Topical Encyclopedia
Introduction:Zidon, also known as Sidon, is one of the most ancient and significant cities mentioned in the Bible. Located on the Mediterranean coast in what is now modern-day Lebanon, Zidon was a prominent Phoenician city known for its commerce, craftsmanship, and maritime prowess. The city is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament and holds a notable place in biblical history and prophecy.
Biblical References and Historical Context:Zidon is first mentioned in the Table of Nations in
Genesis 10:15, where it is noted as the firstborn son of Canaan: "Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites" . This establishes Zidon as a Canaanite city, integral to the early post-Flood world.
The city is renowned for its skilled artisans and craftsmen, particularly in the production of glass and purple dye, which were highly prized in the ancient world. This reputation is reflected in the biblical narrative, where Zidon is often associated with wealth and trade.
Interactions with Israel:Throughout the Old Testament, Zidon is frequently mentioned in relation to Israel. The Israelites were commanded to drive out the Canaanites, including the Sidonians, from the Promised Land (
Judges 1:31). However, the Sidonians were not fully expelled, and their influence persisted, often leading Israel into idolatry.
One of the most notable interactions between Zidon and Israel is through Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians. Jezebel married King Ahab of Israel and introduced the worship of Baal, a Sidonian deity, into Israel (
1 Kings 16:31). This led to significant religious and moral decline in the northern kingdom.
Prophetic Significance:Zidon is the subject of several prophetic pronouncements in the Bible. The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel all speak of Zidon in their oracles.
Ezekiel 28:22-23 declares, "This is what the Lord GOD says: 'Behold, I am against you, Sidon, and I will display My glory within you. They will know that I am the LORD when I execute judgments against her and demonstrate My holiness through her. I will send a plague against 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.'" . These prophecies highlight God's judgment against Zidon for its pride and idolatry.
New Testament Mentions:In the New Testament, Zidon is mentioned in the context of Jesus' ministry. Jesus visited the region of Tyre and Sidon, performing miracles and teaching (
Matthew 15:21-28;
Mark 7:24-31). The faith of a Syrophoenician woman from this region is notably commended by Jesus, illustrating the reach of His ministry beyond the Jewish people.
Additionally, Zidon is mentioned in the travels of the Apostle Paul. In
Acts 27:3, during Paul's journey to Rome, he is allowed to visit friends in Sidon, indicating the presence of a Christian community or supportive believers in the city.
Cultural and Religious Influence:Zidon's influence extended beyond its immediate geographical location. As a leading city of the Phoenicians, it played a crucial role in spreading the Phoenician alphabet, which significantly impacted the development of writing systems in the ancient world.
Religiously, Zidon was a center of Baal worship, which often brought it into conflict with the monotheistic worship of Yahweh in Israel. The city's religious practices and deities are frequently condemned in the biblical narrative as contrary to the worship of the one true God.
Conclusion:Zidon remains a symbol of both cultural achievement and spiritual apostasy in the biblical narrative. Its interactions with Israel and its role in the broader ancient Near Eastern world provide valuable insights into the historical and religious context of the Bible.
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
Zidonhunting; fishing; venison
ATS Bible Dictionary
ZidonSeeSIDON. The word Zidonians often includes all the Phoenicians, as well as the inhabitants of Zidon.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
A fishery, a town on the Mediterranean coast, about 25 miles north of Tyre. It received its name from the "first-born" of Canaan, the grandson of Noah (
Genesis 10:15, 19). It was the first home of the Phoenicians on the coast of Palestine, and from its extensive commercial relations became a "great" city (
Joshua 11:8;
19:28). It was the mother city of Tyre. It lay within the lot of the tribe of Asher, but was never subdued (
Judges 1:31). The Zidonians long oppressed Israel (
Judges 10:12). From the time of David its glory began to wane, and Tyre, its "virgin daughter" (
Isaiah 23:12), rose to its place of pre-eminence. Solomon entered into a matrimonial alliance with the Zidonians, and thus their form of idolatrous worship found a place in the land of Israel (
1 Kings 11:1, 33). This city was famous for its manufactures and arts, as well as for its commerce (
1 Kings 5:6;
1 Chronicles 22:4;
Ezek. 27:8). It is frequently referred to by the prophets (
Isaiah 23:2, 4, 12;
Jeremiah 25:22;
27:3;
47:4;
Ezek. 27:8;
28:21, 22;
32:30;
Joel 3:4). Our Lord visited the "coasts" of Tyre and Zidon = Sidon (q.v.),
Matthew 15:21;
Mark 7:24;
Luke 4:26; and from this region many came forth to hear him preaching (
Mark 3:8;
Luke 6:17). From Sidon, at which the ship put in after leaving Caesarea, Paul finally sailed for Rome (
Acts 27:3, 4).
