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Ships.

From: The New Topical Textbook

By: Reuben Archer Torrey

• 2 min. read • grade level: 13

Probably originated from the ark made by Noah. Gen. 7:17, 18¹⁷And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. ¹⁸And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 7:17‑18).

Antiquity of, among the Jews. Gen. 49:13¹³Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon. (Genesis 49:13). Judg. 5:17¹⁷Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches. (Judges 5:17).

DESCRIBED AS

Gallant. Isa. 33:21²¹But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. (Isaiah 33:21).

Large. James 3:4⁴Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. (James 3:4).

Strong. Isa. 23:14¹⁴Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste. (Isaiah 23:14).

Swift. Job 9:26²⁶They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey. (Job 9:26).

Solomon built a navy of. 1 Kin. 9:26.

MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE;

Of Chittim. Num. 24:24²⁴And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever. (Numbers 24:24). Dan. 11:30³⁰For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. (Daniel 11:30).

Of Tarshish. Isa. 23:1¹The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them. (Isaiah 23:1). Isa. 60:9⁹Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. (Isaiah 60:9).

Of Adramyttium. Acts 27:2²And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. (Acts 27:2).

Of Alexandria. Acts 27:6⁶And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein. (Acts 27:6).

Of Chaldea. Isa. 43:14¹⁴Thus saith the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. (Isaiah 43:14).

Of Tyre. 2 Chr. 8.18.

Generally made of the fir tree. Eze. 27:5⁵They have made all thy ship boards of fir trees of Senir: they have taken cedars from Lebanon to make masts for thee. (Ezekiel 27:5).

Sometimes made of bulrushes. Isa. 18:2²That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled! (Isaiah 18:2).

The seams of, were caulked. Ezek. 27:9, 27⁹The ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy calkers: all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy thy merchandise. (Ezekiel 27:9)
²⁷Thy riches, and thy fairs, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy calkers, and the occupiers of thy merchandise, and all thy men of war, that are in thee, and in all thy company which is in the midst of thee, shall fall into the midst of the seas in the day of thy ruin. (Ezekiel 27:27).

PARTS OF MENTIONED;

The forepart of foreship. Acts 27:30, 41³⁰And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under color as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, (Acts 27:30)
⁴¹And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. (Acts 27:41).

The hinder part or stern. Acts 27:29, 41²⁹Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. (Acts 27:29)
⁴¹And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. (Acts 27:41).

The hold or between the sides. Jonah 1:5⁵Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. (Jonah 1:5).

The mast. Isa. 33:23²³Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey. (Isaiah 33:23). Ezek. 27:5⁵They have made all thy ship boards of fir trees of Senir: they have taken cedars from Lebanon to make masts for thee. (Ezekiel 27:5).

The sails. Isa. 33:23²³Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey. (Isaiah 33:23). 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).

The tackling. Isa. 33:23²³Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey. (Isaiah 33:23). Acts 27:19¹⁹And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. (Acts 27:19).

The rudder or helm. James 3:4⁴Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. (James 3:4).

The rudder-bands. Acts 27:40⁴⁰And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. (Acts 27:40).

The anchors. Acts 27:29, 40²⁹Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. (Acts 27:29)
⁴⁰And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. (Acts 27:40).

The boats. Acts 27:30, 32³⁰And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under color as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, (Acts 27:30)
³²Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. (Acts 27:32).

The oars. Isa. 33:21²¹But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. (Isaiah 33:21). Ezek. 27:6⁶Of the oaks of Bashan have they made thine oars; the company of the Ashurites have made thy benches of ivory, brought out of the isles of Chittim. (Ezekiel 27:6).

Often the property of individuals. Acts 27:11¹¹Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. (Acts 27:11).

Commanded by a master. Jonah 1:6⁶So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. (Jonah 1:6). Acts 27:11¹¹Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. (Acts 27:11).

Guided in their course by pilots, Ezek. 27:8, 27-29⁸The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners: thy wise men, O Tyrus, that were in thee, were thy pilots. (Ezekiel 27:8)
²⁷Thy riches, and thy fairs, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy calkers, and the occupiers of thy merchandise, and all thy men of war, that are in thee, and in all thy company which is in the midst of thee, shall fall into the midst of the seas in the day of thy ruin. ²⁸The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots. ²⁹And all that handle the oar, the mariners, and all the pilots of the sea, shall come down from their ships, they shall stand upon the land; (Ezekiel 27:27‑29).

