And on many waters your revenue was the grain of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile; you were the merchant of the nations.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Tyre's wealth wasn't from its own land, but from controlling the trade routes that brought grain from Egypt's fertile Nile ("Shihor") across the "great waters" of the Mediterranean. This verse highlights how its prosperity was built not on what it grew, but on its strategic position as a hub for nations to trade.
And on many waters your revenue was the grain of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile; you were the merchant of the nations.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Isaiah is delivering a judgment against the wealthy and powerful city of Tyre, known for its extensive trade. This passage describes Tyre's vast commercial success, highlighting its reliance on goods like Egyptian grain, brought by sea, which fueled its prosperity and made it a central hub for global commerce. The verses following will elaborate on the divine pronouncement of Tyre's destruction, a stark contrast to its current flourishing state.
Ever wondered why a desert land became a breadbasket for the world? The 'seed of Shihor' wasn't just any grain – it was a divine gift tied to a unique river.
The verse mentions 'the grain of Shihor, the harvest of the river.' This 'Shihor' is the ancient name for the Nile River in Egypt.
The Nile's Gift
The Nile's annual flooding was no ordinary event. It deposited rich, black silt along its banks, creating incredibly fertile land. This 'black mud' is the likely origin of the name 'Shihor,' meaning 'dark' or 'turbid.'
Egypt's Bounty, Tyre's Gain
This fertile land produced abundant harvests, making Egypt known as the 'granary' of the ancient world. Tyre, positioned on the Mediterranean, leveraged this Egyptian bounty. They acted as intermediaries, transporting this grain across the 'great waters' (the Mediterranean Sea) to other nations, making a significant profit from it. It was a strategic partnership where Egypt provided the agricultural wealth, and Tyre provided the access to global markets.
Tyre wasn't just a city; it was a hub, a crossroads where goods and nations met. How did it achieve such a prominent position?
The phrase 'you were the merchant of the nations' is key to understanding Tyre's economic power and influence.
More Than Just a Trader
Tyre was a major Phoenician port city, strategically located on the eastern Mediterranean coast. Its wealth wasn't primarily from its own agricultural production – which was limited – but from its mastery of maritime trade. They facilitated commerce between diverse regions, effectively becoming a global marketplace.
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The Hub of Commerce
Tyre imported raw materials and finished goods from various lands and exported them, making a profit at each stage. They dealt in grain from Egypt, timber from Lebanon, metals from the west, and likely many other commodities. Their ships sailed far and wide, connecting continents and cultures through trade. This made Tyre a 'mart of nations' – a central exchange point for the world's commerce, where transactions enriched Tyre immensely.
Understand the original words
tebu'ah · Hebrew Noun
Incomes or profits gained from trade; specifically in this context, the wealth generated by the control of international resources.
Shihor · Hebrew Noun
A poetic name for the Nile River, symbolizing the life-giving agricultural productivity of Egypt that fueled ancient commerce.
This verse highlights Tyre's immense wealth derived from international trade, particularly its lucrative role in shipping Egyptian grain, sourced from the fertile Nile valley (Shihor), to nations across the Mediterranean. The historical context of Nebuchadnezzar's siege and the rise of empires like Babylon and Persia underscores the vulnerability of even the most prosperous commercial centers to political upheaval.
c. 1000 BC
Tyre becomes a major maritime power
Tyre establishes itself as a dominant force in Mediterranean trade, building a vast network of commercial outposts and colonies.
c. 900s-800s BC
Tyrian trade flourishes across the Mediterranean
Tyre's merchants, known for their skill and enterprise, establish trade routes reaching as far as Spain, dealing in goods like timber, metals, and purple dye.
c. 700s BC
Assyrian Empire's influence grows
The powerful Neo-Assyrian Empire begins to exert influence over Phoenician city-states, including Tyre, impacting regional politics and trade.
c. 605-562 BC
Babylonian Empire conquers Assyria
Nebuchadnezzar II's Babylonian Empire rises to power, subjugating much of the Near East, including the Phoenician coast.
c. 587-573 BC— this verse
Nebuchadnezzar besieges Tyre
Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to the island city of Tyre for thirteen years, eventually forcing its submission. This event severely weakens Tyre's independent power.
539 BC
Persian Empire conquers Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, bringing Tyre under Persian rule and continuing its role as a significant trading center, albeit under foreign dominion.
This passage directly echoes Isaiah's description of Tyre's vast trade, highlighting its status as a 'mart of nations' by listing its diverse commodities and trading partners.
Jeremiah 2:18This verse also references 'Shihor' (the Nile) in relation to Egypt's produce, reinforcing the geographical and economic connection Isaiah is making between Egypt's bounty and Tyre's wealth.
Genesis 41:47-49This passage demonstrates the abundance of grain in Egypt due to the Nile's harvest, providing the historical context for the 'revenue' that flowed to trading centers like Tyre.
Psalm 107:23-30This psalm beautifully describes merchants sailing on the 'great waters,' capturing the essence of the sea-faring commerce that was the lifeblood of cities like Tyre and the source of their revenue.
barnesIsaiah 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."
And by great waters - That is, by the abundant-waters, or the overflowing of the Nile. Tyre was the mart to which the superabundant productions of Egypt were borne (see Ezekiel 27 ) The seed of Sihor - There can be no doubt that by 'Sihor' here is meant the river Nile in Egypt (see Joshua 13:3; 1 Chronicles 13:5; Jeremiah 2:18). The word שׁחר shichor is derived from שׁח…
pooleIsaiah 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."
By great waters; by the sea, which is very fitly called the great waters , Psalm 107:23 ; understand, cometh , or is brought to her. The seed of Sihor; the corn of Egypt, wherewith Egypt abounded, and furnished divers other parts of the world, whence it was called the granary of the Roman empire; which also was easily conveyed by sea from Egypt to Tyre, and thence to div…
Tyre's wealth wasn't from its own land, but from controlling the trade routes that brought grain from Egypt's fertile Nile ("Shihor") across the "great waters" of the Mediterranean. This verse highlights how its prosperity was built not on what it grew, but on its strategic position as a hub for nations to trade.
The prophet Isaiah is delivering a judgment against the wealthy and powerful city of Tyre, known for its extensive trade. This passage describes Tyre's vast commercial success, highlighting its reliance on goods like Egyptian grain, brought by sea, which fueled its prosperity and made it a central hub for global commerce. The verses following will elaborate on the divine pronouncement of Tyre's destruction, a stark contrast to its current flourishing state.
The prophet Isaiah is delivering a judgment against the wealthy and powerful city of Tyre, known for its extensive trade. This passage describes Tyre's vast commercial success, highlighting its reliance on goods like Egyptian grain, brought by sea, which fueled its prosperity and made it a central hub for global commerce. The verses following will elaborate on the divine pronouncement of Tyre's destruction, a stark contrast to its current flourishing state.
"And on many waters your revenue was the grain of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile; you were the merchant of the nations." — Tyre's wealth wasn't from its own land, but from controlling the trade routes that brought grain from Egypt's fertile Nile ("Shihor") across the "great waters" of the Mediterranean. This verse highli…
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Last reviewed October 2026