Even in the New Testament, Jesus and Paul took the time to minister to the people of these cities. This may have been the event Ezekiel described. 1992 The Works of Josephus. Dr. Thomson ("The Land and the Book," vol. The hippodrome at Tyre is the best preserved in the world. Later, Jacob spoke of it as the boundary of Zebulun (Gn 49:13) and Joshua included it as part of the land promised to Israel (Jos 13:6). He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people. Not be denied, after only a seven-month siege of the island city, he did what no one else had ever considered possible. The expression of their faces bears witness against them. King David and Solomon: Men or Myths? These two examples, then, seem to show that at the Final Judgment the question will be raised: did people have enough evidence to lead them to repentance, if they had been willing to repent? Later, Jacob spoke of it as the boundary of Zebulun (Gn 49:13) and Joshua included it as part of the land promised to Israel (Jos 13:6). Therefore I removed them when I saw it. "[3], Augustine: "A certain Catholic disputant of some note expounded this place of the Gospel in the following way; That the Lord foreknew that they of Tyre and Sidon would fall from the faith after they had believed the miracles done among them; and that therefore in mercy He did not His miracles there; because they would have incurred the heavier penalty had they lapsed from the faith after having held it, than if they had never held it at all. He tells us there are six Muslim mosques, a Jewish synagogue, a Maronite, Latin, and Greek church. The Meaning of Sodom and Gomorrah - ldolphin.org Cent. Specifically called a 'fortified city' in this passage, it was noted as a significant landmark. Then the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off. The names Tyre and Sidon were famous in the ancient Near East. Later David utilized the help of Sidonians and Tyrians to provide cedar trees for the Temple (1 Chr 22:4). In dealing with our Lord's remarks about Tyre and Sidon in Matthew 11:21and similarly about Sodom in Matthew 11:23we should observe that the judgments that came on Tyre and Sidon, and upon Sodom in the ancient world, were temporal judgments; that is . Therefore I removed them when I saw it. 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The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. In fact, the city took its name from this rock island. The Philistines Enter Canaan: Were They Egyptian Lackeys or Invading Conquerors? I am, exist. The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. There is little industry and the port services only a minimal number of local fishing vessels. "[3], Jerome: " The careful reader will hesitate here; If Tyre and Sidon could have done penitence at the preaching of the Saviour, and His miracles, they are not in fault that they believed not; the sin is his who would not preach to bring them to penitence. Sidon, spread of the Gospel. The names Tyre and Sidon were famous in the ancient Near East. For a description of Tyre as it was formerly and as it is now, see the notes at Isaiah 23. It also appears, during the first millennium BC, that Tyre eclipsed Sidon. You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. In these striking and sobering contrasts, Jesus makes plain that people who are the most blessed by God will receive the worst punishment if they reject Him. In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim and the Zuzim in Ham and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim. 1350 BC). Once seating 20,000 spectators, the course is 480m (525 yds) long. "[3], Augustine: "Luke also gives this as spoken in continuation of some other of the Lords discourses; from which it appears that he has rather followed the actual order of events; Matthew to have followed his recollection. The Sea Castle in the harbor today was originally built as a Crusader fort to protect the harbor. Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply, and departed. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. The meaning is, that they would have repented with "expressions of deep sorrow." I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city. Hiram, king of Tyre, offered cedar trees, carpenters and masons to build David's palace (2 Sm 5:11). And the Lord said, The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. English Standard Version . are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire' (ASV). Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: The committing of adultery and walking in falsehood; And they strengthen the hands of evildoers. Most of them were upright, law-abiding, and decent. for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Thus it is written: Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Yet because they ignored and rejected the Son of God, their fate on the day of judgment will be worse than that of Sodom. Ward, W. A. Pritchard, J. In this general mass of perdition are the Jews also left, who could not believe so great and manifest wonders wrought before their eyes. And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans pride. Matthew 11:24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. woe unto thee, Bethsaida! Well, here's the thing. Please contact the publisher to obtain copies of this resource. It is now called Seide, or Saide, and is far less populous and splendid than it was in the time of Christ. Zebulun's Mysterious Borders. