Bible Dictionary
Coast
Coast usually means a boundary or border in older Bible translations, not necessarily land beside the sea. In some passages it refers specifically to a seacoast or coastland.
Definition
Coast usually means a border, boundary, or adjoining region in older English Bible translations. Only in a limited number of passages does it specifically mean a seacoast; in other passages it may refer to a coastland or island region.
Biblical Usage
Many passages translated “coast” in the King James Version refer simply to territorial borders. Other passages use the term for lands beside the sea or for coastlands and islands.
Historical Background
The supplied material notes that Israel did not effectively occupy the seacoast of the promised land, which helps explain why the word generally means boundary rather than seashore. “Coast” derives from the Latin word for rib or side.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Smith's Bible Dictionary
border, with no more reference to lands bordering on the sea than to any other bordering lands.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>kost (gebhul, etc., "boundary"; compare gebhal, "mountain" and Arabic jebel, "mountain"; chebhel, literally, "a rope"; compare Arabic chabl (Jos 19:29 the King James Version; Zec 2:5,6,7); choph, literally, "that which is washed"; compare Arabic chaffet (Jos 9:1 the King James Version; Eze 25:16); paralios, literally, "by the sea" (Lu 6:17)): "Coast" (from Latin costa, "rib" or "side") in the sense of "seacoast," occurs but a few times in the Bible. In nearly all the many passages where the King James Version has "coast," the Revised Version (British and American) correctly has "border," i.e. "boundary," translating gebhul, etc.; in Ac 27:2 the American Standard Revised Version, "coast" is the translation of topos, literally, "place." That the seacoast is but seldom mentioned arises naturally from the fact that, while the promised land extended to the sea, the coast was never effectively occupied by the Israelites. RVm in a number of places renders 'i English Versions of the Bible "isle" or "island" (which see), by "coastland," e.g. Isa 11:11; 23:6; 24:15; 59:18; Jer 25:22; Eze 39:6; Da 11:18; Ze 2:11. In Isa 20:6, the King James Version has "isle," the King James Version margin "country," and the Revised Version (British and American) "coast-land." In Jer 47:4, the King James Version has "country," the King James Version marginand the Revised Version (British and American) "isle," and the Revised Version, margin "sea-coast."</p><p>See ISLE.</p><p>Alfred Ely Day</p>