Tyre had vast access to many markets: Persia and many Africans. Tyre produced a royal purple dye from shellfish that was very valuable. Their markets had all kinds of exotic goods. Among other things, Tyre is a center for slave trade. The King of Tyre considers himself a god, and will soon find out how incorrect this is.

Tyre will suffer the rather of many nations as part of God's punishment for their perverse pleasure in Israel's demise. This prophecy is controversial, partially because Tyre is able to survive long sieges. However, over the course of history it faces opponent after opponent, eventually succumbing to Alexander the Great.

God intends to punish the Ammonites, the Edomites, and the Phillistines. Some of them are punished merely for an attitude of malicious glee at the punishment of Israel. This should make us think twice about our own attitudes about our enemies.