Phoenicia

Occurrences in Scripture

The name Phoenicia (KJV "Phenice" or "Phenicia") appears only in the book of Acts.

• Acts 11:19: After the persecution that followed the martyrdom of Stephen, scattered believers traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word.
• Acts 15:3: On their way to the Council of Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas passed through Phoenicia and Samaria. Along the way they reported the conversion of the Gentiles, bringing great joy to the brethren.
• Acts 21:2–7: Paul boarded a ship bound for Phoenicia and landed at Tyre. After spending seven days with the disciples there, he departed for Ptolemais.

The term "Syrophenician" in Mark 7:26 means "a Phoenician of Syria" and contains the same regional name. The "Phenice" of Acts 27:12 (often rendered Phoenix) is a harbor on the island of Crete and is a different place from Phoenicia.

Geographical and Historical Background

Phoenicia is a long, narrow coastal strip between the Lebanon Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. Its port cities, such as Tyre and Sidon, were each independent, and the region was never a single unified state. The name comes from the Greek Phoinikē, which is commonly explained as related to the purple dye that was a distinctive product of the region. Its inhabitants excelled in maritime trade and founded colonies throughout the Mediterranean. Their script is known to have served as the basis for the Greek alphabet. In New Testament times the region belonged to the Roman province of Syria (an administrative district under Roman rule).

The Old Testament does not call this region "Phoenicia" but refers to it as "Tyre," "Sidon," or "the Sidonians." Hiram king of Tyre sent cedar timber and craftsmen to David and Solomon, assisting in the construction of the royal palace and the Temple in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:11; 1 Kings 5). Meanwhile, when Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, married Ahab, the worship of Baal spread throughout the northern kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 16:31; see Ahab and Jezebel).

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

In the Old Testament this region appears as Israel's trading partner, but it was also a channel through which idolatry entered. The prophets rebuked the wealth and pride of Tyre (Isaiah 23; Ezekiel 26–28; Amos 1:9–10). By contrast, the sending of Elijah to the widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon (1 Kings 17:8–24) stands as an example of God's care extending even to Gentiles. Jesus himself referred to this event in Luke 4:25–26, where the KJV spells the town's name "Sarepta" (see The Widow of Zarephath).

The New Testament continues this thread. Jesus went into the region of Tyre and Sidon and healed the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:24–30; Matthew 15:21–28). He also compared the unrepentant towns of Galilee with Tyre and Sidon (Matthew 11:21–22). In Acts, Phoenicia is a gateway through which the gospel spread beyond Jerusalem into Gentile lands, and believers are described as already present in Tyre and Sidon (Acts 21:4; 27:3).

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• The "king of Tyrus" in Ezekiel 28: Ezekiel 28:11–19 contains expressions such as "Eden" and "cherub." For this reason, some interpreters in church history have read this lament as alluding to the fall of Satan. Others regard it as a poetic portrayal of the pride of the king of Tyre. Which reading is adopted varies by interpreter, even within the same denomination. The text itself opens as a word addressed to the king of Tyre.
• "Syrophenician woman" and "woman of Canaan": In recounting the same event, Mark describes the woman as "a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation," while Matthew calls her "a woman of Canaan." This is commonly explained as Matthew's way of highlighting the connection between the Phoenicians and the Old Testament peoples of Canaan.