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom. This was the same area where God sent Elijah when the widow fed him (1 Kgs 17:9). As far as is known, the people of Capernaum had no homosexual problem or any other apparent moral deficiency. Modern Tyrians use the hippodrome today as a jogging course. He met with a group of disciples there and spent seven days in the city (Acts 21:3-7). Then Jesus began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: "Woe to you, Chorazin! All these came as allies to the valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).read more.Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but the thirteenth year they rebelled. Now your older sister is Samaria, who lives north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lives south of you, is Sodom with her daughters.read more.Yet you have not merely walked in their ways or done according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you acted more corruptly in all your conduct than they. W. Whiston, from Latin. Does the Merneptah Stela Allow for a 12th Century Exodus? 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I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.. Josephus. Matthew 11:22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and But I say unto you, it shall be easier for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. And this is the predestination of the saints, namely, the foreknowledge and making ready the mercies of God, by which they are most certainly saved, whosoever are saved. In this age, billions who lived and died in ignorance of Gods truth and His way of life will be resurrected to physical life (Ezekiel 37:114). In the early days of the Roman Empire, Sidon even had enough autonomy to have its own senate and mint its own coins. And Capernaum! To what extent cedars were used in David's house is unclear, but David did consider his abode to be a palace of cedar (2 Sm 7:2), and God seemed to agree (2 Sm 7:7). I do not suppose that I have satisfied you, or given a final, adequate explanation of the problem, though I trust that my remarks may have contributed a little to its solution. Isaiah was a prophet sent by God to Judah, the southern kingdom. Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the Kings Valley). At the same time, it continued to be among the eastern Mediterranean's leaders in shipbuilding and shipping. and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds),read more.then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. The northern border of ancient Canaan extended to Sidon (Gn 10:19). Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. In dealing with our Lord's remarks about Tyre and Sidon in Matthew 11:21and similarly about Sodom in Matthew 11:23we should observe that the judgments that came on Tyre and Sidon, and upon Sodom in the ancient world, were temporal judgments; that is to say, the judgment was the physical destruction of the cities and of their inhabitants. For the respectable and upright unbelievers of Capernaum, Hades will be hotter than for the crude and immoral unbelievers of Sodom. Peabody MA: Hendrickson. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them. Capernaum exceeded Chorazin and Bethsaida in privilege, and Sodom exceeded Tyre and Sidon in wickedness. Enter your email address and we will send you instructions on how to reset your password. The completed registration allows us to send order and donation receipts to the email address you provided. He was a wealthy man, "very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold" (verse 2). Is It Time to Throw Away Your Bible? So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Guest. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you Ezekiel 16:48-56 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, . In other words, they are judged according to their opportunities. They are also important cities in the Old and New Testaments. Still found in the Mediterranean today, the ancients collected thousands of these mollusks to produce just one ounce of purple dye. It was there that He raised Jairuss daughter from the dead and healed the noblemans son. When a group of Sodoms worst perverts tried to rape the angels at Lots house, they were struck blind. Similarly, the case with the Queen of Sheba shows us that the Queen of Sheba was so interested in discovering truth and wisdom that, although she had only a rumour of the existence of Solomon and his wisdom, she made use of it and took the long journey in order to hear his wisdom. No matter what your level of interest, from keeping abreast of the fascinating research that comes out of the field work, to actively participating in an archaeological dig, you can become an integral part of our ministry. But those who survived fled to the hill country. Just south of the castle is Murex Hill, once ancient Sidon's garbage dump. "[3], Chrysostom: " This makes the accusation heavier, for it is a proof of extreme wickedness, that they are worse, not only than any then living, but than the wickedest of all past time. . Why was Lots wife turned into a pillar of salt? Here also was built a typical Roman hippodrome, the best preserved in the world today. While full of non- Israelites, it was still part of Israel's inheritance. Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell into them. (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds). And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? The fact that comparatively innocent children were destroyed by Allied bombing does not mean, surely, that those same innocent children were thereby automatically consigned to the lake of fire eternally. Troas, Paul's missionary journeys . And many more millions still who have never witnessed his miraculous, mighty works, such as he did when he was here on earth. Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? The northern border of ancient Canaan extended to Sidon (Gn 10:19). The Khirbet el-Maqatir Rams Head: Evidence of the Israelite Destruction of Ai? More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Whoever, therefore, thinks thus must suppose that this was spoken twice. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. It seems to me that we should distinguish very clearly in our minds the temporal judgments of God, both in past ages and in this present age, and the Final Judgment. (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command. Tyre, spread of the Gospel. The people of Capernaum never persecuted Jesus, and few of them even criticized Him. Of Hebrew origin; Sidon, a place in Palestine. The Lord informed Abraham that "the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous" ( Genesis 18:20 ). The words, It shall be easier in the day of judgment, clearly prove that there are divers punishments in hell, as there are divers mansions in the kingdom of heaven. Tyre and Sidon. Beyond its prominence in the second millennium BC, Sidon's greatest days did not come until after the days of Nebuchadnezzar. God promised pestilence, blood in her streets and death by sword (Ez 28:23). You shall descend to Hades. From the Desk of Dr. Bryant G. Wood: Has Bethsaida Been Discovered? Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular. And you were like a firebrand snatched from a blaze; Yet you have not returned to Me, declares the. A Typical Israelite Community in the OT Period, Secrets of the Bible: The Fall of Jericho with Dr. Bryant Wood, 2014 Excavations at Kh. Illustrating Ezekiel's description of Tyre's destruction, Jidejian (1996:13-14) noted that over the past three centuries, Tyre has served as a 'quarry' for the whole coast. Hitherto, then, my thoughts at this present moment on the question that you raise. For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the, Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the. And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim. (Isaiah 11:9). His grace never rent their hearts, His truth never changed their minds, His warning about sin never provoked repentance, and His offer of salvation never induced faith. And, therefore, if the men of Nineveh at that time had refused to repent, they would have been condemned for not responding to the evidence that they were given. Still found in the Mediterranean today, the ancients collected thousands of these mollusks to produce just one ounce of purple dye. Outside of modern Israel, it is easy to forget that God specifically mentioned these cities as part of the Promised Land. Today Tyre is a depressed city that suffered greatly during Lebanon's civil war and Israel's subsequent occupation of southern Lebanon. Since the UK is now no longer a member of the EU, you may be charged an import tax on this item by the customs authorities in your country of residence, which is beyond our control. The eighteenth-century commentator Johann Bengel wrote, Every hearer of the New Testament truth is either much happier or much more wretched than the men who lived before Christs coming. Such a hearer is also either more secure or more condemned. Primarily constructed for chariot races, as in the movie Ben Hur, the ends of this racing oval were marked by turning stones called metae which still sit in place. Although every Phoenician city to the north, including Sidon, welcomed Alexander, Tyre would only agree to surrender nominally to him. 16:52)"[3], Saint Remigius: " The Lord, who knows all things, here uses a word expressing uncertaintyperhaps, to show that freedom of choice is left to men. The Biblical Cities Of Tyre & Sidon - Associates for Biblical Research The self-righteous orthodox person is even more repulsive in Gods sight than the idolatrous and immoral pagan. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Many scholars follow Josephus (. But another city of Galilee was guiltier still. Oxford: Parker, 1874. Thus, New Testament Tyre and Sidon were prosperous Roman port cities. For if the [v]miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago . Or, than. When, therefore, he says that he knows that the people of Tyre and Sidon would have repented if they had witnessed his mighty works, his judgment at the great white throne will surely take this into consideration and he will act accordingly. GDPR is the new European privacy regulation, which will replace the Data Protection Act 1998 in the UK and the equivalent legislation across the EU Member States. for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Historical and archaeological evidence indicate both cities were settled by the early second millennium BC and were important seaports long before the Israelites settled in Canaan. At last he reached the island, breached the city wall and slew or put into slavery the defiant Tyrians. Now Abraham arose early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before the. Tyre comes from the Semetic sr (Hebrew Sor, Arabic Sur, Babylonian Surru, Egyptian Dr,) meaning rock. As important as any industry to modern Tyre are the Greek and Roman archaeological remains which cover the ancient mainland city of Palaetyrus, the accumulated isthmus and the island city. Yes, be also ashamed and bear your disgrace, in that you made your sisters appear righteous. Accordingly, we have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in order to comply with GDPR. