Sidon

About Sidon

Sidon was an ancient Phoenician city located on the Mediterranean coast. First mentioned in Genesis as a border marker of Canaan (Genesis 10:19), it was named among the territories that Israel failed to conquer (Judges 1:31).

The city was known for its maritime expertise. Sidonians were skilled sailors and craftsmen, particularly noted for their lumber trade. They supplied cedar for both Solomon's temple and the post-exile reconstruction (1Ki.5.6; Ezra 3:7). Ezekiel described Sidon's mariners as skilled oarsmen (Ezk.27.8).

Sidon frequently appears in connection with idolatry. The city's deities, particularly Ashtoreth, influenced Israelite worship during periods of apostasy (Judges 10:6). Solomon's Sidonian wives led him into idol worship (1Ki.11.1,5), and Jezebel, a Sidonian princess, promoted Baal worship in Israel (1Ki.16.31).

Several prophets pronounced judgment against Sidon. Isaiah depicted it as a mourning merchant city (Isaiah 23:2,4,12). Jeremiah included it among nations to drink God's cup of wrath (Jeremiah 25:22). Ezekiel prophesied against it, declaring God would be glorified through its judgment (Ezk.28.21-22).

In the New Testament, Jesus mentioned Sidon in comparing it favorably to unrepentant Jewish cities (Matthew 11:21-22). He visited the region of Tyre and Sidon (Mrk.7.24,31), and people from these areas came to hear him (Luke 6:17). The apostle Paul visited Sidon during his journey to Rome (Act.27.3).

The city maintained commercial relations with Herod's territories, as evidenced by the reference to Tyre and Sidon's dependence on Herod's country for food (Act.12.20).

Probably corresponds to modern Saida in Lebanon, which has maintained continuous habitation since ancient times.

Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.