Ships and Boats in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE

I. THE HEBREWS AND THE SEA II. SHIPS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE APOCRYPHA 1. Among the Hebrews (1) In Early Times (2) During the Monarchy (3) In Later Times 2. Among Neighboring Nations (1) Egypt (2) Assyria and Babylonia (3) Phoenicia 3. General References III. SHIPS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 1. In the Gospels 2. In the Acts of the Apostles 3. In Other Books LITERATURE In the Old Testament the following words are found: (1) The word most commonly used in Hebrew for "a ship" is 'oniyah (Prov 30:19; Jon 1:3,4), of which the plural 'oniyoth is found most frequently (Jdg 5:17; 1 Ki 22:48 f, and many other places). The collective term for "a navy of ships" is 'oni (1 Ki 9:26 f; 10:22, 'oni Tharshish, "a navy (of ships) of Tarshish"; but Isa 33:21, 'oni shayit, a "galley with oars"). (2) tsi (Nu 24:24; Ezek 30:9; Isa 33:21), tsi 'addir, "gallant ship"; Dan 11:30, tsiyim Kittim, "ships of Kittim.' (3) cephinah, "innermost parts of the ship" the Revised Version (British and American), "sides of the ship" the King James Version (Jon 1:5, the only place where the word is found). In Apocrypha ploion, is the usual word (The Wisdom of Solomon 14:1; Ecclesiasticus 33:2, etc.), translated "vessel" in The Wisdom of Solomon 14:1, but "ship" elsewhere. For "ship" The Wisdom of Solomon 5:10 has naus. "Boat" in 2 Macc 12:3,6 is for skaphos, and "navy" in 1 Macc 1:17; 2 Macc 12:9; 14:1 for stolos. In The Wisdom of Solomon 14:6 Noah's ark is called a schedia, a "clumsy ship" (the literal translation "raft" in the Revised Version (British and American) is impossible). In the New Testament there are four words in use: (1) naus (Acts 27:41, the only place where it occurs, designating the large sea-going vessel in which Paul suffered shipwreck). (2) ploiarion, "a little boat" (Mk 3:9 and two other places, Jn 6:22 ff; 21:8). (3) ploion, "boat" (Mt 4:21,22 and many other places in the Gospels--the ordinary fishingboat of the Sea of Galilee rendered "boat" uniformly in the Revised Version (British and American) instead of "ship" the King James Version), "ship" (Acts 20:13, and all other places where the ship carrying Paul is mentioned, except 27:41, as above). In Jas 3:4; Rev 8:9; 18:17 ff, it is rendered "ship." (4) skaphe, "boat" (Acts 27:16,30,32, where it means the small boat of the ship in which Paul was being conveyed as a prisoner to Rome). Cognate expressions are: "shipmen," 'anshe 'oniyoth (1 Ki 9:27); nautai (Acts 27:27,30 the King James Version, "sailors" the Revised Version (British and American)); "mariners," mallachim (Jon 1:15; Ezek 27:9,27,29), shaTim (Ezek 27:8 the King James Version, "rowers" the Revised Version (British and American); Ezek 27:26, the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American)); "pilot," chobhel (Jon 1:6; Ezek 27:8,27,28,29); "sailing," "voyage," plous (Acts 21:7; 27:9,10, the Revised Version (British and American) "voyage" in all verses). I. The Hebrews and the Sea. The Hebrews were a pastoral and agricultural people, and had no inducements to follow a seafaring life. They were possessed of a considerable seaboard along the Mediterranean, but the character of their coast gave little encouragement to navigation. The coast line of the land of Israel from Carmel southward had no bays and no estuaries or river-mouths to offer shelter from storm or to be havens of ships. Solomon landed his timber and other materials for the Temple at Joppa, and tradition has handed down what is called "Solomon's Harbor" there. The builders of the second temple also got timber from Lebanon and conveyed it to Joppa. It was Simon Maccabeus, however, who built its harbor, and the harbor at Joppa was...