Governed and directed by the helm, James 3:4⁴Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. (James 3:4).

Course of frequently directed by the heavenly bodies. Acts 27:20²⁰And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. (Acts 27:20).

Worked by mariners or sailors. Eze. 27:9, 27⁹The ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy calkers: all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy thy merchandise. (Ezekiel 27:9)
²⁷Thy riches, and thy fairs, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy calkers, and the occupiers of thy merchandise, and all thy men of war, that are in thee, and in all thy company which is in the midst of thee, shall fall into the midst of the seas in the day of thy ruin. (Ezekiel 27:27). Jonah 1:5⁵Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. (Jonah 1:5). Acts 27:30³⁰And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under color as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, (Acts 27:30).

Generally impelled by sails. Acts 27:2-7²And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. ³And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself. ⁴And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. ⁵And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. ⁶And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein. ⁷And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone; (Acts 27:2‑7).

Often impelled by oars. Jonah 1:13¹³Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. (Jonah 1:13), John 6:19¹⁹So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. (John 6:19).

NAVIGATED

Rivers. Isa. 33:21²¹But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. (Isaiah 33:21).

Lakes. Luke 5:1, 2¹And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, ²And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. (Luke 5:1‑2).

The ocean. Psa. 104:26²⁶There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein. (Psalm 104:26). Psa. 107:23²³They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; (Psalm 107:23).

Soundings usually taken for, in dangerous places. Acts 27:28²⁸And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms. (Acts 27:28).

Usually distinguished by signs or figure heads. Acts 28:11¹¹And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux. (Acts 28:11).

Course of, through the midst of the sea, wonderful. Prov. 30:18, 19¹⁸There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: ¹⁹The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid. (Proverbs 30:18‑19).

EMPLOYED IN

Trading. 1 Kin. 22:48. 2 Chr. 8:18¹⁸And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon. (2 Chronicles 8:18). 2 Chr. 9:21²¹For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. (2 Chronicles 9:21).

Fishing. Matt. 4:21²¹And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. (Matthew 4:21). Luke 5:4-9⁴Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. ⁵And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. ⁶And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. ⁷And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. ⁸When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. ⁹For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: (Luke 5:4‑9), John 21:3-8³Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. ⁴But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. ⁵Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. ⁶And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. ⁷Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. ⁸And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. (John 21:3‑8).

War. Num. 24:24²⁴And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever. (Numbers 24:24). Dan. 11:30, 40³⁰For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. (Daniel 11:30)
⁴⁰And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. (Daniel 11:40).

Carrying passengers. Jonah 1:3³But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. (Jonah 1:3). Acts 27:2, 6²And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. (Acts 27:2)
⁶And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein. (Acts 27:6). Acts 28:11¹¹And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux. (Acts 28:11).

The hinder part of, occupied by the passengers. Mar. 4:38.

ENDANGERED BY

Storms. Jonah 1:4⁴But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. (Jonah 1:4). Mar. 4:37, 38.

Quicksands. Acts 27:17¹⁷Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. (Acts 27:17).

Rocks. Acts 27:29²⁹Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. (Acts 27:29).

When damaged were sometimes undergirded with cables. Acts 27:17¹⁷Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. (Acts 27:17).

Were often wrecked. 1 Kin. 22:48. Psa. 48:7⁷Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. (Psalm 48:7). Acts 27:41-44⁴¹And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. ⁴²And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. ⁴³But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: ⁴⁴And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land. (Acts 27:41‑44). 2 Cor. 11:25²⁵Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; (2 Corinthians 11:25).

ILLUSTRATIVE

Of industrious women. Prov. 31:14¹⁴She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. (Proverbs 31:14).

(Wrecked,) of departure from the faith. 1 Tim. 1:19¹⁹Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: (1 Timothy 1:19).

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The New Topical Textbook

• Scorning and Mocking.

• Scorpion, the.

• Scriptures, the.

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• Second Coming of Christ, the.

• Seeking God.

• Self-Delusion.

• Self-Denial.

• Self-Examination.

• Self-Righteousness.

• Self-Will and Stubbornness.

• Selfishness.

• Ships.

• Sidonians, the.

• Simeon, the Tribe of.

• Simplicity.