תַּרְשִׁישׁ

# Tarshish: A Single Biblical Reference Based on the lexical data provided, Tarshish appears in the Hebrew Bible only once. The entry identifies it as a proper noun—a place name rather than a common word with multiple meanings or applications. The lemma itself offers no descriptive definition beyond the transliteration, indicating that Tarshish functions primarily as a geographical designation that would have been familiar to the original audience without requiring explanation. The extreme rarity of this term in the biblical text—appearing just once—suggests it held either specialized or limited relevance to the authors and readers of Scripture. Unlike frequently repeated terms that accumulate layers of theological significance through varied contexts, a single occurrence provides minimal opportunity to establish a word's full semantic range or cultural importance. Without additional lexical data regarding the specific biblical passage where Tarshish appears, or etymological information explaining its possible origins or associations, the entry provides only that it represents a place name worthy of mention in the biblical record. This lexical entry demonstrates the limitations of analyzing biblical terms in isolation: a proper noun's significance depends heavily on historical and geographical context that extends beyond the word itself. Understanding Tarshish would require consulting the particular passage where it appears and supplementary historical sources about ancient geography and trade routes.