Water: Collected in The Sea
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Topical Encyclopedia
In the biblical narrative, water holds significant theological and symbolic meaning, often representing life, chaos, purification, and divine provision. The sea, as a collection of water, is a prominent feature in the Bible, serving as both a literal and metaphorical element in God's creation and interaction with humanity.

Creation and Sovereignty

The sea is first mentioned in the creation account, where God gathers the waters to form seas, demonstrating His sovereign power over the natural world. Genesis 1:9-10 states, "And God said, 'Let the waters under the heavens be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear.' And it was so. God called the dry land 'earth,' and the gathering of waters He called 'seas.' And God saw that it was good." This act of gathering waters underscores God's authority and the order He brings to creation.

The Sea as a Barrier and Pathway

Throughout the Old Testament, the sea often serves as a barrier, representing obstacles and challenges. However, it is also depicted as a pathway for God's deliverance. The parting of the Red Sea is a pivotal event where God demonstrates His power to save His people. Exodus 14:21-22 recounts, "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left."

Symbol of Chaos and Divine Control

In biblical literature, the sea often symbolizes chaos and the unknown. Yet, it is clear that God maintains control over these chaotic waters. In the book of Job, God questions Job, highlighting His command over the sea: "Who enclosed the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its blanket, when I fixed its boundaries and set in place its bars and doors, and I declared: 'You may come this far, but no farther; here your proud waves must stop'?" (Job 38:8-11). This passage emphasizes God's dominion over the sea, reinforcing His ultimate authority over creation.

The Sea in Prophetic and Apocalyptic Literature

Prophetic and apocalyptic texts often use the sea as a symbol of nations and peoples in turmoil. In Daniel's vision, the sea is the origin of four great beasts, representing empires rising from the chaotic waters (Daniel 7:2-3). Similarly, in Revelation, the sea is depicted as a place of mystery and danger, yet it is ultimately subdued in the new creation: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more" (Revelation 21:1). This imagery signifies the end of chaos and the establishment of God's eternal order.

Jesus and the Sea

In the New Testament, Jesus' interactions with the sea further illustrate His divine authority. In the Gospels, Jesus calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee, demonstrating His power over nature. Mark 4:39 records, "Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. 'Silence!' He commanded. 'Be still!' And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm." This miracle reveals Jesus as the Lord of creation, echoing the Old Testament theme of God's control over the sea.

Conclusion

The sea, as a collection of water, is a multifaceted symbol in the Bible, representing both the challenges and the divine power that overcomes them. Through creation, deliverance, and the ministry of Jesus, the sea serves as a testament to God's sovereignty and His ability to bring order out of chaos.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Genesis 1:9,10
And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 11:9
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Upon the Gathering Together of the Waters.
... important one, wherein the element is shewn collected together ... The first contain
a great quantity of water; no one ... if they are like the great sea, charged with ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/homily iv upon the gathering.htm

The Way to the Sea
... of the slope which led down to the water's edge, he ... There was not a glimmer of radiance
on the sea. ... The tribes were divided, the herds were collected at the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xliv the way to.htm

Of the Origin of the World, and the Nature of Affairs, and the ...
... of marble or a plate of metal"water is gradually ... Also from the exhalation of the
earth or sea mist is ... whatever it has covered, or being collected, is carried ...
/.../a treatise on the anger of god addressed to donatus/chap x of the origin of.htm

Marcion; his Dualism; Derives his System from Empedocles; Sketch ...
... Demiurge transfers the souls into the sea; and land ... whence he uses the words, from
water into earth ... world, are, according to Empedocles, collected by Friendship ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter xvii marcion his dualism derives.htm

The Water of Life;
... Wilson, Chandler, Whitfield, and others who collected and published ... partake the
blessings imparted by the water of life ... and return to the Dead Sea'"while the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the water of life.htm

