Lexical Summary Tsor: Tyre Original Word: צֹר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Tyre, Tyrus Or Tsowr {tsore}; the same as tsor; a rock; Tsor, a place in Palestine -- Tyre, Tyrus. see HEBREW tsor NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof foreign origin Definition a Phoenician city NASB Translation Tyre (42). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. צֹר, צוֺר proper name, of a location Τυρος: Tyre, famous Phoenician city (Phoenician צר; Assyrian ‚urru, so Tel Amarna; Egyptian Da-(ï)ra, Da-ru WMMAs.u.Eur.185); — צֹר 2 Samuel 24:7 32t., צוֺר 1 Kings 5:15 8t. (Gi); — city of Hiram, friend of David and Solomon 2 Samuel 5:11; 1 Kings 5:15; 1 Kings 9:11,12; 1 Chronicles 14:1; 2Chron 2:2; 2 Chronicles 2:10; of artif. Hiram 1 Kings 7:13; בַּתצֹֿר Psalm 45:13 of city personified (another view in Che); ׳צ also in name of Phoenician fotress, ׳מִבְצַרצֿ 2 Samuel 24:7, ׳צ ׳עִיר מ Joshua 19:29 (P); threatened by prophets Amos 1:9,10 and (with especially reference to commercial greatness) Isaiah 23:1 (מַשָׂא צֹר), Isaiah 23:5; Isaiah 23:8; Isaiah 23:15; Isaiah 23:15; Isaiah 23:17; Jeremiah 25:22 (מַלְכֵיצֹֿר), Jeremiah 27:3 (מֶלֶךְ צֹר), Jeremiah 47:4; Ezekiel 26:2,3,4,7,15; Ezekiel 27:2,3(twice in verse); Ezekiel 27:8,32; Ezekiel 28:2 (נְגִיד צֹר), Ezekiel 28:12 (מֶלֶךְ צוֺר); besieged by Nebuch. Ezekiel 29:18 (twice in verse); compare Zechariah 9:2,3; Joel 4:4; Psalm 83:8 (׳ישְׁבֵי צ); of Tyrians as proselytes Psalm 87:4 (predict.); — לְצוֺר Hosea 9:13 is probably corrupt, read לָצוֺד or לָצַיִד ᵐ5 We GASm, compare Now. — ׳צ often + צִידוֺן q. v.; — see, on Tyre, PietschmPhön. 60 ff. RobBR ii. 461 ff. de LuynesVoyage à la Mer Morte (1874) i. 28 ff., and Pl xiii-xviii BdPal. 3 (1898), 307 ff: — Topical Lexicon Geographical SettingTyre lay on the Mediterranean coast of Phoenicia, about twenty-five miles south of Sidon and thirty-five miles north of Carmel. In Old Testament times it comprised an original mainland town (often called “Old Tyre”) and, just offshore, a rocky island fortress surrounded by harbors. This dual location helps explain the biblical emphasis on her natural security (Isaiah 23:4; Ezekiel 26:17). Her proximity to Israel made her both a neighbor in trade and, at times, a spiritual snare. Historical Sketch 1. Patriarchal and Conquest Eras Tyre is not named in Genesis, but its commerce is already implied in the table of nations (Genesis 10:15–18, “Sidon” and “Heth”). The first explicit mention appears in Joshua 19:29 when Tyre (“the fortified city of Tyre”) becomes the northern limit of Asher’s inheritance. Yet Israel never subdued the Phoenician coast; Tyre remained Gentile throughout the Old Testament. 2. United Monarchy Hiram king of Tyre forged a warm alliance with David (2 Samuel 5:11) and Solomon (1 Kings 5:1–12). He supplied cedar, cypress, gold, and skilled artisans for the temple and palace. Political friendship, however, did not lead Tyre to embrace the covenant Lord. 3. Divided Monarchy to Exile Tyre’s mercantile reach expanded vastly (Ezekiel 27 describes commerce with at least thirty nations). Her pride swelled accordingly (Ezekiel 28:2). Meanwhile she committed grievous sins—handing over whole communities to Edom as slaves (Amos 1:9–10; Joel 3:4–6) and gloating at Jerusalem’s downfall (Ezekiel 26:2). Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre for thirteen years (Ezekiel 29:18), destroying the mainland portion but failing to capture the island. The city’s ultimate toppling awaited Alexander the Great (332 BC), who scraped her rubble into the sea to build a causeway—fulfilling Ezekiel 26:4–12 with striking precision. Tyre in Israel’s Story • Provision for the Temple (1 Kings 5) demonstrates God’s use of Gentile wealth for His purposes (compare Isaiah 60:5–9). Prophetic Oracles Isaiah 23, Jeremiah 25:22; 27:3; 47:4, Ezekiel 26–28, Joel 3:4–8, Amos 1:9–10, Zechariah 9:2–4, and Psalm 83:7 all pronounce judgment upon Tyre. Key emphases: • Pride in impregnable defenses (Isaiah 23:4; Ezekiel 28:2, “I sit on the throne of a god”). Representative Quotations “I will scrape away her soil from her and make her a bare rock. She will become a place to spread nets in the sea.” “For three transgressions of Tyre, even for four, I will not turn back My wrath, because they delivered up a whole community of captives to Edom and failed to keep a covenant of brotherhood.” “The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; men of wealth will seek your favor.” “Tyre has built herself a fortress; she has heaped up silver like dust… But behold, the Lord will dispossess her.” Symbolic and Theological Themes 1. Wealth without worship. Tyre epitomizes material success detached from covenant loyalty. Messianic Foreshadowings Psalm 45:12 and Isaiah 60:9 point to foreign treasure streaming to the Davidic King—the ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, to whom men and goods from every nation will willingly come (Revelation 21:24–26). New Testament Echoes Jesus ministered in the “region of Tyre and Sidon” (Matthew 15:21; Mark 7:24), where a Syrophoenician woman displayed remarkable faith. The Lord’s remark, “It will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you” (Matthew 11:22), shows that even a city renowned for pride could still repent. Christian believers later heard the testimony of disciples from Tyre (Acts 21:3–6), indicating an early church presence. Lessons for Ministry • Proclaim Christ without envy of worldly affluence; God will one day claim every treasure. Selected Old Testament Occurrences (about forty-two total) 1 Kings 5:1, 1 Kings 5:7, 1 Kings 5:10, 1 Kings 5:18; 1 Kings 7:13; 1 Kings 9:11 2 Chronicles 2:3, 2 Chronicles 2:11; 2 Chronicles 8:18 Psalm 45:12; Psalm 83:7; Psalm 87:4 Jeremiah 25:22; Jeremiah 27:3; Jeremiah 47:4 Ezekiel 26:2-21; 27:2-32; 28:2-19; 29:18 Forms and Transliterations וְצ֣וֹר וצור כְצ֔וֹר כצור לְצ֑וֹר לְצ֖וֹר לְצ֗וֹר לְצֹ֔ר לְצֹר֙ לצור לצר מִצֹּ֔ר מִצֹּֽר׃ מצר מצר׃ צ֑וֹר צ֕וֹר צ֤וֹר צֹ֑ר צֹ֔ר צֹ֖ר צֹ֗ר צֹ֛ר צֹ֜ר צֹ֠ר צֹ֣ר צֹ֥ר צֹ֨ר ׀ צֹּ֤ר צֹֽר׃ צֹר֙ צֽוֹר׃ צוֹר֙ צור צור׃ צר צר׃ cheTzor ḵə·ṣō·wr ḵəṣōwr lə·ṣō·wr lə·ṣōr ləṣōr ləṣōwr leTzor miṣ·ṣōr miṣṣōr mitzTzor ṣō·wr ṣōr ṣōwr Tzor veTzor wə·ṣō·wr wəṣōwrLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 19:29 HEB: עִ֖יר מִבְצַר־ צֹ֑ר וְשָׁ֤ב הַגְּבוּל֙ NAS: city of Tyre; then the border KJV: city Tyre; and the coast INT: city the fortified of Tyre turned the border 2 Samuel 5:11 2 Samuel 24:7 1 Kings 5:1 1 Kings 7:13 1 Kings 9:11 1 Kings 9:12 1 Chronicles 14:1 2 Chronicles 2:3 2 Chronicles 2:11 Psalm 45:12 Psalm 83:7 Psalm 87:4 Isaiah 23:1 Isaiah 23:5 Isaiah 23:8 Isaiah 23:15 Isaiah 23:15 Isaiah 23:17 Jeremiah 25:22 Jeremiah 27:3 Jeremiah 47:4 Ezekiel 26:2 Ezekiel 26:3 Ezekiel 26:4 42 Occurrences |