SEA

The collective waters of the earth as distinguished from land; or a large body of salt or fresh water, usually meaning a body smaller than an ocean and partially or wholly enclosed by land. Water covers 70.8 percent of the earth’s surface.

JEHOVAH THE CREATOR AND CONTROLLER

The Bible repeatedly acknowledges Jehovah as the Creator of the seas, which were formed as distinct from the dry land on the third creative day. (Gen. 1:9, 10, 13; Neh. 9:6; Acts 4:24; 14:15; Rev. 14:7) It also comments on his ability to extend his power over and to control the sea. (Job 26:12; Ps. 65:7; 89:9; Jer. 31:35) When his Son was on earth he was given authority by his Father to command the sea, with effectiveness. (Matt. 8:23-27; Mark 4:36-41; John 6:17-20) God’s control of the seas is demonstrated by the way the coasts and the tides keep the sea within its set limits, barricaded, as it were, by doors. (Job 38:8-11; Ps. 33:7; Prov. 8:29; Jer. 5:22; see BAND.) This accomplishment in connection with the sea, as well as its role in the earth’s water cycle (Eccl. 1:7; Amos 5:8), makes the sea an example of Jehovah’s wonderful works. (Ps. 104:24, 25) Poetically speaking, even the seas join in praising their Creator.—Ps. 96:11; 98:7.

SEAS IN THE PALESTINE AREA

Of the seas in the area of Palestine, the most prominent was the “Great [Mediterranean] Sea,” also called the “western sea” or simply “the Sea.” (Josh. 1:4; Deut. 11:24; Num. 34:5) Others were the “Red Sea” or “Egyptian sea” (Ex. 10:19; Isa. 11:15), the “Salt [Dead] Sea,” “sea of the Arabah” or “eastern sea” (Deut. 3:17; Ezek. 47:18) and the “sea of Galilee,” “sea of Chinnereth” or sea of “Tiberias.” (Matt. 4:18; Num. 34:11; John 6:1) (These seas are discussed separately in this volume under their individual names.) In Biblical references the particular body of water intended by the expression “the sea” often has to be determined from the context. (Ex. 14:2 [compare 13:18]; Mark 2:13 [compare verse 1]) Sometimes the Hebrew term is applied to rivers.—Jer. 51:36 (speaking of the Euphrates); Isa. 19:5 (the Nile).

THE ABYSS

The Greek word aʹbys·sos, meaning “very or exceedingly deep” and often translated “abyss,” is sometimes used with reference to or in making a comparison to the sea because of the sea’s great, almost fathomless depth. (Rom. 10:6, 7; compare Deuteronomy 30:12, 13.) In the symbols of Revelation the “wild beast that ascends out of the abyss” (Rev. 11:7) is said, at Revelation 13:1, to ascend out of the “sea.”—See ABYSS.

ORIGIN OF SEA LIFE

The Genesis account reports that sea life and flying creatures were the first animal life on earth. It reads: “And God went on to say: ‘Let the waters swarm forth a swarm of living souls and let flying creatures fly over the earth upon the face of the expanse of the heavens.’ And God proceeded to create the great sea monsters and every living soul that moves about, which the waters swarmed forth according to their kinds, and every winged flying creature according to its kind. And God got to see that it was good. With that God blessed them, saying: ‘Be fruitful and become many and fill the waters in the sea basins, and let the flying creatures become many in the earth.’ And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a fifth day.”—Gen. 1:20-23.

In saying “Let the waters swarm,” God was not leaving the emergence of life to the seas themselves, to bring forth some primeval form from which all other animals evolved. For the account also says that “God proceeded to create [marine creatures] . . . according to their kinds.” Also in the record of the ‘sixth day’ and the creation of land animals, God is represented as saying: “Let the earth put forth living souls according to their kinds.” God did not command the sea to put forth living things for the land, or let these things evolve from the sea, but “God proceeded to make” each kind to suit the habitat each was to occupy.—Gen. 1:24, 25.

ILLUSTRATIVE USE

While the Promised Land was to extend “from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines [the Great Sea] and from the wilderness to the River [Euphrates],” the description of the dominion of the coming Messianic king as being “from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth” would apparently refer to the entire globe. (Ex. 23:31; Zech. 9:9, 10; compare Daniel 2:34, 35, 44, 45.) This is indicated by Matthew and John in their application of the prophecy of Zechariah, in which prophecy Zechariah quotes Psalm 72:8.—Matt. 21:4-9; John 12:12-16.

Overflowing armies

Jeremiah described the sound of the attackers of Babylon as being “like the sea that is boisterous.” (Jer. 50:42) Hence, when he foretold that “the sea” would come up over Babylon, he evidently meant the flood of conquering troops under the Medes and Persians.—Jer. 51:42; compare Daniel 9:26.