On Drinking.
... and this takes place when the victuals are collected into a ... With water, then, which
is the necessary of life, and to be ... down as in the heart of the sea, and as ...
/.../clement/the instructor paedagogus/chapter ii on drinking.htm

Egypt and Greece.
... to the influence of prevailing winds at sea in driving ... The others he collected together,
and then shut them up ... of ascertaining precisely the rise of the water. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/xerxes/chapter ii egypt and greece.htm

The Preparations of the Greeks for Defense.
... and Athens defy the Persians."Earth and water."Spirit of ... of the Peloponnesus, the
waters of which were collected and conveyed to the sea by the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/xerxes/chapter vii the preparations of.htm

A Total Wreck, all Hands Saved
... the bank; and then, of course, the heavy sea running into ... show its bad side; for
he is collected, keeps his ... the lee of the vessel, and shoal water, where they ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/a total wreck all hands.htm

That Neither the Whole Universe nor the Elements are God, nor are ...
... are the fountains gods from which the water flows ... not gods, neither are the rivers,
which are collected from the ... are not gods, it follows that the sea, which is ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap vi that neither the whole.htm

Resources
What is the symbolism of water baptism? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about holy water? | GotQuestions.org

What did Jesus mean when He spoke of living water? | GotQuestions.org

Water: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Subtopics

Dowsing

Water

Water Baptism

Water in Times of Scarcity, Sold at an Enormous Price

Water of Bitterness or of Jealousy

Water of Hostile Armies

Water of Jealousy

Water of Persecutions

Water of Persecutors

Water of Separation

Water of Separation or of Uncleanness

Water of the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit

Water of the Support of God

Water was Used by Jews for Culinary Purposes

Water was Used by Jews for Legal Purification

Water was Used by Jews for Washing the Person

Water was Used by Jews: As Their Principal Beverage

Water: (Covering the Sea) of the General Diffusion of The

Water: (Deep) of Counsel in the Heart

Water: (Deep) of Severe Affliction

Water: (Deep) of the Words of the Wise

Water: (Difficulty of Stopping) of Strife and Contention

Water: (Its Instability) of a Wavering Disposition

Water: (Its Weakness) of Faintness and Cowardice

Water: (Many) of a Variety of Afflictions

Water: (Many) of Different Nations and People

Water: (Noise of Many) of the Word of Christ

Water: (Poured Out) Faintness by Terror

Water: (Poured Out) the Wrath of God

Water: (Pouring, out of Buckets) a Numerous Progeny

Water: (Rapidly Flowing Away) the Career of the Wicked

Water: (Spilled on the Ground) Death

Water: (Still) the Ordinances of the Gospel

Water: Artificial Mode of Conveying, Into Large Cities

Water: Carried in Vessels

Water: Changed to Wine

Water: City Waterworks

Water: Cleansing

Water: Collected in Brooks

Water: Collected in Fountains

Water: Collected in Ponds

Water: Collected in Pools

Water: Collected in Rivers

Water: Collected in Springs

Water: Collected in Streams

Water: Collected in The Clouds

Water: Collected in The Sea

Water: Collected in Wells

Water: Congealed by Cold

Water: Covered the Whole Earth

Water: Creation of

Water: Daily Allowance of

Water: Domestic Love

Water: Drops from the Clouds in Rain

Water: Fluid

Water: Frequently Brackish and Unfit for Use

Water: God Originally: Collected Into One Place

