tar.shish) — Tarshish.
A man of the Greeks living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.4;
son of: Javan (H3120);
brother of: Elishah (H0473), Kittim (H3794) and Dodanim (H1721)
§ Tarshish or Tharshish = "yellow jasper"
son of Javan
תַּרְשִׁישׁ (tar.shish) — Tarshish.
§ Tarshish or Tharshish = "yellow jasper"
1) a city of the Phoenicians in a distant part of the Mediterranean Sea to which the prophet Jonah was trying to flee
perhaps in Cyprus or Spain
2) 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
תַּרְשִׁישׁ (tar.shish) — Tarshish.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.7.10;
son of: Bilhan (H1092H);
HNpl — Noun properHNpl
tar'-shish (tarshish):
(1) Eponym of a Benjamite family (1Ch 7:10); Rhamessai, A and Lucian, Tharseis
(2) One of the "seven princes" at the court of Ahasuerus (Es 1:14 Massoretic Text).
(3) The Hebrew name of a precious stone (Eze 10:9 margin, English Versions of the Bible "beryl"; Ex 28:20; 39:13; Eze 1:16; 28:13; So 5:14; Da 10:6).
See STONES, PRECIOUS.
Tarshish
A Sanscrit or Aryan word, meaning “the sea coast.” (1.) One of the “sons” of Javan (Gen. 10:4; 1 Chr. 1:7).
(2.) The name of a place which first comes into notice in the days of Solomon. The question as to the locality of Tarshish has given rise to not a little discussion. Some think there was a Tarshish in the East, on the Indian coast, seeing that “ships of Tarshish” sailed from Eziongeber, on the Red Sea (1 Kings 9:26; 22:48; 2 Chr. 9:21). Some, again, argue that Carthage was the place so named. There can be little doubt, however, that this is the name of a Phoenician port in Spain, between the two mouths of the Guadalquivir (the name given to the river by…
(established). Probably Tartessus, a city and emporium of the Phoenicians in the south of Spain, represented as one of the sons of Javan. (Genesis 10:4; 1 Kings 10:22; 1 Chronicles 1:7; Psalms 48:7; Isaiah 2:16; Jeremiah 10:9; Ezekiel 27:12,25; Jonah 1:3; 4:2) The identity of the two places is rendered highly probable by the following circumstances: 1st. There is a very close similarity of name between them, Tartessus being merely Tarshish in the Aramaic form. 2nd. There seems to have been a special relation between…
1. The second son of Javan, Ge 10:4.
2. Tartessus, an ancient city between two mouths of the Guadalquiver, in the south of Spain. It was a Phoenician colony, and was the most celebrated emporium in the west to which the Hebrews and Phoenicians traded. That Tarshish was situated in the west is evident from Ge 10:4, where it is joined with Elisha, Kittim, and Dodanim. See also Ps 72:10. According to Eze 38:13, it was an important place of trade; according to Jer 10:9, it exported silver, and according to Eze 27:12,25, silver, iron, tin, and lead to the Tyrian markets.…