Tyre and Sidon

Biblical References

Sidon first appears in Genesis 10:15 as the name of Canaan's firstborn son. Genesis 10:19 names it as the starting point of the border of Canaan.

The principal Old Testament references are as follows:

• Hiram king of Tyre sent cedar trees and craftsmen to David to build his palace (2 Samuel 5:11).
• Hiram also supplied timber for Solomon's building of the Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 5).
• Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians (1 Kings 16:31).
• Elijah stayed with a widow at Zarephath in the land of Sidon (1 Kings 17:9).

In the prophetic books, Tyre and Sidon frequently appear as objects of pronouncements of judgment. Examples include Isaiah 23, Ezekiel 26–28, Joel 3:4, Amos 1:9–10, and Zechariah 9:2–4. Ezekiel 27 gives an extended description of Tyre's maritime trade.

The New Testament references are as follows:

• Many people from the region around Tyre and Sidon also came to Jesus (Mark 3:8; Luke 6:17). In Luke, this scene is followed by the so-called Sermon on the Plain.
• In rebuking Chorazin and Bethsaida, Jesus compared them with Tyre and Sidon (Matthew 11:21–22; Luke 10:13–14), saying that if such mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago.
• In the region of Tyre, Jesus healed the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:24–30). Matthew 15:21–28 calls her "a woman of Canaan."
• The Acts of the Apostles records that Herod was highly displeased with the people of Tyre and Sidon (Acts 12:20).
• Paul stayed seven days with the disciples at Tyre (Acts 21:3–4). When he was being taken to Rome as a prisoner, he was cared for by friends at Sidon (Acts 27:3).

Background

The two cities lie on the coast northwest of Galilee, with Sidon to the north and Tyre to the south. The name Tyre is generally said to derive from a Hebrew word meaning "rock." Tyre consisted of an island city and a mainland settlement.

The two cities were centers of what is known as Phoenician civilization ("Phenice" or "Phenicia" in the King James Version). They were renowned for maritime trade, shipbuilding, and the production of purple dye. They maintained a trading relationship with Israel in which grain and timber were exchanged. At the same time, they served as a channel through which Baal worship entered Israel.

Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre for a long period. The island city of Tyre is generally said to have fallen to Alexander the Great in 332 BC after he built a causeway to it.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

In the Old Testament, Tyre and Sidon symbolize wealth and pride. They are portrayed as cities of neighboring Gentiles who, though close to Israel, did not serve God.

The New Testament takes up this image but gives it a new direction. Jesus said that it would be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for the unrepentant cities of Galilee. And in that very region he commended the faith of a Gentile woman. For this reason, Tyre and Sidon are sometimes read as a foreshadowing of the gospel reaching the Gentiles. Jesus' mention of the widow of Sarepta (Zarephath) in Luke 4:26 is interpreted in the same light.

Interpretations and Issues

• The king of Tyre in Ezekiel 28: Ezekiel 28:12–19 describes the king of Tyre as one who has "been in Eden the garden of God." One tradition reads this passage, together with Isaiah 14, as alluding to the fall of Satan. Many commentators, by contrast, regard it as a lament that poetically depicts the pride of the historical king of Tyre. The text itself does not mention Satan directly.
• The question of fulfillment in Ezekiel 26: Ezekiel 26 prophesies the destruction of Tyre. Some conservative interpreters point to the expression "many nations" coming up against the city in succession (Ezekiel 26:3) and regard Alexander's conquest as part of the fulfillment. Other scholars, noting that Ezekiel 29:18 states that Nebuchadnezzar received no wages from Tyre, explain the nature of the prophecy differently.

In the Korean Church

In Korean preaching, Tyre and Sidon are treated mainly in two contexts. The first is the account of the Syrophoenician woman, used to speak of persistent faith and of grace extended to the Gentiles. The second is the king of Tyre in Ezekiel 28, cited as a warning against pride.