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Islands; Isles

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(island). Habitable place (Isa. 42:15¹⁵I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools. (Isaiah 42:15)); island (Gen. 10:5⁵By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. (Genesis 10:5); Isa. 11:11¹¹And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. (Isaiah 11:11)); coast lands (Isa. 20:6; 22:2,6⁶And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape? (Isaiah 20:6)
²Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle. (Isaiah 22:2)
⁶And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield. (Isaiah 22:6); Ezek. 27:7⁷Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered thee. (Ezekiel 27:7)).

Concise Bible Dictionary:

There are no islands near to Palestine. Cyprus is the nearest, and that is about seventy miles from the nearest point of Syria, far north. So that the term “the isles” may be used at times indefinitely for places or nations far off. We read of “the isles which are beyond the sea,” “the isles afar off,” and “isles of the Gentiles” (Gen. 10:5⁵By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. (Genesis 10:5) and more; Jer. 25:22²²And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea, (Jeremiah 25:22); Jer. 31:10¹⁰Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. (Jeremiah 31:10) and more). It is thought that in some places in the prophets the sea-coasts or maritime countries are intended. Definite islands are also mentioned, especially in the New Testament when Paul began his missionary journeys.