Bible Dictionary
SHORE
A shore is the edge or margin of a sea, river, or other body of water. Biblical references include the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Nile, the Jordan region, and the Sea of Galilee.
Definition
A shore is the edge or margin of a sea, river, valley, or other body of water. Biblical terminology can also use the word for a beach, coast, extremity, or brink.
Biblical Usage
Scripture speaks of shores and edges associated with the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Nile, the Salt Sea, the Jordan region, the Sea of Galilee, and the coast of Crete. The seashore also provides an image of multitude.
Historical Background
The biblical terms translated shore include words literally meaning lip, end, extremity, beach, or haven, so the precise sense depends on the passage.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>shor:</p><p>(1) choph, always of the Mediterranean, variously translated "haven," "beach," "shore," "sea-shore," "coast," "sea coast" (Ge 49:13; De 1:7; Jos 9:1; Jud 5:17; Jer 47:7; Eze 25:16).</p><p>(2) saphah, literally, "lip"; compare Arabic shafat, "lip"; of the sand upon the seashore, a figure of multitude (Ge 22:17; Ex 14:30; Jos 11:4; Jud 7:12; 1Sa 13:5; 1Ki 4:29); the shore of the Red Sea or Gulf of `Aqabah by Ezion-geber (1Ki 9:26; 2Ch 8:17); the brink of the River Nile (Ge 41:3,17); the edge (the King James Version "brink") of the valley of Arnon (De 2:36).</p><p>(3) qatseh, literally, "end," "extremity," the uttermost part (the King James Version "shore") of the Salt Sea (Jos 15:2); qetsh ha-'arets, "the end of the earth" (Ps 46:9); compare Arabic 'aqaci-l-'ard, "the uttermost parts of the earth."</p><p>(4) cheilos, literally, "lip," "as the sand which is by the seashore" (Heb 11:12).</p><p>(5) aigialos, the beach (the King James Version "shore") of the Sea of Galilee (Mt 13:2,48; Joh 21:4); of the Mediterranean (Ac 21:5; 27:39,40).</p><p>(6) asson parelegonto ten Kreten, doubtful reading, "sailed along Crete, close in shore" (the King James Version "sailed along by Crete") (Ac 27:13).</p><p>See COAST; HAVEN; SAND.</p><p>Alfred Ely Day</p>