אִי (H339) — Hebrew Lexicon — Scattered Israelites

אִי

𐤀𐤉

ʼîy

H339 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אוה to long for, desire

Definition

A region of land, particularly dry land distinct from the sea; often used of coastal territories, islands, or remote lands. Depending on context, refers to landmasses separated by water or the inhabited extremities of the known world, including distant coastlands and islands.

Semantic Range

island, coastland, distant land, remote maritime territory, inhabited region beyond the mainland, extremity of the known world; sometimes specifically an island, but also broader coastal or transmarine regions

Root / Etymology

Root is אָוָה (awah), meaning 'to long for, desire.' אִי is likely derived from the sense of a place 'desired' or suitable for habitation. However, the connection with 'island' or 'coast' may also reflect a semantic development based on geography rather than direct etymology from אָוָה. Some scholars suggest the precise etymological pathway is uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, אִי commonly refers to distant lands, islands, or coastlands that lie beyond the immediate inland territories of the Levant. It appears frequently in prophetic literature (notably in Isaiah) to represent the farthest reaches of the inhabited earth as perceived by Israelites, especially lands across the seas, such as the Mediterranean or distant coastlands. The term's semantic range is broader than the English 'island,' often including peninsulas or coasts (e.g., regions bordering large bodies of water). In later periods, the word could denote the distant nations or peoples living at the boundaries of the known world. English translations sometimes narrow its meaning to 'island,' but in biblical context it encompasses all kinds of remote maritime areas. By the post-exilic era, the term could symbolize the universality of Israelite prophetic message, addressed to all nations from the center to the extremities. Comparable Hebrew terms like יַבָּשָׁה (yabbashah, 'dry land') refer more strictly to the contrast between land and water, without the connotations of remoteness or the sea's boundary. The KJV rendering 'isles' often fails to reflect the fuller context of distant coastal peoples.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אָוָה; properly, a habitable spot (as desirable); dry land, a coast, an island; country, isle, island.

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Root Family

אוה (ʾ-w-h) — to long for, desire

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H183	אָוָה	the ones craving
H184	אָוָה	you have craved
H185	אַוָּה	craving of
H188	אוֹי	Woe!
H189	אֱוִי	Evi
H337	אִי	coastland
H3970	מַאֲוַי	longings of
H5856	עִי	distant coastlands
H8378	תַּאֲוָה	for a craving

Word Forms

15 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H339-08`	אִיִּ֖ים	iyim	`HNcmpa`	islands	distant coastlands	11
`H339-04`	הָ/אִיִּ֣ים	haiyim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the coastlands	the distant coastlands	5
`H339-06`	אִ֑י	i	`HTj`	of the coast	coastland	3
`H339-07`	אִיֵּ֤י	iyey	`HNcmpc`	coastlands	coastlands of	3
`H339-11`	מֵ/אִיֵּ֖י	meiyey	`HR/Ncmpc`	from islands-of	from coastlands of	2
`H339-03`	הָ/אִ֣י	hai	`HTd/Ncmsa`	islands	the coastland	2
`H339-09`	לָֽ/אִיִּ֔ים	laiyim	`HRd/Ncmpa`	into islands	to distant coastlands	2
`H339-12`	וּ/מֵ/אִיֵּ֖י	umeiyey	`HC/R/Ncmpc`	and from islands	and from coastlands of	1
`H339-10`	לְ/אִיִּ֖ים	leiyim	`HR/Ncmpa`	to islands	distant coastlands	1
`H339-02`	בְּ/אִיֵּ֣י	beiyey	`HR/Ncmpc`	in the isles of	in coastlands of	1
`H339-15`	וְ֭/אִיִּים	veiyim	`HC/Ncmpa`	and islands	and remote coastlands	1
`H339-14`	וְ/אִיֵּ֥י	veiyey	`HC/Ncmpc`	and islands	and distant coastlands of	1
`H339-05`	הָֽ/אִיִּ֔ן	haiyin	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the coastlands	the distant coastlands	1
`H339-13`	בָ/אִיִּ֖ים	vaiyim	`HRd/Ncmpa`	in-the-islands	distant coastlands	1
`H339-01`	בָּ/אִיִּ֥ים	baiyim	`HRd/Ncmpa`	in the coastlands	distant coastlands	1

