אֳנִיָּה (o.niy.yah)
o.niy.yah
fleet
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 22 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun oniyah refers to a ship, specifically large vessels used for trade and long-distance travel. In the Hebrew Bible it appears in contexts involving commerce, naval power, and sudden storms, highlighting the scale and importance of maritime activity in the ancient Near East.
It is often paired with terms like "ships of Tarshish" to denote powerful merchant fleets (Isaiah 23:1), or used in narratives where sailors face peril on the open sea, such as Jonah’s voyage (Jonah 1:5). The word underscores human reliance on technology and courage when venturing beyond safe shores.
Its root relates to broader concepts of movement and construction, reflecting both the engineering skill required to build seaworthy vessels and the risks inherent in seafaring. Translators typically render it simply as "ship," though the context often reveals its significance in economic or military terms.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word oniyah describes a large vessel built for trade or long-distance travel. In the ancient world, these ships were marvels of engineering that connected distant cultures and economies. When you read about fleets sailing to Tarshish or bringing gold from Ophir, you see humanity reaching out across vast oceans, relying on skill and courage to navigate uncertain waters.
Yet the biblical narrative also highlights the fragility of these vessels. In Jonah’s story, a mighty storm threatens to break the ship apart, reminding us that human technology is never fully in control. The sea can turn calm waters into chaos in an instant, showing how dependent we are on forces beyond our command.
This tension between human effort and divine sovereignty offers a quiet comfort. We build our ships and plan our journeys, but ultimately, the winds and waves respond to God alone. Whether you are navigating safe harbors or facing sudden storms, this word invites you to trust that the One who formed Leviathan in the sea is also with you in the vessel.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 22 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- ships9×
- in/ ships3×
- ships of2×
- a ship2×
- O ships of2×
- like/ [the] ships of1×
- and/ with/ ships1×
- and/ the/ ship1×
- and/ [the] ships of1×
- [were] in the/ ship1×
- [the] ships of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- אֳנִיּ֣וֹת6×
- אֳנִיּ֔וֹת3×
- אֳנִיּ֖וֹת2×
- כָּ/אֳנִיּ֣וֹת1×
- וּ/בָ/אֳנִיּ֖וֹת1×
- וָ/אֳנִיּ֤וֹת1×
- וְ/הָ֣/אֳנִיָּ֔ה1×
- בָּֽ/אֳנִיָּה֙1×
- בָּ/אֳנִיּוֹת֒1×
- בָּ/אֳנִיּ֥וֹת1×
- בָּ/אֳנִיּ֑וֹת1×
- אָנִיָּ֣ה\׀1×
Key Verses
-
Jonah 1:5
Then the mariners were afraid, and every man cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship and he was laying down, and was fast asleep.
This verse captures the human response to danger, where sailors act out of fear while Jonah remains asleep, highlighting the contrast between panic and peace in the face of divine power.
-
Psalms 104:26
There the ships go, and leviathan, whom you formed to play there.
Here the psalmist places ships alongside Leviathan, showing that even human commerce exists within God’s created order and under His sovereign design.
-
Isaiah 60:9
Surely the islands will wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your sons from far away, their silver and their gold with them, for the name of Yahweh your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he has glorified you.
The ships of Tarshish are depicted not just as commercial assets but as agents bringing wealth to Zion, illustrating how global resources can be directed toward God’s glory.
-
Job 9:26
They have passed away as the swift ships, as the eagle that swoops on the prey.
Job uses the swift ship as a metaphor for the fleeting nature of human life and power, emphasizing how quickly circumstances can change without warning.