חוֹף
choph
coast
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Hebrew word חוֹף (choph) is defined as a "coast". With only 7 occurrences in the Bible, this term appears to be used specifically to refer to a geographical or shoreline area. Its meaning is clear and direct, describing a physical boundary between a body of water and landmass. The use of this term in different contexts could indicate various aspects of coasts, such as natural, economic, or strategic significance. The rarity of its use could imply that the concept of a "coast" wasn't central to the biblical narrative, yet when it was used, it carried a specific meaning that contributed to the overall picture. This term does not imply any abstract or figurative meaning, nor does it relate to other concepts that might be implied beyond its definition. The occurrences of choph in the Bible will offer specific instances of its use, giving a clearer understanding of how this term contributed to the narrative.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
7 total occurrences across the text
“Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon.
Jeremiah 47:7“How can you be quiet, since Yahweh has given you a command? Against Ashkelon, and against the seashore, there has he appointed it.”
Ezekiel 25:16therefore the Lord Yahweh says, “Behold, I will stretch out my hand on the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast.
Genesis 49:13“Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon.
Deuteronomy 1:7Turn, and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the places near there: in the Arabah, in the hill country, in the lowland, in the South, by the seashore, in the land of the Canaanites, and in Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.
Judges 5:17Gilead lived beyond the Jordan. Why did Dan remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and lived by his creeks.
Joshua 9:1When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard of it