Isaiah 23:3
And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations.
Original Language Analysis
וּבְמַ֤יִם
waters
H4325
וּבְמַ֤יִם
waters
Strong's:
H4325
Word #:
1 of 10
water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen
רַבִּים֙
And by great
H7227
רַבִּים֙
And by great
Strong's:
H7227
Word #:
2 of 10
abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)
זֶ֣רַע
the seed
H2233
זֶ֣רַע
the seed
Strong's:
H2233
Word #:
3 of 10
seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity
יְא֖וֹר
of the river
H2975
יְא֖וֹר
of the river
Strong's:
H2975
Word #:
6 of 10
a channel, e.g., a fosse, canal, shaft; specifically the nile, as the one river of egypt, including its collateral trenches; also the tigris, as the m
תְּבֽוּאָתָ֑הּ
is her revenue
H8393
תְּבֽוּאָתָ֑הּ
is her revenue
Strong's:
H8393
Word #:
7 of 10
income, i.e., produce (literally or figuratively)
וַתְּהִ֖י
H1961
וַתְּהִ֖י
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
8 of 10
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
Cross References
Jeremiah 2:18And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?1 Chronicles 13:5So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjath-jearim.
Historical Context
The Phoenicians pioneered long-distance maritime trade, creating the ancient world's first true commercial empire. They lacked agricultural land but controlled shipping routes, earning enormous profits by transporting Egyptian grain, Cypriot copper, Spanish silver, and other goods. This made them wealthy but economically vulnerable.
Questions for Reflection
- How do modern financial systems that profit from controlling distribution rather than producing goods mirror Tyre's economic model?
- What is the difference between legitimate trade that serves mutual benefit versus exploitative commerce condemned here?
- In what ways does God value productive labor over speculative or middleman profits?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
By great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue—Sihor (שִׁיחוֹר) refers to the Nile, whose grain exports enriched Tyre. The Hebrew zera' (seed) and qetsir (harvest) emphasize agricultural abundance transformed into commercial profit. She is a mart of nations (סְחַר גּוֹיִם)—Tyre functioned as the international marketplace where goods from Egypt, Arabia, Mesopotamia, and the Mediterranean converged.
This verse reveals Tyre's economic model: middleman trade connecting producers to consumers. Egyptian grain fed the Mediterranean world through Phoenician ships. The prophet's point cuts deep: Tyre's 'harvest' came not from her own fields but from controlling distribution networks. Such economic power divorced from productive labor creates fragile prosperity—when trade routes shift or political upheavals disrupt commerce, the entire system collapses. Tyre's judgment warns against economic systems built on exploitation of others' production rather than honest labor.