Isaiah 23:3
“On great waters, the seed of the Shihor, the harvest of the Nile, was her revenue. She was the market of nations.”
What does Isaiah 23:3 mean?
Tyre was one of the ancient world's greatest trading cities, and this verse captures why: it thrived because of Egypt's agricultural abundance flowing down the Nile River. The "seed of the Shihor" and "harvest of the Nile" refer to the grain and goods that came from Egypt's fertile river valley, which Tyre's merchants bought, sold, and distributed across the Mediterranean world. By controlling this trade network, Tyre became wealthy and powerful, a central marketplace where many nations gathered to buy and sell. Isaiah is painting a picture of human prosperity and influence built on commerce, which makes his larger point about Tyre's coming fall all the more striking: even the most successful earthly powers eventually face humbling.