5184. Turos
Lexical Summary
Turos: Tyre

Original Word: Τύρος
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: Turos
Pronunciation: TOO-ros
Phonetic Spelling: (too'-ros)
KJV: Tyre
NASB: Tyre
Word Origin: [of Hebrew origin (H6865 (צּוֹר צּוֹר - Tyre))]

1. Tyrus (i.e. Tsor), a place in Lebanon

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Tyre.

Of Hebrew origin (Tsor): Tyrus (i.e. Tsor), a place in Palestine -- Tyre.

see HEBREW Tsor

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of foreign origin, cf. Tsor
Definition
Tyre, a city of Phoenicia
NASB Translation
Tyre (11).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 5184: Τύρος

Τύρος, Τύρου, (Hebrew צור or צֹר; from Aramaic טוּר, a rock), Tyre, a Phoenician city on the Mediterranean, very ancient, large, splendid, flourishing in commerce, and powerful by land and sea. In the time of Christ and the apostles it was subject to the Romans, but continued to possess considerable wealth and prosperity down to A.D. 1291. It is at present an obscure little place containing some five thousand inhabitants, part Mohammedans part Christians, with a few Jews (cf. Bädeker's Palestine, p. 425f; (Murray's, op. cit., p. 370f)). It is mentioned Acts 21:3, 7, and (in company with Sidon) in Matthew 11:21; Matthew 15:21; Luke 6:17; Luke 10:13; Mark 3:8; Mark 7:24 (where T omits; Tr marginal reading WH brackets καί Σιδῶνος), 31. (BB. DD.)

Topical Lexicon
Geographical Setting

Tyre was the chief port of Phoenicia, situated on a rocky island and a stretch of mainland coastline some twenty-five miles south of Sidon and about thirty-five miles north of Mount Carmel. The city commanded the maritime trade routes of the eastern Mediterranean and was famed for its purple dye, glassware, skilled artisans, and extensive colonies (notably Carthage). By the first century Tyre was under Roman rule yet retained a measure of commercial autonomy, a Greek cultural veneer, and a sizable Jewish population with its own synagogue (compare Acts 21:4).

Old Testament Background

Tyre’s prominence reaches back to the reigns of David and Solomon. Hiram, king of Tyre, supplied cedar, craftsmen, and gold for the temple (2 Samuel 5:11; 1 Kings 5:1–12). The alliance later deteriorated through Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, who imported Baal worship into Israel (1 Kings 16:31). Prophets denounced Tyre’s pride and mercantile greed (Isaiah 23; Ezekiel 26–28; Amos 1:9–10; Zechariah 9:2–4). These oracles predicted judgment, temporary desolation, and eventual restoration, preparing readers for the city’s role in the Gospels and Acts.

Intertestamental Era

Between Old and New Testament times Tyre endured sieges by the Babylonians and Persians, and famously by Alexander the Great in 332 BC, when the island stronghold was breached by a causeway. Hellenistic influence deepened, and by the Roman period Tyre minted its own coins and was the provincial capital of Syria-Phoenicia.

New Testament Mentions

The Greek term Τύρος (Tyre) occurs eleven times in the New Testament:

Matthew 11:21–22; Luke 10:13–14 – Jesus contrasts Chorazin and Bethsaida with Tyre and Sidon, declaring that Gentile cities would have repented at the mighty works Israel ignored.
Mark 3:8; Luke 6:17 – Crowds from “Tyre and Sidon” journey south to Galilee, seeking healing and deliverance.
Matthew 15:21; Mark 7:24, 31 – Jesus travels to the “region of Tyre” where He heals the daughter of a Syrophoenician woman, a decisive preview of gospel grace to the nations.
Acts 21:3, 7 – Paul lands at Tyre on his final journey to Jerusalem, spending a week with disciples who “through the Spirit kept telling Paul not to go up to Jerusalem” (Acts 21:4).

Jesus' Ministry and Tyre

Leaving the borders of Israel for the “territory of Tyre” (Mark 7:24) was a deliberate step. By healing the Gentile girl Jesus signaled the inclusive scope of His messianic mission. His words, “Let the children be satisfied first” (Mark 7:27), respect Israel’s covenant priority while highlighting the overflowing mercy that would feed the “dogs under the table,” i.e., the nations. The mother’s persistent faith foreshadows the Gentile response anticipated in Matthew 11:21–22.