Masses alienated from God

Isaiah likened the wicked people of earth, the restless masses alienated from God, to “the sea that is being tossed, when it is unable to calm down, the waters of which keep tossing up seaweed and mire.” (Isa. 57:20) At Revelation 17:1, 15 the “waters” on which Babylon the Great “sits” are said to mean “peoples and crowds and nations and tongues.” Isaiah further prophesied to God’s “woman” Zion: “Because to you the wealthiness of the sea will direct itself; the very resources of the nations will come to you.” (Isa. 59:20; 60:1, 5) This seems to mean the turning of many persons from the multitudes of earth toward God’s symbolic “woman.” This may shed light on the purpose of the prophetic “king of the north” in planting “his palatial tents between the grand sea [the Mediterranean] and the holy mountain of Decoration [on which God’s sanctuary stood in Jerusalem or Zion].”—Dan. 11:40, 45.

Daniel described four “beasts” that came up “out of the sea” and revealed these to be symbolic of political kings or kingdoms. (Dan. 7:2, 3, 17, 23) Similarly, John spoke of a “wild beast ascending out of the sea,” and his mention, in symbolic language, of diadems and a throne again links the idea of a political organization with this beast out of the “sea.” (Rev. 13:1, 2) He also saw in vision the time when there would be “a new heaven and a new earth,” and the “sea,” that is, the turbulent masses of people alienated from God, would be no more.—Rev. 21:1.

Persons lacking faith

A person who lacks faith, having doubts when he prays to God, is likened by the disciple James to “a wave of the sea driven by the wind and blown about.” He does not recognize or appreciate God’s fine qualities of generosity and loving-kindness. “Let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from Jehovah; he is an indecisive man, unsteady in all his ways,” James declares.—Jas. 1:5-8.

Immoral men

James’ brother Jude warns his fellow Christians of the great danger from wicked men who slip into the congregation with the purpose of bringing in moral defilement. He calls them “wild waves of the sea that foam up their own causes for shame.” (Jude 4-13) Jude may have had in mind an earlier expression of Isaiah (57:20) and may be figuratively describing such ones’ passionate, reckless disregard for God’s laws and their rushing against the divinely constituted moral barriers in their degraded, lustful course. As one commentator remarks: “. . . they cast forth to public view the mire and dirt of their excesses, . . . So these men foam out their own acts of shame, and cast them forth for men to see, and so to blame the Church for the ill-deeds of these professors.” (F. C. Cook, Commentary on Jude) Another says: “What they impart is as unsubstantial and valueless as the foam of the oceanside, and is in fact a proclamation of their own shame.”—Schaff-Lange, Commentary on Jude; compare Peter’s description of such men at 2 Peter 2:10-22.

SEAH

(seʹah).

A dry measure. (Gen. 18:6; 1 Sam. 25:18; 1 Ki. 18:32; 2 Ki. 7:1, 16, 18) According to rabbinical sources, the seah measure is equal to one-third of an ephah. Since the ephah measure is reckoned at .62 bushel (22 liters) on the basis of archaeological evidence regarding the capacity of the corresponding liquid bath measure (compare Ezekiel 45:11), the seah measure would equal .21 bushel (7.33 liters).

SEAL

Ancient seals used for making impressions consisted of a piece of hard material (stone, ivory or wood) having engraved letters or designs in reverse. They were made in various shapes, including cones, squares, cylinders, scarabs and animal heads. (Regarding signet or seal rings, see RING.) Those in the form of a cylinder commonly measured between three-fourths and one and a half inches (1.9 to 3.8 centimeters) in length. Engraved on the curved surface, the cylinder, when rolled on moist clay, produced a continuous impression in relief. Often cylinder seals were pierced through from end to end and thus could be suspended from a cord.

Religious symbols, plants, animals and simple scenes are among the things depicted on Egyptian and Mesopotamian seals. The Babylonian “Temptation Seal” shows a tree with a man seated on one side and a woman on the other, and behind the woman is an erect serpent. Often seals gave the owner’s name and/or his position. For example, one seal found in Palestine reads, “[Belonging] to Shema, the minister of Jeroboam.”

Seal impressions could indicate ownership or authenticity and could prevent tampering with documents or other things, including bags, doors and even tombs, that were sealed. (Job 14:17; Dan. 6:17; Matt. 27:66) When the prophet Jeremiah purchased a field, one copy of the deed was left open, but a second copy was sealed, perhaps by folding it closed, tying it with a cord and then putting a lump of wax or another soft substance on the cord and impressing the soft material with a seal. If later any question would arise about the accuracy of the open copy, the deed that had been sealed before witnesses could be produced. (Jer. 32:10-14, 44) A person entrusted with the king’s seal could issue official decrees, the seal impression stamping the decrees as authentic. (1 Ki. 21:8; Esther 3:10, 12; 8:2, 8, 10) Affixing one’s seal to a document could signify an acceptance of the terms contained therein. (Neh. 9:38; 10:1) Numerous ancient jar handles with seal impressions on them have been found. The seal impressions may have shown to whom the jars and their contents belonged or perhaps gave an indication of the quantity or quality of the contents.

