The King James Bible never uses the word ocean; it says sea, the deep and great waters. "The sea is his, and he made it" (Psalm 95:5), and "The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea" (Psalm 93:4).
Standing at the edge of the ocean makes most people feel small, and the Bible meets that feeling with the God who made it. People look up ocean verses for a beach trip or a vacation photo caption, for a sailor or a cruise, for a baptism by the sea or a coastal wedding, or for a season when life feels like waves breaking over them. These twelve King James verses show God as the Maker and owner of the sea, the One who sets its limits and stills its waves, and the Lord who makes a way through the deep. For water as a picture of the Spirit, see water; for Jesus on the waves, see Jesus walking on water.
The sea is His
1. Genesis 1:10
"And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good."
On the third day God gathered the waters, named them Seas, and saw that it was good. The ocean is not an accident or a rival power to be feared; it is part of the creation God called good. See creation.
2. Psalms 95:5
"The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land."
Psalm 95 is a call to worship, and the reason it gives is ownership: the sea is His because He made it. Every coastline you have ever walked belongs to the God who invites you to come and kneel before Him (Psalm 95:6).
3. Psalms 104:25
"So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts."
The psalmist marvels at how great and wide the sea is, full of creatures small and great, with ships passing over it (Psalm 104:26). Explorers keep finding new life in the deep sea, so the psalm's wonder has only grown. See nature.
4. Proverbs 8:29
"When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:"
In Proverbs 8 Wisdom speaks and describes being there when God gave to the sea his decree. The tides keep to their bounds because God set them, and the same wisdom that ordered the oceans is offered to you (Proverbs 8:32-35). See wisdom.
Mightier than the waves
5. Job 38:11
"And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?"
God answers Job out of the whirlwind and describes shutting up the sea with doors (Job 38:8). Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: there is a limit to the proudest wave, and there is a limit to every storm in your life.
6. Jeremiah 5:22
"Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?"
God uses the shoreline as a lesson. Mere sand holds back the roaring sea by a perpetual decree, yet His own people would not respect His limits (Jeremiah 5:23). The beach preaches reverence: if the sea obeys Him, so can we.
7. Psalms 93:4
"The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea."
However loud the surf, the LORD on high is mightier. Psalm 93 opens with The LORD reigneth (Psalm 93:1). A good verse for a beach photo, or for anyone whose troubles feel like breakers crashing one after another.
8. Psalms 89:9
"Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them."
The raging of the sea is still under God's rule; when the waves rise, He stills them. Jesus did exactly this on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:39), which is why His disciples asked who He could be. See peace.
A way through the deep
9. Psalms 107:23-24
"They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep."
Sailors, fishermen and everyone who works on great waters see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. The psalm goes on through a storm to a calm and a desired haven (Psalm 107:25-30). A fitting blessing for anyone at sea, in the navy or on a cruise. See safe travel.
10. Isaiah 43:16
"Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;"
God reminds His people that He once made a way in the sea, at the Red Sea crossing (Exodus 14:21). A few verses later He says, Behold, I will do a new thing (Isaiah 43:19). The God who opened the sea can open a way where you see none. See new beginning.
11. Jonah 2:3
"For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me."
Jonah's prayer from the deep is one of the most honest in the Bible: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Yet the same prayer ends, Salvation is of the LORD (Jonah 2:9). If you feel in over your head, you can pray from right there.
12. Matthew 8:26-27
"And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!"
Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. The disciples' question, what manner of man is this, has one answer: the One the sea obeys is the Creator Himself. See Jesus is God.
A short prayer
Creator God, the sea is Yours, and You made it. When I stand by the ocean, remind me how great You are and how safe I am in Your hands. When troubles roll over me like waves, be mightier than the noise of many waters. Set a limit to the storm, still the waves, and make a way through the deep. Thank You, Jesus, that even the winds and the sea obey You. Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
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Frequently asked questions
Does the word ocean appear in the Bible?
Not in the King James Version. It uses sea (in more than 350 verses), the deep and great waters. The ancient Hebrews also called large lakes seas: the Sea of Galilee is a freshwater lake. When the KJV speaks of "the uttermost parts of the sea" (Psalm 139:9), it means as far away as anyone could go, and even there God's hand leads His people.
What is a good Bible verse about the ocean for a caption or beach photo?
Short choices include "The sea is his, and he made it" (Psalm 95:5), "mightier than the noise of many waters" (Psalm 93:4), "his wonders in the deep" (Psalm 107:24) and "even the winds and the sea obey him" (Matthew 8:27). For a thoughtful one, try "All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full" (Ecclesiastes 1:7).
What does Revelation mean by no more sea?
John saw a new heaven and a new earth, and "there was no more sea" (Revelation 21:1). In Scripture the sea often pictures chaos, danger and separation; Isaiah says "the wicked are like the troubled sea" (Isaiah 57:20). Many readers understand no more sea as no more chaos, danger or separation, rather than a world without beaches. See new creation.
Is there a Bible verse about God throwing our sins into the sea?
Yes: "thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea" (Micah 7:19). Micah says God delights in mercy (Micah 7:18). Corrie ten Boom liked to add that God then puts up a sign: No fishing allowed. What God has forgiven, we do not need to dredge back up. See forgiveness.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about water · Bible verses about Jesus walking on water · Bible verses about nature · Bible verses about creation · Bible verses about mountains · Bible verses for safe travel · Bible verses about summer · Bible verses about rain
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