Occurrences in Scripture

36 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H339-07`	Genesis 10:5	אִיֵּ֤י	iyey	`HNcmpc`	coastlands	coastlands of
`H339-12`	Isaiah 11:11	וּ/מֵ/אִיֵּ֖י	umeiyey	`HC/R/Ncmpc`	and from islands	and from coastlands of
`H339-03`	Isaiah 20:6	הָ/אִ֣י	hai	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the island	the coastland
`H339-06`	Isaiah 23:2	אִ֑י	i	`HTj`	of the coast	coastland
`H339-06`	Isaiah 23:6	אִֽי	i	`HTj`	of the coast	coastland
`H339-02`	Isaiah 24:15	בְּ/אִיֵּ֣י	beiyey	`HR/Ncmpc`	in the isles of	in coastlands of
`H339-08`	Isaiah 40:15	אִיִּ֖ים	iyim	`HNcmpa`	the islands	distant coastlands
`H339-08`	Isaiah 41:1	אִיִּ֔ים	iyim	`HNcmpa`	O islands	distant coastlands
`H339-08`	Isaiah 41:5	אִיִּים֙	iyim	`HNcmpa`	islands	distant coastlands
`H339-08`	Isaiah 42:4	אִיִּ֥ים	iyim	`HNcmpa`	coastlands	distant coastlands
`H339-08`	Isaiah 42:10	אִיִּ֖ים	iyim	`HNcmpa`	islands	distant coastlands
`H339-01`	Isaiah 42:12	בָּ/אִיִּ֥ים	baiyim	`HRd/Ncmpa`	in the coastlands	distant coastlands
`H339-09`	Isaiah 42:15	לָֽ/אִיִּ֔ים	laiyim	`HRd/Ncmpa`	into islands	to distant coastlands
`H339-08`	Isaiah 49:1	אִיִּים֙	iyim	`HNcmpa`	O coastlands	distant coastlands
`H339-08`	Isaiah 51:5	אִיִּ֣ים	iyim	`HNcmpa`	the islands	distant coastlands
`H339-09`	Isaiah 59:18	לָ/אִיִּ֖ים	laiyim	`HRd/Ncmpa`	to the coastlands	to distant coastlands
`H339-08`	Isaiah 60:9	אִיִּ֣ים	iyim	`HNcmpa`	the coastlands	distant coastlands
`H339-04`	Isaiah 66:19	הָ/אִיִּ֣ים	haiyim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the islands	the distant coastlands
`H339-07`	Jeremiah 2:10	אִיֵּ֤י	iyey	`HNcmpc`	islands of	coastlands of
`H339-03`	Jeremiah 25:22	הָ/אִ֔י	hai	`HTd/Ncmsa`	islands	the coastland
`H339-13`	Jeremiah 31:10	בָ/אִיִּ֖ים	vaiyim	`HRd/Ncmpa`	in-the-islands	distant coastlands
`H339-06`	Jeremiah 47:4	אִ֥י	i	`HTj`	of the coastland	coastland
`H339-04`	Ezekiel 26:15	הָ/אִיִּֽים	haiyim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the coastlands	the distant coastlands
`H339-05`	Ezekiel 26:18	הָֽ/אִיִּ֔ן	haiyin	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the coastlands	the distant coastlands
`H339-04`	Ezekiel 26:18	הָ/אִיִּ֥ים	haiyim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the coastlands	the distant coastlands
`H339-08`	Ezekiel 27:3	אִיִּ֖ים	iyim	`HNcmpa`	islands	distant coastlands
`H339-11`	Ezekiel 27:6	מֵ/אִיֵּ֖י	meiyey	`HR/Ncmpc`	from islands-of	from coastlands of
`H339-11`	Ezekiel 27:7	מֵ/אִיֵּ֥י	meiyey	`HR/Ncmpc`	from the coasts of	from coastlands of
`H339-08`	Ezekiel 27:15	אִיִּ֥ים	iyim	`HNcmpa`	coastlands	distant coastlands
`H339-04`	Ezekiel 27:35	הָ/אִיִּ֔ים	haiyim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the coastlands	the distant coastlands
`H339-04`	Ezekiel 39:6	הָ/אִיִּ֖ים	haiyim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the coastlands	the distant coastlands
`H339-07`	Zephaniah 2:11	אִיֵּ֥י	iyey	`HNcmpc`	isles	coastlands of
`H339-15`	Psalms 72:10	וְ֭/אִיִּים	veiyim	`HC/Ncmpa`	and islands	and remote coastlands
`H339-08`	Psalms 97:1	אִיִּ֥ים	iyim	`HNcmpa`	islands	distant coastlands
`H339-14`	Esther 10:1	וְ/אִיֵּ֥י	veiyey	`HC/Ncmpc`	and islands	and distant coastlands of
`H339-10`	Daniel 11:18	לְ/אִיִּ֖ים	leiyim	`HR/Ncmpa`	to islands	distant coastlands

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