John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 25:22

"and all the kings of Tyre, and all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the isle which is beyond the sea;" — Jeremiah 25:22 (ASV)

Regarding the word Island, the number should be changed, for the Prophet does not mean one island, but the countries beyond the sea. Some restrict the reference to Cyprus, Crete, Mitylene, and other islands in the Mediterranean; however, it is a common way of speaking in Hebrew to call all countries beyond the sea "islands."

The kings of the islands shall come (Psalms 72:10).

In that passage, the Prophet calls those who would come in ships to Judea "the kings of the islands." Similarly, in this place, we may understand "the kings of the islands" to mean all those who were beyond the sea.

We now see that it is not only kings of one age who are summoned to God’s tribunal; for why does the Prophet mention all the kings of Tyre and all the kings of Sidon? Was it possible for these two cities to have four or two kings at the same time?

But we must bear in mind what I have already stated—that the children of God were warned, lest they entertain an overly fervent expectation regarding the fulfillment of this prophecy.

It is, then, as if he had said, "Though God’s vengeance may not come upon the present king of Tyre or of Sidon, it is nevertheless suspended over all kings and will be manifested in its time."

Tyre and Sidon, as we know, were very celebrated cities of Phoenicia. Tyre had many colonies far away, the principal one being Carthage. The Carthaginians offered honorable presents to Tyre every year to show that they were its descendants.

According to historians, Tyre itself was a colony of Sidon, but it prospered so much that the daughter, as it were, swallowed up the mother.

However, it seems evident that there were kings there in the time of Isaiah and Jeremiah, even though in the time of Alexander both cities were republics, for many changes had taken place in them during that period.

Now, the Prophet says only that Tyre and Sidon would be involved in the punishment he denounced against both kings and people.