Places of the Bible

Tarshish

Western Mediterranean (often placed in Spain) · Old Testament · 24 verses

Tarshish was a distant seaport of the western Mediterranean, frequently associated with the region of Spain. It was famed as a far and wealthy trading destination. The name appears in Genesis, 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles and 7 more in the King James text.

About Tarshish

Tarshish was a distant seaport of the western Mediterranean, frequently associated with the region of Spain. It was famed as a far and wealthy trading destination.

Its place in the story

Jonah fled toward Tarshish to escape the Lord's call to Nineveh. Solomon's fleet and later ships of Tarshish brought back precious cargo, and the phrase became a byword for far ocean trade. The prophets used Tarshish to represent the ends of the earth.

Tarshish in Scripture (KJV)

“And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.”
Genesis 10:4 (KJV)
“For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.”
1 Kings 10:22 (KJV)
“Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Eziongeber.”
1 Kings 22:48 (KJV)
“And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.”
1 Chronicles 1:7 (KJV)
“The sons also of Jediael; Bilhan: and the sons of Bilhan; Jeush, and Benjamin, and Ehud, and Chenaanah, and Zethan, and Tharshish, and Ahishahar.”
1 Chronicles 7:10 (KJV)
“For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.”
2 Chronicles 9:21 (KJV)
“And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Eziongaber.”
2 Chronicles 20:36 (KJV)
“Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.”
2 Chronicles 20:37 (KJV)

Tarshish is named 24 times in Scripture; 8 shown above.

Where it leads

Tarshish stands for the farthest lands, and the psalms foresee its kings bringing tribute to God's anointed, a hope answered in the worldwide reign of Christ.

Who is Jesus? · Places of the Bible

People also ask

Where is Tarshish in the Bible?

Tarshish was a distant seaport of the western Mediterranean, frequently associated with the region of Spain. It was famed as a far and wealthy trading destination. The name appears in Genesis, 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles and 7 more in the King James text.

What happened at Tarshish?

Jonah fled toward Tarshish to escape the Lord's call to Nineveh. Solomon's fleet and later ships of Tarshish brought back precious cargo, and the phrase became a byword for far ocean trade. The prophets used Tarshish to represent the ends of the earth.

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Scripture verbatim KJV. Place facts curated; any coordinates via Wikidata (CC0).

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