θάλασσα
thalassa
sea
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Greek word θάλασσα (thalassa) is a term with a rich meaning and significant usage in the Bible. Its short definition is "sea," indicating its primary reference to the vast bodies of saltwater that cover the Earth. With 91 occurrences in the Bible, thalassa is a frequently used word that highlights the importance of the sea in ancient Jewish culture and society. Thalassa's range of usage is diverse, encompassing various aspects of life, including geography, navigation, commerce, and even spiritual symbolism. It appears in contexts such as descriptions of natural landscapes, accounts of maritime journeys, and references to the sea's power and majesty. This versatility underscores the sea's significance as a source of resources, a means of transportation, and a force to be reckoned with. The significance of thalassa lies in its ability to evoke a sense of awe, wonder, and even fear. The sea's vastness and unpredictability make it a powerful symbol in the Bible, often used to convey the majesty of God and the complexity of human existence. Through its frequent usage, thalassa reminds us of the intricate relationships between humans, the natural world, and the divine.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
91 total occurrences across the text — showing 50
“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles,
Matthew 4:18Walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
Matthew 4:18Walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
Matthew 8:24Behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep.
Matthew 8:26He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.
Matthew 8:27The men marveled, saying, “What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Matthew 8:32He said to them, “Go!” They came out, and went into the herd of pigs: and behold, the whole herd of pigs rushed down the cliff into the sea, and died in the water.
Matthew 13:1On that day Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the seaside.
Matthew 13:47“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet, that was cast into the sea, and gathered some fish of every kind,
Matthew 14:25In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.
Matthew 14:26When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It’s a ghost!” and they cried out for fear.
Matthew 15:29Jesus departed from there, and came near to the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there.
Matthew 17:27But, lest we cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take up the first fish that comes up. When you have opened its mouth, you will find a stater coin. Take that, and give it to them for me and you.”
Matthew 18:6but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a huge millstone were hung around his neck, and that he were sunk in the depths of the sea.
Matthew 21:21Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, if you have faith, and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you told this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it would be done.
Matthew 23:15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves.
Mark 1:16Passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
Mark 1:16Passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
Mark 2:13He went out again by the seaside. All the multitude came to him, and he taught them.
Mark 3:7Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples, and a great multitude followed him from Galilee, from Judea,
Mark 4:1Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea, and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea.
Mark 4:1Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea, and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea.
Mark 4:1Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea, and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea.
Mark 4:39He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Mark 4:41They were greatly afraid, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Mark 5:1They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
Mark 5:13At once Jesus gave them permission. The unclean spirits came out and entered into the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and they were drowned in the sea.
Mark 5:13At once Jesus gave them permission. The unclean spirits came out and entered into the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and they were drowned in the sea.
Mark 5:21When Jesus had crossed back over in the boat to the other side, a great multitude was gathered to him; and he was by the sea.
Mark 6:47When evening had come, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land.
Mark 6:48Seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary to them, about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea, and he would have passed by them,
Mark 6:49but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out;
Mark 7:31Again he departed from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and came to the sea of Galilee, through the middle of the region of Decapolis.
Mark 9:42Whoever will cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if he were thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around his neck.
Mark 11:23For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening; he shall have whatever he says.
Luke 17:2It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.
Luke 17:6The Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
Luke 21:25There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves;
John 6:1After these things, Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is also called the Sea of Tiberias.
John 6:16When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea.
John 6:17They entered into the boat, and were going over the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them.
John 6:18The sea was tossed by a great wind blowing.
John 6:19When therefore they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia, they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing near to the boat; and they were afraid.
John 6:22On the next day, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except the one in which his disciples had embarked, and that Jesus hadn’t entered with his disciples into the boat, but his disciples had gone away alone.
John 6:25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
John 21:1After these things, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself this way.
John 21:7That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around himself (for he was naked), and threw himself into the sea.
Acts 4:24When they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, “O Lord, you are God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them;
Acts 17:14Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there.
Acts 7:36This man led them out, having worked wonders and signs in Egypt, in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years.