Geographical Context:
India, as referenced in the Bible, is often associated with the distant lands of the East. While the modern nation of India is not explicitly mentioned by name in the biblical texts, the region is generally understood to be part of the ancient world known to the biblical authors. The term "India" in the Bible is often linked to the regions beyond the Indus River, which served as a boundary for the known world in ancient times.

Biblical References:
The most direct reference to India in the Bible is found in the Book of Esther. In Esther 1:1 , it is stated: "This is what happened in the days of Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Cush." This passage highlights the vastness of the Persian Empire under King Xerxes, stretching from India in the east to Cush (modern-day Sudan) in the west. The mention of India here signifies the extent of the empire's reach and the diversity of its territories.

Cultural and Historical Significance:
India, during the biblical era, was known for its wealth, spices, and exotic goods, which were highly sought after by traders and merchants. The region was part of the extensive trade networks that connected the East with the West, facilitating the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultural practices. The biblical mention of India in the context of the Persian Empire underscores the interconnectedness of ancient civilizations and the influence of Indian culture and commerce on the broader ancient world.

Theological Implications:
From a theological perspective, the reference to India in the Bible serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty over all nations and peoples. The vastness of the Persian Empire, which included India, illustrates the fulfillment of God's purposes through history, as seen in the narrative of Esther. The inclusion of India in the biblical narrative also reflects the universality of God's plan, encompassing diverse cultures and regions.

Prophetic and Eschatological Views:
Some conservative Christian interpretations see the mention of India as part of the broader biblical theme of God's dominion over the earth. In eschatological terms, the inclusion of distant lands like India in the biblical narrative can be seen as a foreshadowing of the Gospel's reach to the ends of the earth, as prophesied in passages such as Isaiah 49:6 : "I will also make you a light for the nations, to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth."

Conclusion:
While the Bible does not provide extensive details about India, its mention in the context of the Persian Empire highlights the historical and cultural significance of the region. The reference serves as a testament to the interconnectedness of ancient civilizations and the overarching narrative of God's plan for humanity.India

praise; law

India

The name of India does not occur in the Bible before the book of Esther where it is noticed as the limit of the territories of Ahasuerus in the east, as Ethiopia was in the west. (Esther 1:1; 8:9) The India of the book of Esther is not the peninsula of Hindostan, but the country surrounding the Indus, the Punjab and perhaps Scinde . The people and productions of that country must have been tolerably well known to the Jews. An active trade was carried on between India and western Asia. The trade opened by Solomon with Ophir through the Red Sea consisted chiefly of Indian articles.

India

Esther 1:1:8:9, the country lying east of the ancient Persia and Bactria, so named from the river Indus which passed through it. The India of the ancients extended more to the north and west than modern India; and the southern region, now best known to us, was comparatively unknown until the era of modern navigation.

Occurs only in Esther 1:1 and Esther 8:9, where the extent of the dominion of the Persian king is described. The country so designated here is not the peninsula of Hindustan, but the country surrounding the Indus, the Punjab. The people and the products of India were well known to the Jews, who seem to have carried on an active trade with that country (Ezek. 27:15, 24). (n.) A country in Southern Asia; the two peninsulas of Hither and Farther India; in a restricted sense, Hither India, or Hindostan.INDIA

in'-di-a (hoddu: he Indike): The name occurs in canonical Scripture only in Esther 1:1; Esther 8:9, of the country which marked the eastern boundary of the territory of Ahasuerus. The Hebrew word comes from the name of the Indus, Hondu, and denotes, not the peninsula of Hindustan, but the country drained by that great river. This is the meaning also in 1 Esdras 3:2; Additions to Esther 3:2; 16:01. Many have thought that this country is intended by Havilah in Genesis 2:11 and that the Indus is the Pishon. The drivers of the elephants (1 Maccabees 6:37) were doubtless natives of this land. The name in 1 Maccabees 8:9 is certainly an error. India never formed part of the dominions of Antiochus the Great. It may possibly be a clerical error for "Ionia," as Media is possibly a mistake for Mysia. If the Israelites in early times had no direct relations with India, many characteristic Indian products seem to have found their way into Palestinian markets by way of the Arabian and Syrian trade routes, or by means of the Red Sea fleets (1 Kings 10:11, 15 Ezekiel 27:15, etc.). Among these may be noted "horns of ivory and ebony," "cassia and calamus," almug (sandalwood), apes and peacocks.

