Topical Bible: Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: Its Inhabitants to be Sold As Slaves, As a Recompence For

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Topical Encyclopedia

Tyre, an ancient and prosperous Phoenician city located on the Mediterranean coast, holds a significant place in biblical prophecy. Known for its wealth, maritime prowess, and strategic location, Tyre was often at the center of trade and cultural exchange in the ancient Near East. However, its relationship with Israel and its moral and spiritual standing drew the attention of biblical prophets, who pronounced judgments against it.

One of the key prophecies concerning Tyre is the foretelling of its inhabitants being sold as slaves. This prophecy is seen as a recompense for Tyre's actions, particularly its treatment of the people of Israel. The prophet Joel speaks directly to this in Joel 3:4-6 :

"Now what do you have against Me, O Tyre and Sidon and all the regions of Philistia? Are you repaying Me for something I have done? If you are paying Me back, I will swiftly and speedily return your recompense upon your heads. For you took My silver and gold and carried off My finest treasures to your temples. You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, to send them far from their homeland."

This passage highlights the divine retribution that Tyre would face for its transgressions against God's people. The selling of the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem into slavery is a significant offense, and the prophecy indicates that Tyre's own people would experience a similar fate as a form of divine justice.

The prophecy against Tyre is not isolated to the book of Joel. Ezekiel also delivers a comprehensive judgment against Tyre, detailing its impending downfall and the consequences of its pride and iniquity. In Ezekiel 26:2-3 , the prophet declares:

"Son of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem, ‘Aha! The gateway of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me; I will be filled now that she lies in ruins,’ therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and I will raise up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves."

The prophecy continues to describe the destruction and desolation that would come upon Tyre, emphasizing the severity of the judgment due to its actions and attitudes towards Jerusalem.

The prophetic declarations against Tyre serve as a reminder of the consequences of pride, exploitation, and enmity against God's chosen people. The selling of Tyre's inhabitants as slaves is portrayed as a direct recompense for their own acts of selling the people of Judah and Jerusalem, illustrating the principle of divine justice and retribution that runs throughout the biblical narrative.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Joel 3:4-8
Yes, and what have you to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will you render me a recompense? and if you recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompense on your own head;
Torrey's Topical Textbook