Paul's Travels Through Tyre

Acts records an established Christian community only a few decades after Pentecost. The brethren’s prophetic concern for Paul illustrates the widespread operation of the Spirit and the interconnection of churches beyond Judea. Their escort to the ship, kneeling together on the beach for prayer (Acts 21:5–6), offers a snapshot of first-century fellowship and mutual submission to God’s will.

Prophetic and Theological Significance

1. Fulfillment of Judgment and Mercy: Tyre experienced repeated historical devastations, fulfilling the gist of Ezekiel’s laments, yet the continued habitation and eventual gospel witness demonstrate divine mercy.
2. Foreshadowing of Gentile Inclusion: Jesus’ commendation of Tyre’s hypothetical repentance and His miracle there validate Old Testament hints that Gentiles would seek the Lord (Isaiah 11:10; 42:6).
3. Warning against Privileged Unbelief: Chorazin and Bethsaida, though steeped in scriptural light, faced sterner judgment than pagan Tyre because revelation heightens accountability (Luke 10:13–14).

Lessons for Disciples Today

• God opposes arrogance yet welcomes humble faith, regardless of pedigree.
• The church must cross cultural borders, following Jesus into places considered unlikely or unclean.
• Possession of spiritual advantages neither ensures obedience nor exempts from judgment; repentance remains non-negotiable.
• Past prophetic words stand vindicated in history, encouraging trust in promises yet to be fulfilled.

Tyre’s narrative arc—from proud merchant city, to prophetic exemplar of downfall, to recipient of Christ’s compassion, to harbor of early believers—magnifies the sovereignty, justice, and grace of God at work throughout Scripture.

Forms and Transliterations
ετυρώθη ετύρωσας τετυρωμένα τετυρωμένον Τυρον Τύρον Τυρου Τύρου Τυρω τυρώ Τύρῳ Turo Turō Turon Turou Tyro Tyrō Týroi Týrōi Tyron Týron Tyrou Týrou
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Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 11:21 N-DFS
GRK: εἰ ἐν Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι
NAS: had occurred in Tyre and Sidon
KJV: had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
INT: if in Tyre and Sidon

Matthew 11:22 N-DFS
GRK: λέγω ὑμῖν Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι
NAS: to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
KJV: more tolerable for Tyre and
INT: I say to you For Tyre and Sidon

Matthew 15:21 N-GFS
GRK: τὰ μέρη Τύρου καὶ Σιδῶνος
NAS: into the district of Tyre and Sidon.
KJV: into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
INT: the district of Tyre and Sidon

Mark 3:8 N-AFS
GRK: καὶ περὶ Τύρον καὶ Σιδῶνα
NAS: and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon,
KJV: and they about Tyre and Sidon,
INT: and around Tyre and Sidon

Mark 7:24 N-GFS
GRK: τὰ ὅρια Τύρου καὶ Σιδῶνος
NAS: to the region of Tyre . And when He had entered
KJV: into the borders of Tyre and Sidon,
INT: the region of Tyre and Sidon

Mark 7:31 N-GFS
GRK: τῶν ὁρίων Τύρου ἦλθεν διὰ
NAS: out from the region of Tyre, and came
KJV: from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon,
INT: the region of Tyre he came through

Luke 6:17 N-GFS
GRK: τῆς παραλίου Τύρου καὶ Σιδῶνος
NAS: and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon,
KJV: from the sea coast of Tyre and
INT: the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon

Luke 10:13 N-DFS
GRK: εἰ ἐν Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι
NAS: had been performed in Tyre and Sidon
KJV: had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
INT: if in Tyre and Sidon

Luke 10:14 N-DFS
GRK: πλὴν Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι
NAS: But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
KJV: more tolerable for Tyre and
INT: But for Tyre and Sidon

Acts 21:3 N-AFS
GRK: κατήλθομεν εἰς Τύρον ἐκεῖσε γὰρ
NAS: and landed at Tyre; for there
KJV: landed at Tyre: for there
INT: landed at Tyre there indeed

Acts 21:7 N-GFS
GRK: διανύσαντες ἀπὸ Τύρου κατηντήσαμεν εἰς
NAS: the voyage from Tyre, we arrived
KJV: [our] course from Tyre, we came to
INT: having completed from Tyre arrived at

Strong's Greek 5184
11 Occurrences


Τύρῳ — 4 Occ.
Τύρον — 2 Occ.
Τύρου — 5 Occ.

5183
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