W. Ewing

299a. amomon -- amomum (a fragrant plant of India)
... 299, 299a. amomon. 299b . amomum (a fragrant plant of India). Transliteration:
amomon Short Definition: spice. Word Origin of Indian ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/299a.htm - 5k

299. amomos -- amomum (a fragrant plant of India)
... amomum (a fragrant plant of India). Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: amomos
Phonetic Spelling: (am'-o-mos) Short Definition: blameless Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/299.htm - 7k

1912. Hoddu -- India
... India. Transliteration: Hoddu Phonetic Spelling: (ho'-doo) Short Definition: India.
Word Origin of foreign origin Definition India NASB Word Usage India (2). ...
/hebrew/1912.htm - 5k

To India for the Jubilee
... TO INDIA FOR THE JUBILEE. But to the great surprise of many of her friends,
and notwithstanding the remonstrances of some who feared ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hoskins/clara a swain md/to india for the jubilee.htm

"A Glimpse of India"
... "A GLIMPSE OF INDIA". ... The letters were read, extracts made, compiled and edited;
and in the summer of 1909 "A Glimpse of India" was given to the public. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hoskins/clara a swain md/a glimpse of india.htm

Call to Service in India
... CALL TO SERVICE IN INDIA. The story of Dr. Swain's call to go to India has
been told many times. Mrs. DW Thomas, who, with her husband ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hoskins/clara a swain md/call to service in india.htm

Voyage to India.
... CHAPTER I. VOYAGE TO INDIA. In 1837 I was accepted by the London Missionary
Society as one of its agents. On September 15, 1838, I ...
/.../life and work in benares and kumaon 1839-1877/chapter i voyage to india.htm

Europeans in India.
... CHAPTER XXX. EUROPEANS IN INDIA. The climate of India precludes the
possibility of its being a sphere for European colonization. ...
/.../chapter xxx europeans in india.htm

The Missionary in India.
... CHAPTER XXIV. THE MISSIONARY IN INDIA. On reviewing ... men. I have a wide
acquaintance with the missionaries of Northern India. During ...
/.../chapter xxiv the missionary in.htm

The Government of India.
... CHAPTER XXXI. THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA. The first question which comes before us
when considering the government of India is, What right have we to govern it? ...
/.../chapter xxxi the government of.htm

The Missionary in India (Continued).
... CHAPTER XXV. THE MISSIONARY IN INDIA (Continued). It has been ... in Bombay.
We have had no William Burns, in Northern India at least. I ...
/.../life and work in benares and kumaon 1839-1877/chapter xxv the missionary in.htm

India as Carey Found It
... LIFE OF WILLIAM CAREY, DD CHAPTER III INDIA AS CAREY FOUND IT. 1793 Tahiti
v. Bengal"Carey and Thomas appointed missionaries to ...
/.../smith/the life of william carey/chapter iii india as carey.htm

India's Ills and England's Sorrows
... India's Ills and England's Sorrows. A Sermon ... The government of India has been a cruel
government; it has much for which to appear before the bar of God. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/indias ills and englands sorrows.htm

India (2 Occurrences)
... The people and the products of India were well known to the Jews, who seem to have
carried on an active trade with that country (Ezek. 27:15, 24). ...INDIA. ...
/i/india.htm - 9k

Ophir (12 Occurrences)
... In the LXX. this word is rendered "Sophir," and "Sofir" is the Coptic name for India,
which is the rendering of the Arabic version, as also of the Vulgate. ...
/o/ophir.htm - 16k

Thomas (12 Occurrences)
... (2) Along with these are other sources identifying Thomas with India. Thus,
"The Acts of Thomas" (see APOCRYPHAL ACTS, sec. B, V ...
/t/thomas.htm - 17k

Peacock
... This bird is indigenous to India. ... Japan is the native home of the plainer peafowl;
Siam, Ceylon and India produce the commonest and most gorgeous. ...
/p/peacock.htm - 11k

Eumenes
... The Romans are said to have taken "India, and Media and Lydia" from Antiochus
and to have given them to Eumenes II. Antiochus never ...
/e/eumenes.htm - 7k

Ebony (2 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary A black, hard wood, brought by the merchants from
India to Tyre (Ezek. 27:15). It is the heart-wood, brought ...
/e/ebony.htm - 8k

Bdellium (2 Occurrences)
... It was probably an aromatic gum like balsam which exuded from a particular tree
(Borassus flabelliformis) still found in Arabia, Media, and India. ...
/b/bdellium.htm - 8k

Ape
... It was brought from India by the fleets of Solomon and Hiram, and was called by
the Hebrews koph_, and by the Greeks _kepos, both words being just the Indian ...
/a/ape.htm - 8k

Cush (31 Occurrences)
... period there was a stream of migration of Cushites "from Ethiopia, properly so called,
through Arabia, Babylonia, and Persia, to Western India." The Hamite ...
/c/cush.htm - 25k

127 (3 Occurrences)
... Esther 1:1 Now it happened in the days of Ahasuerus (this is Ahasuerus who reigned
from India even to Ethiopia, over one hundred twenty-seven provinces), (See ...
/num/127.htm - 7k

Did Jesus ever travel to India? | GotQuestions.org

Did the Apostle Thomas (St. Thomas) take the gospel all the way to India? | GotQuestions.org

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India: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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