Tarshish; Tharshish

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(solid, rocky). (1) Second son of Javan (Gen. 10:44And the sons of Javan: Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. (Genesis 10:4)). (2) The city with which the Phoenicians traded. Associated with Tartessus in Spain (Jer. 10:99Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the artizan and of the hands of the founder; blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of skilful men. (Jeremiah 10:9); Ezek. 38:1313Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to seize a spoil? hast thou gathered thine assemblage to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take cattle and goods, to seize a great spoil? (Ezekiel 38:13)). (3) Another Tarshish is inferable from the statement that Solomon’s ships at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea traded with Tarshish or Tharshish (1 Kings 9:26; 22:4826And king Solomon made a fleet of ships in Ezion-Geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. (1 Kings 9:26)
48Jehoshaphat made Tarshish-ships to go to Ophir for gold; but they went not, for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber. (1 Kings 22:48); 2 Chron. 9:2121For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: once in three years came the ships of Tarshish, bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. (2 Chronicles 9:21); 2 Chron. 20:3636And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish; and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. (2 Chronicles 20:36)). But many suppose that a class of ships—“ships of Tarshish,” like “East India merchantmen”—is referred to rather than a port.

Concise Bible Dictionary:

Place to which ships were sent from Palestine.
It is supposed by some to refer to a Spanish city named Tartessus. This would appear a suitable place from whence to obtain silver, iron, tin, and lead. Jonah taking a ship at Joppa to sail to Tarshish may also indicate a place to the west of Palestine. But other passages refer to apes and peacocks, also being brought by ships of Tarshish, and these are associated with Ezion-geber, on the Gulf of Akaba, a branch of the Red Sea. It is therefore probable that the ships from this port would sail southward to some other place, which has not been identified (1 Kings 10:2222For the king had on the sea a Tarshish-fleet, with the fleet of Hiram: once in three years came the Tarshish-fleet, bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. (1 Kings 10:22); 1 Kings 22:4848Jehoshaphat made Tarshish-ships to go to Ophir for gold; but they went not, for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber. (1 Kings 22:48); 2 Chron. 9:2121For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: once in three years came the ships of Tarshish, bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. (2 Chronicles 9:21); 2 Chron. 20:36-3736And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish; and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. 37And Eliezer the son of Dodavah, of Mareshah, prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, Jehovah has broken thy works. And the ships were broken, and could not go to Tarshish. (2 Chronicles 20:36‑37); Psa. 48:77With an east wind thou hast broken the ships of Tarshish. (Psalm 48:7); Psa. 72:1010The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall render presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer tribute: (Psalm 72:10); Isa. 2:1616and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant works of art. (Isaiah 2:16); Isa. 23:1-141The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish! for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, none entering in. From the land of Chittim it is revealed to them. 2Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle! The merchants of Sidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished thee. 3And on great waters, the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile, was her revenue; and she was the market of the nations. 4Be thou ashamed, Sidon, for the sea hath spoken, the strength of the sea, saying, I have not travailed nor brought forth, neither have I nourished young men nor brought up virgins. 5--When the report came into Egypt, they were sorely pained at the news of Tyre. 6Pass over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the coast! 7Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? Her feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn. 8Who hath purposed this against Tyre, the distributor of crowns, whose merchants were princes, whose dealers were the honourable of the earth? 9Jehovah of hosts hath purposed it, to profane the pride of all glory, to bring to nought all the honourable of the earth. 10Overflow thy land like the Nile, daughter of Tarshish: there is no more restraint. 11He hath stretched out his hand over the sea, he shaketh the kingdoms. Jehovah hath given a commandment concerning Canaan, to destroy the strongholds thereof, 12and hath said, Thou shalt no more exult, thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Sidon: get thee up, pass over to Chittim; even there shalt thou have no rest. 13Behold the land of the Chaldeans: this people did not exist; the Assyrian founded it for the dwellers in the desert: they set up their towers, they destroyed the palaces thereof; he brought it to ruin. 14Howl, ships of Tarshish! for your fortress is laid waste. (Isaiah 23:1‑14); Isa. 60:99For the isles shall await me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from afar, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of Jehovah thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, for he hath glorified thee. (Isaiah 60:9); Isa. 66:1919And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow; to Tubal and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory: and they shall declare my glory among the nations. (Isaiah 66:19); Jer. 10:99Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the artizan and of the hands of the founder; blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of skilful men. (Jeremiah 10:9); Ezek. 27:12,2512Tarshish dealt with thee by reason of the abundance of all substance; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they furnished thy markets. (Ezekiel 27:12)
25The ships of Tarshish were thy caravans for thy traffic; and thou wast replenished, and highly honoured, in the heart of the seas. (Ezekiel 27:25); Ezek. 38:1313Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to seize a spoil? hast thou gathered thine assemblage to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take cattle and goods, to seize a great spoil? (Ezekiel 38:13); Jonah 1:33But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah; and he went down to Joppa, and 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 Jehovah. (Jonah 1:3); Jonah 4:22And he prayed unto Jehovah, and said, Ah, Jehovah, was not this my saying when I was yet in my country? Therefore I was minded to flee at first unto Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious *God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving-kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. (Jonah 4:2)).

Jackson’s Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names:

she will cause poverty: she will shatter