Lexical Summary
oniyyah: ships, ship, boats
Original Word:אֱנִיָּה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:oniyah
Pronunciation:o-nee-YAH
Phonetic Spelling:(on-ee-yaw')
KJV: ship(-men)
NASB:ships, ship, boats
Word Origin:[feminine ofH590 (אָנִי - ships)]
1. a ship
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
shipmen
Feminine of'oniy; a ship -- ship((-men)).
see HEBREW'oniy
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
oniDefinitiona ship
NASB Translationboats (1), sailors* (1), ship (4), ships (25).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
— absolute
Jonah 1:3 3t.;
Plural absolute
Deuteronomy 28:68 +; 2Chronicles 8:18; construct = absolute
1 Kings 22:49 +, etc.; —
a shipProverbs 30:19;
Genesis 49:13;
Deuteronomy 28:68;
Judges 5:17 (where, however, compare Bu
BB Richter u. Sam. p. 16 on text)
1 Kings 22:49,50;
Isaiah 43:14; 2Chronicles 8:18; 20:36,37;
Jonah 1:4,5;
Psalm 104:26;
Psalm 107:23;
Daniel 11:40;
Ezekiel 27:9; propelled by oars
Ezekiel 27:29; especially (compare )
1 Kings 22:49; 2Chronicles 9:21 (compare
1 Kings 10:22 above below )
Psalm 48:8;
Isaiah 2:16;
Isaiah 23:1,14;
Isaiah 60:9;
Ezekiel 27:25; late of ship going to Tarshish 2Chronicles 9:21; 20:36;
Jonah 1:3;
merchant-ship,
Proverbs 31:14;
swift shipsJob 9:26 (compare );
seamen1 Kings 9:27.
Topical Lexicon
אֱנִיָּה (Strong’s H591)
Meaning and Range of Imagery
The term designates every sort of sea-going craft, from light papyrus skiffs (Job 9:26) to the majestic long-distance “ships of Tarshish” (Isaiah 2:16). It can point to commercial fleets, naval squadrons, or the single vessel that carried Jonah. Across Scripture the word becomes a vivid emblem of commerce, power, vulnerability, judgment, and hope.
Distribution in Scripture
Approximately thirty-one occurrences span the Pentateuch (Genesis 49:13;Deuteronomy 28:68), Historical Books (1 Kings 9–10;2 Chronicles 8–9; 20), Wisdom Literature (Job, Psalms, Proverbs), Major Prophets (Isaiah), and the Book of the Twelve (Ezekiel; Jonah; Nahum). The clustering of references in accounts of Solomon, in the Tyrian oracle (Ezekiel 27), and in Jonah highlights major theological themes—prosperity, international reach, and divine sovereignty over the sea.
Ships in Commerce and Prosperity
1 Kings 9:26-28 records Solomon’s fleet at Ezion-Geber on the Red Sea, crewed by experienced Phoenician sailors. Gold, almug wood, and precious stones flowed into Israel, fulfilling the promise that obedience brings abundance.Proverbs 31:14 compares the diligent wife to “merchant ships, bringing her food from afar,” depicting industry, foresight, and the blessing of global trade under God’s hand. The prophets envision restored prosperity in identical terms: “Surely the islands await Me, with the ships of Tarshish in the lead” (Isaiah 60:9).
Military and Political Significance
Naval capability signified political clout. Jehoshaphat’s ill-fated fleet (1 Kings 22:48) underscores the folly of alliances forged without divine approval.Isaiah 2:16 announces judgment “against every ship of Tarshish and every stately vessel,” demonstrating that the might of empires will crumble before the Lord of hosts.
International Exchange and the Port of Tyre
Ezekiel 27 catalogs the global marketplace centred in Tyre. Verse 25 states, “The ships of Tarshish carried your merchandise.” The dismantling of those fleets (verses 26-27) dramatizes God’s verdict against prideful commercialism. Mariners lament, merchants are ruined, and the harbour becomes a byword of collapse—an enduring warning to nations that trust wealth more than the Creator.
