XXi-land, il ((1) i, "island" or "isle"; the American Standard Revised Version has "coast" or "coast-land" in Isa 20:6; 23:2,6; the Revised Version margin has "coast-lands" in Gen 10:5; Isa 11:11; 24:15; 59:18; Jer 25:22; Ezek 39:6; Dan 11:18; Zeph 2:11; the Revised Version margin has "sea-coast" in Jer 47:4. (2) plural iyim, the King James Version "wild beasts of the islands," the Revised Version (British and American) "wolves," the Revised Version margin "howling creatures" (Isa 13:22; 34:14; Jer 50:39). (3) nesion, "small island" (Acts 27:16) (4) nesos, "island" (Acts 13:6; 27:26; 28:1,7,9,11; Rev 1:9; 6:14; 16:20)): Except as noted above, i in the Revised Version (British and American) is translated "isle" or "island." ARVAD (which see), a Phoenician island-city North of Tripoli, Syria, is mentioned in Gen 10:18; 1 Ch 1:16; Ezek 27:8,11. This and Tyre were the only important islands on the coast, both of them very small. We find references to Kittim or Chittim, Cyprus (Gen 10:4; Nu 24:24; 1 Ch 1:7; Isa 23:1,12; Jer 2:10; Ezek 27:6; Dan 11:30); to Elisha, perhaps Carthage (Gen 10:4; 1 Ch 1:7; Ezek 27:7); to "isles of the nations" (Gen 10:5; Zeph 2:11); to "isles of the sea" (Est 10:1; 11:11; 24:15; Ezek 26:18); to "Tarshish and the isles" (Ps 72:10; compare Isa 66:19); to "isle (the Revised Version margin "sea-coast") of Caphtor" (Jer 47:4). Communication with these islands or distant coasts is kept up by the Tyrians (Ezek 27:3,15). The Jews were not a maritime people, and in early times their geographical knowledge was very limited. Of 32 Old Testament passages referring to "island" or "isle," 25 are in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. In the New Testament, besides the passages noted above, and Patmos (Rev 1:9), various islands are mentioned by name in connection with the voyages of Paul, e.g. Cyprus, Crete, Lesbos, Samos, Samothrace, Chios, Melita, Sicily (Syracuse, Acts 28:12). "Jackals" is a perfectly possible translation of iyim (the King James Version "wild beasts of the islands," the Revised Version (British and American) "wolves," the Revised Version margin "howling creatures").
See COAST; GEOGRAPHY; JACKAL; WOLF.
Alfred Ely Day