ישעיהו, פרק כ״ג, פסוק ג׳

Tyre was an island city completely surrounded by the ocean, lacking the agricultural fields necessary to grow its own food. Yet, through its extensive maritime network, it transformed the agricultural wealth of distant lands into its own supply, establishing itself as a dominant global economic power.

The primary source of this sustenance was Egypt and the Nile River. Known in Hebrew by a title reflecting the dark, rich mud it carries, and in Egyptian simply as the river [שד״ל], the Nile provided a unique agricultural advantage. Because Egypt does not rely on rainfall, the river's regular flooding naturally watered the land, producing a massive and high-quality yield of grain [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. The descriptions of both seeds and harvested crops serve to emphasize the sheer abundance of this yield [מצודת דוד]. Alternatively, this duality highlights the variety of Egypt's agricultural exports, which included both specialized seeds meant for planting and fully processed grain ready for consumption [מלבי״ם].

The connection between Egypt's fields and the island of Tyre is understood in a few different ways. The primary approach among commentators is logistical, noting that the massive quantities of Egyptian grain were transported across the ocean to Tyre using merchant fleets [רש״י, מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another perspective focuses on the source of the growth itself, suggesting that the abundant waters refer directly to the Nile, which generously watered the Egyptian crops [רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. A third approach offers a striking contrast regarding Tyre's physical location. Even though the city was situated in the middle of the sea and completely lacked farmable land, its unmatched commercial power allowed it to claim the rich harvest of the Nile as its very own [שד״ל, אברבנאל].

Ultimately, this flow of resources cemented Tyre's status as an international center of commerce. With its large population, the city functioned as a global marketplace where people from all nations gathered to exchange their goods [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק, אבן עזרא, אברבנאל]. However, an alternative viewpoint suggests that Tyre was not merely a passive market receiving foreign traders. Instead, the focus is on the active profit generated by its people. Tyre's own merchants were the ones sailing to distant shores to acquire goods, creating immense wealth for themselves while simultaneously bringing economic benefit to the rest of the world [שד״ל].