Human Frailty and Divine Sovereignty
Job likens fleeting days to “boats of papyrus” (Job 9:26). Psalms 107:23-30 pictures sailors who “saw the works of the LORD” when storms drove them to cry out for deliverance. The episode shows that even seasoned navigators are helpless until the Lord “stilled the storm to a whisper.” Jonah’s flight vividly reinforces this: one man’s disobedience imperils an entire crew until repentance and sacrifice restore calm (Jonah 1:3-16).
Judgment Motifs
Deuteronomy 28:68 foretells exile “in ships” as the direst covenant curse. History records repeated captivities, evidencing that God’s warnings are neither hollow nor obsolete.Psalm 48:7 depicts the Lord shattering the proud fleets of Tarshish with an east wind, echoing the Red Sea deliverance and foreshadowing final judgment on every power arrayed against His purposes.
Metaphors of Mystery and Wonder
Agur marvels at “the way of a ship on the high seas” (Proverbs 30:19), an image of paths inscrutable to the human mind yet perfectly charted by God. Such language invites meditation on divine wisdom that orders the seemingly trackless deep.
Hope and Mission
Isaiah 60:9 forms a bridge from Israel’s past to the future gathering of the nations: vessels that once bore cargo for profit will convey “your sons from afar” for worship. The same element that threatened Jonah becomes the avenue for worldwide restoration. The picture anticipates the spread of the gospel over every ocean, calling the Church to maritime and global mission.
Devotional and Ministry Applications
• Dependence: Like mariners, believers must trust the Lord amid uncontrollable forces.
• Stewardship: Commerce, when surrendered to God, channels His provision; when idolized, it invites judgment.
• Mission: The imagery urges engagement with the nations, confident that winds and waves still obey Christ (Mark 4:41).
• Humility: Vast seas and fragile hulls remind humanity of its limits and of the Creator who alone “sets a boundary the waters cannot cross” (cf.Job 38:10-11).
The word אֱנִיָּה thus navigates a theological course from blessing to judgment to eschatological hope, anchoring every voyage in the sovereign purposes of God revealed throughout Scripture.
Forms and Transliterations
אֳנִיָּ֥ה אֳנִיּ֑וֹת אֳנִיּ֔וֹת אֳנִיּ֖וֹת אֳנִיּ֣וֹת אֳנִיּ֤וֹת אֳנִיּ֥וֹת אֳנִיּ֨וֹת אֳנִיֹּ֗ות אָנִיָּ֣ה ׀ אניה אניות בָּֽאֳנִיָּה֙ בָּאֳנִיּ֑וֹת בָּאֳנִיּ֥וֹת בָּאֳנִיּוֹת֒ באניה באניות וְהָ֣אֳנִיָּ֔ה וָאֳנִיּ֤וֹת וּבָאֳנִיּ֖וֹת ואניות ובאניות והאניה כָּאֳנִיּ֣וֹת כאניות מֵאָנִיּֽוֹתֵיהֶ֗ם מאניותיהם ’ā·nî·yāh ’ānîyāh ’o·nî·yāh ’o·nî·yō·wṯ ’onîyāh ’onîyōwṯ aniYah bā’onîyāh bā’onîyōwṯ bā·’o·nî·yāh bā·’o·nî·yō·wṯ booniYah booniyOt kā’onîyōwṯ kā·’o·nî·yō·wṯ kooniYot mê’ānîyōwṯêhem mê·’ā·nî·yō·w·ṯê·hem meaniyoteiHem oniYah oniYot ū·ḇā·’o·nî·yō·wṯ ūḇā’onîyōwṯ uvooniYot veHooniYah vooniYot wā’onîyōwṯ wā·’o·nî·yō·wṯ wə·hā·’o·nî·yāh wəhā’onîyāh
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