FIGURATIVE USE

The actual uses for seals provide the basis for a number of figurative expressions found in the Bible. It was foretold that the Messiah would “imprint a seal upon vision and prophet.” This is because, by fulfilling the prophecies, the Messiah would stamp them as authentic and inspired of God. (Dan. 9:24; compare John 3:33.) In the sense of a mark of possession or ownership, Abraham received circumcision as a “seal” of the righteousness that he had. (Rom. 4:11) Since the apostle Paul had aided many Corinthian Christians to become believers, they served as a seal confirming the genuineness of his apostleship. (1 Cor. 9:1, 2) First-century Christians are spoken of as being “sealed” by means of holy spirit, which is an advance token of their heavenly inheritance. (Eph. 1:13, 14; 4:30) The seal signifies their being God’s possession (2 Cor. 1:21, 22) and shows that they are truly in line for heavenly life. The book of Revelation shows the number finally sealed to be 144,000.—Rev. 7:2-4; 9:4.

The Bible speaks of something that is closed, hidden or secret as being sealed. Prophetic messages were “sealed” during the time they were not understood. (Dan. 12:4, 9; Rev. 5:1; 22:10; compare Isaiah 8:16; 29:11.) And Jehovah is said to ‘put a seal around stars,’ evidently meaning that he hides them from view by means of clouds.—Job 9:7.

SEALSKIN

[taʹhhash].

There is considerable uncertainty as to the particular kind of skin that was used in making the outer cover of the tabernacle and for wrapping up the furnishings and utensils of the sanctuary for transport. Taʹhhash or t^ehha·shimʹ (plural) usually appears alongside ʽohr or ʽoh·rohthʹ (“skin,” “skins”). (Ex. 25:5; 26:14; 35:7, 23; 36:19; 39:34; Num. 4:6-14, 25; Ezek. 16:10) The translators of the Septuagint Version seem to have understood the Hebrew word to denote, not an animal, but a color (“blue,” Bagster’s LXX). However, the almost unanimous opinion of Jewish commentators is that taʹhhash refers to an animal. This view was also endorsed by the Hebrew lexicographer Gesenius, who considered the Septuagint reading to be simply conjecture, a rendering having neither the support of etymology nor of related languages. He understood taʹhhash to mean either the seal or the badger, basing his conclusions on the context, the authority of the Talmudists, a comparison of the Hebrew word with similar words in other languages, and on the Hebrew etymology.

Bible translators have variously rendered ʽohr (ʽoh·rohthʹ) taʹhhash (t^ehha·shimʹ) as “badgers’ skin(s)” (AV), “goatskin(s)” (RS), “porpoise skin(s)” (AT), “sealskin(s)” (AS), “leather” (Mo), “fine leather” (JB), “violet skins” (Dy, from Latin, based on Vg) and “tahash leather.” (NW, footnotes of 1953 edition in most occurrences, but “sealskin(s)” in main text) The rendering “badgers’ skin(s)” is not generally favored by scholars, since it is thought unlikely that the Israelites would have been able to procure enough badger skins, either in Egypt or in the wilderness, for covering the tabernacle. There are also scholars who consider neither “badgers’ skin(s)” nor “sealskin(s)” nor “porpoise skin(s)” to be correct, in view of the fact that badgers, seals, porpoises or dolphins, dugongs, and similar creatures were evidently unclean for food. (Lev. 11:12, 27) They therefore find it hard to conceive that the skin of an “unclean” animal would have been used for something so sacred as the construction of the tabernacle and as a protective covering for the furnishings and utensils of the sanctuary. Those taking this view suggest that taʹhhash may designate the skin of a clean animal, possibly of a kind of antelope, sheep or goat.

USABLE, THOUGH SEAL CLASSED AS UNCLEAN

The fact that seals were evidently unclean for food would not necessarily rule out using their skins as a covering for the tabernacle. For instance, whereas the lion and the eagle were “unclean” (Lev. 11:13, 27), the heavenly cherubs seen by Ezekiel in vision were depicted with four faces, including that of a lion and of an eagle. (Ezek. 1:5, 10; 10:14) Also, the copper carriages that Solomon made for temple use were adorned with representations of lions, and this undoubtedly according to the plans given to David by divine inspiration. (1 Ki. 7:27-29; 1 Chron. 28:11-19) The Israelites used “unclean” animals, such as asses, for mounts, it even being foretold that the Messiah would ride into Jerusalem upon an ass. (Zech. 9:9; Matt. 21:4, 5) Although John the Baptist had a most sacred commission to “go in advance before Jehovah