Hebrew iyim, from aawah, "to inhabit." Shore land at opposed to sea, dry land as opposed to rivers. Isaiah 42:15, "I will make the rivers islands." God will dry up the fountains of the pagan idolatry and oracles, i.e. their schools, doctrines, and institutions, the symbol of which is, water (Vitringa). So the word is applied to all lands reached from Israel by sea. Jeremiah 25:22, "the isles which are beyond the sea." Genesis 10:5, "the isles of the Gentiles" (Psalm 72:10; Isaiah 41:5; Zephaniah 2:11). Also Chittim, i.e. Cyprus and Mediterranean coasts (Jeremiah 2:10; Numbers 24:24; Jeremiah 47:4 margin, "the isle of Caphtor," i.e. Crete).