צִידוֹן
Tsidon, the name of a son of Canaan, and of a place in Palestine
Definition
Tsidon (Sidon) is a proper noun referring primarily to a major Phoenician coastal city, one of the oldest and most important in the ancient Near East. It is also the name of a person, the firstborn son of Canaan and grandson of Ham (Genesis 10:15), from whom the city and its inhabitants were understood to descend. In the biblical narrative, the city often appears as a symbol of Phoenician power, wealth, and idolatry, and its territory is referenced in descriptions of Israel's borders (e.g., Genesis 49:13, Joshua 11:8).
Biblical Usage
The word is used exclusively as a proper noun for the city or its people throughout the Old Testament, appearing in historical, prophetic, and poetic books. It is frequently mentioned alongside its sister city, Tyre, as a representation of Phoenicia (e.g., Isaiah 23, Jeremiah 25:22, Ezekiel 28:21-22). In the conquest narratives, Sidon is noted as a place Israel did not fully conquer (Judges 1:31, 18:28), and later it becomes a source of trouble through idolatry (Judges 10:6).
Etymology
Derived from the root צוּד (tsûd, H6679), meaning 'to hunt' or 'to catch.' The name צִידוֹן (Tsîydôwn) thus carries the sense of 'fishery' or 'fishing place,' which aligns perfectly with its identity as a renowned ancient seaport and fishing center on the Mediterranean coast.
Semantic Range
Sidon represents Gentile nations outside the covenant with Israel, often associated with pagan worship and materialism. Its interactions with Israel highlight themes of God's sovereignty over all nations, the dangers of idolatry and foreign alliances, and the eventual inclusion of Gentiles in God's redemptive plan, as foreshadowed in prophecies (e.g., Isaiah 23) and realized in the New Testament (Matthew 15:21-28). Understanding its Hebrew context enriches readings of prophetic judgments and the universal scope of salvation.
In its original setting, Sidon was a powerful, independent Phoenician city-state, famous for its seafaring, trade, purple dye, and glassmaking. It was a center for the worship of deities like Ashtoreth (1 Kings 11:5). Biblically, it is often portrayed as a wealthy, influential, but spiritually corrupt neighbor to Israel, representing the allure and peril of surrounding pagan cultures.
צֹר (Tsôr, H6865) — Tyre, the other major Phoenician city, often paired with Sidon but sometimes distinguished in specific prophecies and historical contexts.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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