The term "coast-line" in the biblical context refers to the boundary or edge of the land that meets a sea or ocean. In the ancient Near East, coastlines were significant for trade, travel, and military strategy. The Bible often mentions coastlines in relation to the territories of various peoples and nations, particularly those bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

Biblical References:

1. Territorial Boundaries:
The coastlines often served as natural boundaries for the territories of the tribes of Israel and neighboring nations. For example, the tribe of Asher was allotted land that included a portion of the coastline. In Joshua 19:24-31, the inheritance of Asher is described, which includes "Carmel on the west" (Joshua 19:26), indicating its coastal boundary.

2. Trade and Commerce:
Coastal regions were vital for trade and commerce in the ancient world. The city of Tyre, located on the coast of modern-day Lebanon, was a major center of trade and is frequently mentioned in the Bible. Ezekiel 27:3-4 describes Tyre as "situated at the gateway to the sea, merchant of the peoples on many coasts." This highlights the importance of the coastline for economic activity.

3. Prophetic Significance:
Coastlines are sometimes mentioned in prophetic literature, symbolizing distant lands or peoples. Isaiah 11:11 speaks of the Lord recovering the remnant of His people from various places, including "the islands of the sea," which can be understood as distant coastlands. Similarly, Isaiah 42:10 calls for praise to the Lord from "the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who dwell in them."

4. Military and Strategic Importance:
Coastal cities and regions were often targets for military campaigns due to their strategic importance. The Philistines, who occupied the coastal plain of Canaan, frequently clashed with the Israelites. Judges 1:18-19 notes that Judah captured Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, all of which were significant Philistine cities located along the coast.

5. Symbol of God's Sovereignty:
The coastlines, like other natural features, are depicted as under God's sovereign control. Psalm 95:5 declares, "The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land." This verse emphasizes God's authority over both the sea and the land, including the coastlines that separate them.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In the biblical era, coastlines were not only geographical features but also cultural and economic lifelines. The Mediterranean Sea, known as the "Great Sea" in the Bible, was a crucial route for the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultures. Coastal cities like Joppa (modern-day Jaffa) served as important ports for maritime activities. The presence of natural harbors along the coastlines facilitated the movement of ships and contributed to the prosperity of coastal settlements.

Theological Implications:

From a theological perspective, coastlines in the Bible can be seen as symbols of transition and boundary. They represent the meeting point between the known and the unknown, the land and the sea, the familiar and the foreign. This symbolism can be extended to the spiritual realm, where believers are called to navigate the boundaries between the earthly and the divine, trusting in God's guidance and sovereignty over all creation.960. Beroia -- Berea, a city of Macedonia
... Berea. Perhaps a provincial from a derivative of peran (Peroea, ie The region beyond
the coast-line); Beroea, a place in Macedonia -- Berea. see GREEK peran. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/960.htm - 6k1366. gebul -- border, boundary, territory
... unused word Definition border, boundary, territory NASB Word Usage area (1), barrier
(1), border (144), borders (10), boundary (13), coastline (3), districts (1 ...
/hebrew/1366.htm - 6k

The Nile and Egypt
... Thence it was gathered into the great littoral current flowing from Africa to Asia,
and formed an incurvated coast-line ending in the headland of Casios, on ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

Chapter x
... so the author says the same thing in the terminology of his day, For "the islands
of the nations" are really the Mediterranean coast line ('iyyey"Gestade, KW ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter x.htm

Babylonia and Assyria
... with the adjoining desert, was called by the Sumerians the Edin, or "Plain." On
the southern edge of this plain, and on what was then the coast-line of the ...
/.../early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter vi babylonia and assyria.htm

Joshua's Conquest.
... Along the entire coast line there is a continuous coast plain. There are many
mountains, the most important being Hermon, Carmel and Gerizim. ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter viii joshuas conquest.htm

His Amusements and Occupations
... When on board the "Assistance," he made a good sketch of the coast line of the region
which his tribe frequented, from Cape York to Smith's Sound. ...
/.../murray/kalli the esquimaux christian /his amusements and occupations.htm

When the Oil Flows
... rushes into every vacuum, or as the sea runs up into and fills every sinuosity of
the shore, so wherever a heart opens, and the unbroken coast-line is indented ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/when the oil flows.htm

Sargon of Assyria (722-705 BC )
... The continual deposit of alluvial soil at the mouths of the rivers had greatly altered
the coastline from the earliest historic times downwards. ...
/.../chapter iiisargon of assyria 722-705.htm

Joseph and Nicodemus
... The whole level of morality has been heaved up, as the coastline has sometimes been
by hidden fires slowly working, by the imperceptible, gradual influence of ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/joseph and nicodemus.htm

Disestablishment
... when the descent upon Saybrook was made, at the attack upon Stonington, and during
those months when the enemy hovered upon the long exposed coast line, kept a ...
/.../chapter xv disestablishment.htm

The Hilltops --Experiences of Gladness and Glory
... He shall reign from the Mediterranean, at the centre of the earth, out to the farthest
sea-coast line, and from the Euphrates east and west to the most distant ...
/.../quiet talks on following the christ/4 the hilltopsexperiences of gladness.htm

Coastline (3 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Coastline (3 Occurrences). Numbers 34:6 "'For
the western border, you shall have the great sea and the ...
/c/coastline.htm - 7k

Coast-line (2 Occurrences)
Coast-line. Coastline, Coast-line. Coasts . Multi-Version Concordance
Coast-line (2 Occurrences). ... (See RSV). Coastline, Coast-line. Coasts . Reference
/c/coast-line.htm - 6k

Graecia
... With an area, therefore, considerably less than that of Portugal, Greece has a
coastline exceeding in length that of Spain and Portugal combined. ...
/g/graecia.htm - 21k

Miletus (3 Occurrences)
... The Meander brings down a considerable amount of sediment which it has
deposited at its mouth, naturally altering the coastline. ...
/m/miletus.htm - 9k

Salim (1 Occurrence)
... seer of Patmos gave the last Scriptural expression in his vision of the new earth,
where "the sea is no more" (Revelation 21:1). 3. The CoastLine: Along the ...
/s/salim.htm - 15k

Minor (2 Occurrences)
... The West coast, with its alternation of mountain and river-valley, is deeply indented:
there is a total coastline of four times the length of a line drawn ...
/m/minor.htm - 62k

Asia (22 Occurrences)
... The West coast, with its alternation of mountain and river-valley, is deeply indented:
there is a total coastline of four times the length of a line drawn ...
/a/asia.htm - 71k

Coast (70 Occurrences)
... 9. (vt) To sail by or near; to follow the coastline of ... villages; Gaza, its towns
and its villages; to the brook of Egypt, and the great sea with its coastline. ...
/c/coast.htm - 31k

Coastlands (29 Occurrences)

/c/coastlands.htm - 14k

Zareth-shahar (1 Occurrence)
... basaltic columns and pieces of wall about 200 yards back from the shore, and a ruined
fort rather nearer the sea, about the middle of the coastline of the ...
/z/zareth-shahar.htm - 7k

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