θάλασσα

θάλασσα — thálassa

θάλασσα (cf. Buttmann, 7), θαλάσσης, ἡ (akin to ἅλς (better, allied to ταράσσω etc., from its tossing; cf. Vanicek, p. 303); the Sept. for יָם) (from Homer down), the sea; (on its distinction from πέλαγος see the latter word);

a. universally: Mat 23:15; Mar 11:23; Luk 17:2; Luk 17:6; Luk 21:25; Rom 9:27; 2Co 11:26; Heb 11:12; Jas 1:6; Jud 1:13; Rev 7:1-3, etc.; ἐργάζεσθαι τήν θαλασσην (see ἐργάζομαι, 2 a.), Rev 18:17; τό πέλαγος τῆς θαλάσσης (see πέλαγος, a.), Mat 18:6; joined with γῆ and οὐρανός it forms a periphrasis for the whole world, Act 4:24; Act 14:15; Rev 5:13; Rev 10:6 (L WH brackets); (Hag 2:7; Psa 145:6; Josephus, Antiquities 4, 3, 2; (contra Apion 2, 10, 1)); among the visions of the Apocalypse a glassy sea or sea of glass is spoken of; but what the writer symbolized by this is not quite clear: Rev 4:6; Rev 15:2.

b. specifically used (even without the article, cf. Winers Grammar, 121 (115); Buttmann, § 124, 8b.) of the Mediterranean Sea: Act 10:6; Act 10:32; Act 17:14; of the Red Sea (see ἐρυθρός), ἡ ἐρυθρᾷ θάλασσα, Act 7:36; 1Co 10:1; Heb 11:29. By a usage foreign to native Greek writings (cf. Aristotle, meteor. 1, 13, p. 351a, 8 ἡ ὑπό τόν Καυκασον λίμνη ἥν καλοῦσιν οἱ ἐκεῖ θαλατταν, and Hesychius defines λίμνη: ἡ θάλασσα καί ὁ ὠκεανός) employed like the Hebrew יָם (e. g. Num 34:11), by Matthew, Mark, and John (nowhere by Luke) of the Lake of Γεννησαρέτ (which see): ἡ θάλασσα τῆς Γαλιλαίας, Mat 4:18; Mat 15:29; Mar 1:16; Mar 7:31 (similarly Lake Constance,derBodensee, is called mare Suebicum, the Suabian Sea); τῆς Τιβεριάδος, Joh 21:1; τῆς Γαλιλαίας τῆς Τιβεριάδος (on which twofold genitive cf. Winers Grammar, § 30, 3 N. 3; (Buttmann, 400 (343))), Joh 6:1; more frequently simply ἡ θάλασσα: Mat 4:15; Mat 4:18; Matthew 8:24, 26f, 32; Mat 13:1, etc.; Mar 2:13; Mar 3:7; Mar 4:1; Mar 4:39; Mar 5:13, etc.; Joh 6:16-19; Joh 6:22; Joh 6:25; Joh 21:7. Cf. Furrer in Schenkel ii. 322ff; (see Γεννησαρέτ).