Topical Encyclopedia
The Sidonians were the inhabitants of the ancient city of Sidon, one of the principal cities of Phoenicia, located on the Mediterranean coast in what is now modern-day Lebanon. Sidon, along with its sister city Tyre, was renowned for its maritime prowess, trade, and craftsmanship, particularly in the production of purple dye and glassware. The Sidonians are frequently mentioned in the Bible, often in the context of their interactions with the Israelites and their influence on the surrounding regions.
Biblical References and Historical ContextThe Sidonians are first mentioned in the Table of Nations in
Genesis 10:15, where Sidon is listed as the firstborn son of Canaan: "Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites" . This establishes the Sidonians as descendants of Canaan, placing them among the Canaanite peoples who inhabited the land before the arrival of the Israelites.
Throughout the Old Testament, the Sidonians are often depicted as a people who worshiped pagan deities, most notably Baal and Ashtoreth. Their religious practices and idolatry were a source of temptation and conflict for the Israelites. In
Judges 10:6, the Israelites are said to have turned away from the LORD and served the gods of the Sidonians, among others: "Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines" .
The influence of Sidonian culture and religion is further highlighted during the reign of King Solomon. Solomon's marriage to Sidonian women led to the introduction of their idolatrous practices into Israel.
1 Kings 11:1-5 recounts Solomon's alliances through marriage, including with women from Sidon: "King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women... For Solomon followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians" .
The Sidonians also played a role in the account of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Jezebel, the infamous queen married to King Ahab of Israel, was a Sidonian princess and a fervent worshiper of Baal. Her influence led to the widespread promotion of Baal worship in Israel, culminating in the dramatic confrontation on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18).
Economic and Cultural InfluenceThe Sidonians were known for their skills in navigation and trade, establishing colonies and trade routes across the Mediterranean. Their economic influence is noted in passages such as
Isaiah 23, which describes the fall of Tyre and Sidon and the impact on their trade networks: "Be ashamed, O Sidon, the fortress of the sea, for the sea has spoken: 'I have not been in labor or given birth; I have not raised young men or brought up virgins'" (
Isaiah 23:4).
The craftsmanship of the Sidonians is also acknowledged in the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem. King Hiram of Tyre, a close ally of King Solomon, provided skilled Sidonian laborers and materials for the building of the Temple, as recorded in
1 Kings 5:6: "Now therefore, command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. My servants will join your servants, and I will pay you whatever wages you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians" .
Prophetic PronouncementsThe prophets of Israel often pronounced judgments against Sidon for its idolatry and pride.
Ezekiel 28:22-23 contains a prophecy against Sidon, declaring God's judgment: "And you will know that I am the LORD, when I execute judgments against her and demonstrate My holiness through her. I will send a plague upon her and shed blood in her streets; the slain will fall within her, while the sword is against her on every side. Then they will know that I am the LORD" .
Despite these judgments, the Bible also contains promises of restoration for Sidon. In the eschatological vision of the future, Sidon is included among the nations that will experience God's mercy and redemption, as seen in passages like
Isaiah 60: "The glory of Lebanon will come to you—the cypress, the plane, and the pine together—to adorn the place of My sanctuary, and I will glorify the place of My feet" (
Isaiah 60:13).
New Testament ReferencesIn the New Testament, Jesus mentions the Sidonians in the context of His ministry. In
Luke 10:13-14, Jesus compares the unrepentant cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida to Tyre and Sidon, suggesting that the latter would have repented if they had witnessed His miracles: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes" .
The Sidonians, therefore, serve as a historical and theological backdrop in the biblical narrative, illustrating themes of idolatry, judgment, and the potential for repentance and redemption.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Sidoniansthe Greek form of the word Zidonians, usually so exhibited in the Authorized Version of the Old Testament. It occurs (3:9;Joshua 13:4,6;Judges 3:3;1 Kings 5:6) [ZIDON, OR SIDON]
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
SIDONIANSsi-do'-ni-anz: Natives or inhabitants of Sidon (Deuteronomy 3:9Joshua 13:4, 6Judges 3:31 Kings 5:6).
