---
title: אִי — coast · The Tanakh dictionary
description: אִי (339), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 36 times: coast. BDB 1906: n.m. coast, region. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# אִי

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«אִי» in the Tanakh dictionary: **coast** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 36 times · **Key:** 339 · **BDB:** אִי

### Glosses

islands (17); the.islands (8); O.islands (3)

### Meaning (OSHB)

coast [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/339/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. coast, region [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/339/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.m. Is 20:6 (†f. Is. 23:2) coast, region (contr. from אֱוִי so Ol§ 152 b; place whither one betakes oneself for resting, etc., orig. from mariner’s standpoint)—אִי abs. Is 20:6 +; cstr. Je 47:4; (Jb 22:30 v. sub IV. אִי cf. Di) pl. אִיִּים ψ 72:10 +; אִיִּן Ez 26:18 (Co איים) אִיֵּי Gn 10:5 +;—coast, border region (mostly late), of Philistia \& Phoenicia with adjacent country Is 20:6; 23:2, 6; so of Caphtor (= Crete) Je 47:4; מַלְכֵי הָאִי אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵבֶר הַיָּם Je 25:22; elsewhere pl., coasts of Kittim Je 2:10; Ez 27:6, of Elishah v 7; different countries (on or in sea) v 3, 15, 35; 26:15, 18(×2) (last del. Co cf. 𝔊) cf. 39:6, so also אִיֵּי הַגּוֹיִם Gn 10:5 (P); partic. אִיֵּי הַיָּם = coast-lands \& islands Is 11:11; 24:15, ‖ הָאָרֶץ Est 10:1; v. (without הַיָּם) Dn 11:18, \& ψ 72:10, so often Is 2 incl. inhabitants, 41:1, 5; 42:4, 10 (אִיִּים וְישְׁבֵיהֶם ‖ הַיָּם וּמְלֹאוֹ) v 12; 49:1; 51:5; 59:18; 60:9; 66:19; cf. Je 31:10 ψ 97:1, Zp 2:11 (אִיֵּי הַגּוֹיִם); islands, distinctly (taken up by י׳ as little things) Is 40:15; coasts, banks, i.e. habitable lands Is 42:15 (‖ נְהָרוֹת).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 35 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (6 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (5 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «אִי» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/339/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Isaiah 23:6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/ISA.23.6/)

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עִבְר֖וּ תַּרְשִׁ֑ישָׁה הֵילִ֖ילוּ יֹ֥שְׁבֵי אִֽי׃

*Word for word:* pass.over to Tarshish wail O.inhabitants of.\[the\].coastland

*JPS 1917:* Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the coast-land.

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[Psalms 97:1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.97.1/)

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יְהוָ֣ה מָ֭לָךְ תָּגֵ֣ל הָאָ֑רֶץ יִ֝שְׂמְח֗וּ אִיִּ֥ים רַבִּֽים׃

*Word for word:* Yahweh he.reigns let.it.be.glad the earth let.them.rejoice islands many

*JPS 1917:* The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad.

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