Topical Encyclopedia
The term "ocean" is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible; however, the concept of vast bodies of water is prevalent throughout the Scriptures. The Bible often refers to the "sea" or "seas," which can be understood to include the oceans as we know them today. These references highlight the grandeur, mystery, and power of the waters created by God.
Creation and Sovereignty of GodIn the creation narrative,
Genesis 1:9-10 states, "And God said, 'Let the waters under the heavens be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear.' And it was so. God called the dry land 'earth,' and the gathering of waters He called 'seas.' And God saw that it was good." This passage underscores God's sovereign command over the waters, establishing their boundaries and purpose.
The ocean is a testament to God's creative power and majesty.
Psalm 104:25 declares, "Here is the sea, vast and wide, teeming with creatures beyond number, living things both great and small." The ocean's vastness and the diversity of life within it reflect the infinite wisdom and creativity of the Creator.
Symbolism and ImageryThroughout the Bible, the sea often symbolizes chaos and danger, yet it is always under God's control. In the account of Jonah, the prophet's attempt to flee from God's command leads him to the sea, where a great storm arises.
Jonah 1:4 states, "Then the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship was in danger of breaking apart." This narrative illustrates the sea as a place of divine intervention and judgment.
In the New Testament, Jesus demonstrates His authority over the natural world by calming the stormy sea.
Mark 4:39 recounts, "Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. 'Silence!' He commanded. 'Be still!' And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm." This miracle reveals Christ's divine power and His ability to bring peace amidst chaos.
Prophetic and Eschatological ReferencesThe ocean also appears in prophetic and eschatological contexts. In Revelation, the sea is depicted as a place from which the beast emerges, symbolizing opposition to God (
Revelation 13:1). However, in the new creation, the sea is notably absent.
Revelation 21:1 states, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more." This absence may symbolize the removal of chaos and the establishment of eternal peace and order.
Theological ReflectionsThe ocean's portrayal in the Bible invites reflection on God's omnipotence and the human experience of awe and humility before His creation. The vastness of the ocean serves as a metaphor for the depth of God's wisdom and knowledge, as expressed in
Job 11:7-9 : "Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens—what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol—what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea."
In summary, while the Bible does not specifically mention "oceans," the references to seas and large bodies of water convey significant theological themes, including God's creative power, His control over chaos, and the ultimate hope of a restored creation.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) The whole body of salt water which covers more than three fifths of the surface of the globe; -- called also the sea, or great sea.
2. (n.) One of the large bodies of water into which the great ocean is regarded as divided, as the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic and Antarctic oceans.
3. (n.) An immense expanse; any vast space or quantity without apparent limits; as, the boundless ocean of eternity; an ocean of affairs.
4. (a.) of or pertaining to the main or great sea; as, the ocean waves; an ocean stream.
Greek
1796. enubrizo -- to insult... [The root is also used of the , force of
ocean waves.]. Word Origin from en and
hubrizo Definition to insult NASB Word Usage insulted (1). to insult, outrage.
...Strong's Hebrew
6683. tsulah -- (ocean) deep... 6682, 6683. tsulah. 6684 . (
ocean) deep. Transliteration: tsulah Phonetic
Spelling: (tsoo-law') Short Definition: sea. Word Origin
...8415. tehom -- deep, sea, abyss
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition deep, sea, abyss NASB Word Usage deep
(22), deeps (8), depths (4),ocean depths (1), springs (1)....
Library
Hail, Thou Star ofOcean!
... No. 73 Hail, thou Star ofocean! THE BLESSED VIRGIN Hail, thou Star ofocean! Ave
Maris Stella. Translated by Father Caswall M. Taddei. Andante religioso....
Heresy Compared to -1 the StormyOcean, -2 the Rocks of the Sirens...
... Book VII. Chapter I."Heresy Compared to (1) the StormyOcean, (2) the
Rocks of the Sirens; Moral from Ulysses and the Sirens....
The Waterer Watered
... The river hastens with its greater floods towards the all-receivingocean, pouring
itself out every hour with happy plenteousness as though it only existed to...
Entering into the Infinite
... As the smallest drop of water detached from theocean contains all the qualities
of theocean, so man, detached in consciousness from the Infinite, contains...
Turn Away Thine Eyes from Me, Because they have Made Me to Flee...
... and the Creator which brings them into unity, so to speak, though with such an infinite
disproportion as exists between a single drop of water and theocean....
Testimonies to the Unity of God.
... Mountains and earth, with the profoundest depths. Ofocean, and the highest
peaks of hills,.... The glancing waves ofocean, and the winds;...
The Psychology of Contemplation
... Apparently our souls are crystallizations, as it were, out of an undifferentiated
psychicocean. So our personalities are formed, which we must keep inviolate....
Eternity.
... What a vast and awful thought! Eternity! I stand upon the shore ofocean and looking
out upon the broad expanse I see nothing butocean; I see no other shore....
How the Isle of Wight Received Christian Inhabitants, and Two...
... (The Solent) In this sea, the two tides of theocean, which break upon Britain all
round its coasts from the boundless northernocean, daily meet in conflict...
The Useless Bondage of the Gentiles.
... difference does it make to me, for instance, that the image of Neptune is not itself
to be considered a god, but only as representing the wideocean, and all...
Thesaurus
Ocean (3 Occurrences)... 2. (n.) One of the large bodies of water into which the great
ocean is regarded
as divided, as the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic and Antarctic oceans.
...Cosmological
... "The world is a solid expanse of earth, surrounded by and resting on a world-ocean,
and surmounted by a rigid vault called the `firmament,' above which the...
Features (3 Occurrences)
... The lower Jordan valley slopes from about 600 ft. belowocean-level at the Sea
of Galilee to about 1,300 ft. belowocean-level at the Dead Sea....
Maritime (1 Occurrence)
... 1. (a.) Bordering on, or situated near, theocean; as, the Maritime Provinces of
Canada; connected with the sea by site, interest, or power; having shipping...
Badger (9 Occurrences)
... the Mediterranean. The dugong, Halicore dugong, inhabits the IndianOcean
and adjoining waters from the Red Sea to Australia. The...
Channel (3 Occurrences)
... attribute to these ancient writers a share in modern notions of oceanography, but
the idea seems to be that of a withdrawal of the water of theocean, and the...
Arabia (9 Occurrences)
... It is bounded on the west by the Isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea, on the south by
the IndianOcean, and on the east by the Persian Gulf and the Euphrates....
Sound (1245 Occurrences)
... passage of water, or a strait between the mainland and an island; also, a strait
connecting two seas, or connecting a sea or lake with theocean; as, the Sound...
Paradise (6 Occurrences)
... and shame was such as was symbolized by the popular conception of paradise, which,
as held by the Essenes, consisted of "habitations beyond theocean, in a...
World (2829 Occurrences)
... "The world is a solid expanse of earth, surrounded by and resting on a world-ocean,
and surmounted by a rigid vault called the `firmament,' above which the...
Resources
Is there any truth to the Bermuda Triangle conspiracy theories? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is partialism in relation to the Trinity? | GotQuestions.orgHow does young earth creationism handle the evidence for millions of years in the fossil record? | GotQuestions.orgOcean: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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