Strong's Hebrew
6722. Tsidoni -- an inhabitant of Sidon... an inhabitant of Sidon. Transliteration: Tsidoni Phonetic Spelling: (tsee-do-nee')
Short Definition:
Sidonians. Word Origin from Tsidon Definition an inhab.
...Library
It May be Objected that the People of Tyre and Sidon Might, if...
... catholic disputant of no mean reputation so expounded this passage of the gospel
as to say, that the Lord foreknew that the Tyrians andSidonians would have...
What Predestination Is.
... But where are the rest left by the righteous divine judgment except in the
mass of ruin, where the Tyrians and theSidonians were left?...
How
... So they sent ambassadors to Antiochus, and an epistle, whose contents are these:
"To king Antiochus the god, Epiphanes, a memorial from theSidonians, who live...
Invention of the Lyre; Allegorizing the Appearance and Position of...
... [301] But they assert that Cynosuris is narrow, towards which Aratus [302]
says that theSidonians navigate. But Aratus has spoken...
Why for the People of Tyre and Sidon, who Would have Believed, the...
... Sidon which have been done in you, they would long ago have repented in dust and
ashes." [3607] But can we say that even the Tyrians andSidonians would have...
Sennacherib (705-681 BC )
... Eth-baal II., who, according to the testimony of the native historians, belonged
to the royal family of Tyre, is called King of theSidonians in the Bible (1...
Repentance More Competent to Heathens than to Christians.
... [815] The Lord Himself presumed repentance on the part of theSidonians and Tyrians
if they had seen the evidences of His "miracles." [816]....
Joash
... of the Lord their God, the God of their fathers, and served groves and idols,' the
groves here mentioned being symbols of Ashtaroth the goddess of theSidonians...
Great Preparations for a Great Work
... servants according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that there is
not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto theSidonians.7. And....
That the Inventors of Other Arts were Mostly Barbarians.
... We have heard that the Persians were the first who fashioned the chariot, and bed,
and footstool; and theSidonians the first to construct a trireme....
Thesaurus
Sidonians (16 Occurrences)...SIDONIANS. si-do'-ni-anz: Natives or inhabitants of Sidon (Deuteronomy 3:9 Joshua
13:4, 6 Judges 3:3 1 Kings 5:6).
...Sidonians (16 Occurrences).
...Sido'nians (11 Occurrences)
Sido'nians.Sidonians, Sido'nians. Siege .... Deuteronomy 3:9 which Hermon the
Sidonians call Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir-- (See RSV)....
Zidon (25 Occurrences)
... From a Phoenician inscription on its lid, it appears that he was a "king of the
Sidonians," probably in the third century BC, and that his mother was a...
Laish (8 Occurrences)
... (1.) A city of theSidonians, in the extreme north of Palestine (Judges 18:7, 14);
called also Leshem (Joshua 19:47) and Dan (Judges 18:7, 29; Jeremiah 8:16)....
Zidonians (11 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia ZIDON; ZIDONIANS. zi'-don, zi-do'-ni-anz. See SIDON,
SIDONIANS. Multi-Version Concordance Zidonians (11 Occurrences)....
Goddess (6 Occurrences)
... word occurs in English Versions of the Bible (1 Kings 11:5, 33), the gender is
determined by the noun-"Ashtoreth, the god (goddess) of theSidonians." In the...
Milcom (8 Occurrences)
... (BBE). 1 Kings 11:5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the
Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites....
Hermon (16 Occurrences)
... It is called "the Hermonites" (Psalm 42:6) because it has more than one summit.
TheSidonians called it Sirion, and the Amorites Shenir (Deuteronomy 3:9; Cant....
Ashtoreth (3 Occurrences)
... Ashtoreth (3 Occurrences). 1 Kings 11:5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess
of theSidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites....
Lacked (18 Occurrences)
... 7 Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people who were therein,
how they lived in security, after the manner of theSidonians, quiet and...
Resources
What is the significance of the city of Sidon in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWho was King Jehu in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the significance of Mount Hermon in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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