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, besieged Tyre for 13 years (585-572 BC), but the precise historical facts of its outcome are still unclear. Theirs was not the sin of violence or of immorality but of indifference. Now your older sister is Samaria, who lives north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lives south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. (Ezek. Tyre and Sidon are port cities located in modern Lebanon on the Mediterranean coast. As you may be aware, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into full effect on 25th May 2018. Later in His ministry, Jesus visited the region of Sidon and Tyre. Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Or the words of Matthew, Then began he to upbraid the towns, must be taken, as some think, as expressing some particular time by the word then, but not referring generally to that time in which the many other things here told were done and said. How can we understand this? Because of volume we may not be able to promptly reply to submissions using the form below. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. Jesus here makes two truths clear: there will be degrees of punishment in hell, and among those given the severest punishment will be those who have received the divine revelation and been the most religious and outwardly upright. While both cities are mentioned in a number of second millennium BC extra-Biblical documents, the most interesting accounts come from the Amarna Letters. We don't know, and anyone who is saying otherwise hasn't even bothered to do a cursory Wikipedia search. My next point would be this. You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and children. (1 Peter 4:17). Thus they separated from each other. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. Please be aware that these items are sent out from our office in the UK. Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after [g]strange flesh, are exhibited as an [h]example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. woe unto thee, Bethsaida! Abraham came near and said, Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Why will Sodom and Gomorrah be present on the day of God's - P.OSTOST The golden age of Sidon was still to come. Nevertheless, I say to you, Jesus continued, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you. Tyre, an ancient city, the capital of Phoenicia. . We all know what happened in Sodom, the horrible sins that were going on there, the gross homosexuality and . Millions today wrongly believe either that God is capricious, sending to damnation billions who never heard His message preached, or that He is inconsistent, giving salvation to some who did not hear His gospel preached. In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim and the Zuzim in Ham and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, and the Horites in their Mount Seir, as far as El-paran, which is by the wilderness. Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the Kings Valley). Settled from the beginning as a port city, Sidon was built on a promontory with a nearby offshore island that sheltered the harbor from storms. The Untold Truth Of Sodom And Gomorrah - Grunge Thomas Aquinas", Other translations of Matthew 11:24 at BibleHub, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matthew_11:24&oldid=1066286550, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 17 January 2022, at 17:13. Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and conquered all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, who lived in Hazazon-tamar. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. The king of Sodom said to Abram, Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself. Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have sworn to the Lord God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, I have made Abram rich. I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share.. You are also the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children. Judah, Kingdom of. The mound was formed by tens of thousands of crushed murex shells from the city's famed purple dye industry. is to ask, 'Why did God not send the Lord Jesus in those earlier centuries?'. B. And because of their indifferent unbelief, Jesus said to them, I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Answer: God destroyed those cities, making them an example and a warning to "those who afterward would live ungodly" (2 Peter 2:6). Our Lord says, 'if the mighty works that had been done in Capernaum and Chorazin had been done in Tyre and Sidon, the latter would have repented' (see Matthew 11:21).