This city is now a town of 10,000 inhabitants, with remains of walls built in the twelfth century A.D. In 1855, the sarcophagus of Eshmanezer was discovered. From a Phoenician inscription on its lid, it appears that he was a "king of the Sidonians," probably in the third century B.C., and that his mother was a priestess of Ashtoreth, "the goddess of the Sidonians." In this inscription Baal is mentioned as the chief god of the Sidonians.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
ZIDON; ZIDONIANSzi'-don, zi-do'-ni-anz.
SeeSIDON, SIDONIANS.
Strong's Hebrew
6721. Tsidon -- a Phoenician city on the Mediterranean coast, also...... Word Origin of foreign origin Definition a Phoenician city on the Mediterranean
coast, also a son of Canaan NASB Word Usage Sidon (22). Sidon,
Zidon.
...Library
A Prophet's Strange Providers
... there had been no rain in the land.8. And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
9. Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth toZidon, and dwell there...
Israel in Canaan.
... These were called Tyre andZidon, and their inhabitants were named Phoenicians,
and were the chief sailors and traders of the Old World....
Ezekiel's Discourse
... thine awning. The inhabitants ofZidon and Arvad were thy rowers: thy
wise men, O Tyre, were in thee, they were thy pilots. The...
The Voice of Stern Rebuke
... "Arise," He bade him, "get thee to Zarephath, [known in New Testament times as Sarepta],
which belongeth toZidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a...
Altar and Temple
... Temple of the Lord was not yet laid.7. They gave money also unto the masons, and
to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them ofZidon, and to...
March 7 Evening
... And the word of the Lord can unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which
belongeth toZidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman...
The Last King of Judah
... neck, and send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king
of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king ofZidon, by the...
The Kingdom of all Israel.
... No enemy rose against him, but all the nations sought his friendship; andZidon
for once had her merchandise hallowed by its being offered to build and adorn...
The Foundation of the Church.
... games at Caesarea in honour of the emperor, and in the midst came forth in a robe
of cloth of silver, to give audience to an embassy from Tyre andZidon....
Joel's Rhapsody of the Locust Plague
... might drink. Yea, and what are ye to me, O Tyre, andZidon, and all the
regions of Philistia? will ye render me a recompence? and...
Thesaurus
Zidon (25 Occurrences)... 27:8; 28:21, 22; 32:30; Joel 3:4). Our Lord visited the "coasts" of Tyre and
Zidon =
Sidon (qv), Matthew 15:21; Mark 7:24; Luke 4:26; and from this region many
...Tyrus (18 Occurrences)
... Tyrus (18 Occurrences). Jeremiah 25:22 And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings
ofZidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea, (KJV)....
Sidon (35 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Fishing; fishery, Genesis 10:15, 19 (AV marg., Tzidon;
RV,Zidon); Matthew 11:21, 22; Luke 6:17. (seeZIDON.). Int....
Virgin (62 Occurrences)
... The people of the land ofZidon are thus referred to by Isaiah (23:12), "O thou
oppressed virgin, daughter ofZidon;" and of the people of Israel, Jeremiah (18...
Sea-land (5 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 23:2 Send out a cry of grief, you men of the sea-land, traders ofZidon,
who go over the sea, whose representatives are on great waters; (BBE)....
Oldest (58 Occurrences)
... for one meal. (See NIV). Genesis 10:15 And Canaan was the father ofZidon,
who was his oldest son, and Heth, (BBE). Genesis 19:4 Before...
Aram (130 Occurrences)
... 10:6 And again the children of Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord, worshipping
the Baals and Astartes, and the gods of Aram and the gods ofZidon and the...
Living-place (83 Occurrences)
... Judges 18:28 And they had no saviour, because it was far fromZidon, and they had
no business with Aram; and it was in the valley which is the property of Beth...
Driving (144 Occurrences)
... Joshua 11:8 And the Lord gave them up into the hands of Israel, and they overcame
them driving them back to greatZidon and to Misrephoth-maim and into the...
Zidonian (1 Occurrence)
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