The ancient kingdom of Tyre, a powerful trading center neighboring the land of Israel, maintained a strong and enduring friendship with the Israelites for many generations. Yet, when Israelite refugees sought shelter within its borders, Tyre turned its back on them, choosing instead to sell them into slavery. This severe condemnation focuses on a profound double betrayal: the cruel handing over of vulnerable refugees and the blatant violation of a historic bond.
Relying on their long-standing peaceful relationship, fleeing Israelites crossed into Tyre to find a safe haven. Instead of offering protection, the people of Tyre captured these refugees and delivered them into the hands of the Edomites [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל]. Despite the geographic distance between Tyre and Edom, Tyre managed a massive commercial network that included human trafficking, willingly selling Israelite captives to any eager buyer [שטיינזלץ]. Surrendering fleeing people during a time of peace is considered a terrible crime, matching the severity of the cruelties committed by Gaza [מצודת דוד]. Some suggest these events took place during the exile of the Second Temple period [רד״ק].
The heart of Tyre's offense lies in their failure to honor a covenant of brotherhood. The primary approach among commentators is that this refers to the historic peace treaty established between Israel and Tyre during the reigns of David and Solomon. King Hiram of Tyre and King Solomon forged an official alliance, even referring to one another as brothers [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל]. Over the centuries, the two kingdoms shared close ties, including marriages between their royal families. Tyre's ultimate crime was betraying a trusted ally and exploiting refugees who had sought asylum based on that ancient mutual trust [שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם].
Alternatively, a different perspective argues that the broken covenant does not refer to the relationship between Israel and Tyre at all, since those two nations were not literal brothers. Instead, the brotherly covenant points to the close family lineage between the Israelites and the Edomites, who were the descendants of Jacob and Esau. The people of Tyre were fully aware that Edom harbored a deep, lingering hatred toward Israel and sought to treat them with cruelty. By choosing to deliver the Israelite refugees into Edomite hands, Tyre's crime was intentionally ignoring the blood tie between the two nations, actively assisting Edom in taking a brutal revenge on their own brothers [אבן עזרא, רד״ק].