Ezekiel 26:2

Tyre. Tyre was a powerful commercial city composed of Old Tyre, situated on the mainland, and New Tyre, built on a rocky island some 140 acres in area about a half mile from shore. New Tyre had two harbors, one on the north and one on the south. From these the Tyrians sent their fleets of ships as far into the Atlantic as West Africa and possibly Britain. Tyre founded colonies in Spain and North Africa, some of which became famous, like Carthage, Gades, and Abdera. Tyre was also famous for its craftsmen. Its manufactured products, such as works of copper, textiles (especially dyed purple), glassware, and pottery, were famous throughout the world.

The Phoenicians spoke a Semitic language. Their religion played a prominent role in their life. Their chief god was Melkarth (sometimes called Baal Melkarth), the patron god of Tyre. This was evidently the Baal worshiped in Israel under Jezebel’s influence. They also worshiped Ashtoreth and other divinities with orgies of the most corrupt nature (see Vol. II, pp. 38-41).

For the history of ancient Phoenicia see on Gen. 10:6, 15, 17, 18; Vol. II, pp. 67-69.

Aha. See on ch. 25:3. Tyre’s joy at Jerusalem’s downfall seems to have been purely selfish. In the days of Solomon, Jerusalem had been a great inland commercial center through which flowed trade from Arabia and even from India. Jerusalem had doubtless been enriched by trade with the Phoenicians. Even in her decline, because of the importance of her situation, Jerusalem had no doubt been the center of many commercial transactions that Tyre would have been happy to monopolize.