Water: God Originally: Created Fowls and Fishes From

Water: God Originally: Created the Firmament to Divide

Water: Jesus Walks Upon

Water: Kept for Purification in Large Waterpots

Water: Libation of

Water: Miracles Connected With: Brought from the Jaw-Bone of an Ass

Water: Miracles Connected With: Brought from the Rock

Water: Miracles Connected With: Consumed by Fire from Heaven

Water: Miracles Connected With: Divided and Made to Stand on Heap

Water: Miracles Connected With: Healing Powers Communicated To

Water: Miracles Connected With: Iron Made to Swim In

Water: Miracles Connected With: Our Lord Walking On

Water: Miracles Connected With: Trenches Filled With

Water: Miracles Connected With: Turned Into Blood

Water: Miracles Connected With: Turned Into Wine

Water: Miraculously Supplied: To Jehoshaphat's Army

Water: Miraculously Supplied: To Samson

Water: Miraculously Supplied: To the Israelites

Water: Necessary to the Comfort and Happiness of Man

Water: Necessary to Vegetation

Water: One of the Elements of the World

Water: Penetrating

Water: Purified by Elisha

Water: Red Sea Divided

Water: Reflecting Images

Water: Refreshing

Water: Rises in Vapour to the Clouds

Water: some Plants Particularly Require

Water: Symbolical

Water: The Jordan River

Water: The Want of, Considered a Great Calamity

Water: The World and Its Inhabitants Once Destroyed By

Water: The World not to be Again Destroyed By

Water: Turned Into Blood

Water: Unstable

Water: Vision of, by Ezekiel

Water: Water of Affliction

Water: Water of Life

Water: Water of Salvation

Water: Wearing the Hardest Substances

Related Terms

Water-spring (16 Occurrences)

Water-vessel (14 Occurrences)

Water-springs (12 Occurrences)

Water-hole (25 Occurrences)

Water-courses (9 Occurrences)

Water-holes (8 Occurrences)

Water-plants (7 Occurrences)

Water-gate (5 Occurrences)

Water-brooks (6 Occurrences)

Water-doorway (4 Occurrences)

Water-streams (4 Occurrences)

Drinking-water (4 Occurrences)

Water-vessels (2 Occurrences)

Water-jugs (2 Occurrences)

Water-town (2 Occurrences)

Water-hen (2 Occurrences)

Water-jug (1 Occurrence)

Water-pipe (1 Occurrence)

Water-door (1 Occurrence)

Water-spouts (1 Occurrence)

Water-flood (1 Occurrence)

Water-skins (1 Occurrence)

Water-pot (1 Occurrence)

Water's (2 Occurrences)

Water-skin (1 Occurrence)

Snow-water (1 Occurrence)

Sail (32 Occurrences)

Springing (16 Occurrences)

Springs (59 Occurrences)

Ablution

Cleansing (37 Occurrences)

Snow (25 Occurrences)

Streaming (16 Occurrences)

Shepherd (76 Occurrences)

Causeth (209 Occurrences)

Swell (9 Occurrences)

Knee-deep (1 Occurrence)

Compacted (3 Occurrences)

Soak (1 Occurrence)

Shoal (2 Occurrences)

Swim (8 Occurrences)

Sooner (21 Occurrences)

Storing (10 Occurrences)

Swamp (1 Occurrence)

Shiloah (1 Occurrence)

Valleys (38 Occurrences)

Siloah (1 Occurrence)

Shelah (18 Occurrences)

Aqueduct (4 Occurrences)

Siloam (4 Occurrences)

Separation (50 Occurrences)

Streams (80 Occurrences)

Kneel (10 Occurrences)

Sprinkling (48 Occurrences)

Crystal (7 Occurrences)

Agitated (9 Occurrences)

Stank (6 Occurrences)

Shihor (5 Occurrences)

Sink (16 Occurrences)

Soap (4 Occurrences)

Sluice

Shrink (10 Occurrences)

Scant (4 Occurrences)

Adultery (49 Occurrences)

Hyssop (12 Occurrences)

Augury (5 Occurrences)

Cistern (21 Occurrences)

Arabah (32 Occurrences)

Sprinkle (37 Occurrences)

Camest (27 Occurrences)

Salim (1 Occurrence)

Siddim (3 Occurrences)

Adullam (10 Occurrences)

Slope (29 Occurrences)

Camped (100 Occurrences)

Ceremonially (38 Occurrences)

Vast (54 Occurrences)

Yields (21 Occurrences)

Water: Collected in The Clouds
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