Isaiah23
New American Standard
1The pronouncement concerning Tyre: Wail, you ships of Tarshish, For Tyre is destroyed, without house or harbor; It is reported to them from the land of Cyprus.
2Be silent, you inhabitants of the coastland, You merchants of Sidon; Your messengers crossed the sea
3And were on many waters. The grain of the Nile, the harvest of the River was her revenue; And she was the market of nations.
4Be ashamed, Sidon, For the sea speaks, the stronghold of the sea, saying, “I have neither been in labor nor given birth, I have neither brought up young men nor raised virgins.”
5When the report reaches Egypt, They will be in anguish over the report of Tyre.
6Pass over to Tarshish; Wail, you inhabitants of the coastland.
7Is this your jubilant city, Whose origin is from antiquity, Whose feet used to bring her to colonize distant places?
8Who has planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, Whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth?
9The Lord of armies has planned it, to defile the pride of all beauty, To despise all the honored of the earth.
10Overflow your land like the Nile, you daughter of Tarshish, There is no more restraint.
11He has stretched His hand out over the sea, He has made the kingdoms tremble; The Lord has given a command concerning Canaan to demolish its strongholds.
12He has said, “You shall not be jubilant anymore, you crushed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Cyprus; even there you will find no rest.”
13Behold, the land of the Chaldeans—this is the people that did not exist; Assyria allocated it for desert creatures—they erected their siege towers, they stripped its palaces, they made it a ruin.
14Wail, you ships of Tarshish, For your stronghold is destroyed.
15Now on that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years like the days of one king. At the end of seventy years it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute:
16Take your harp, wander around the city, You forgotten prostitute; Pluck the strings skillfully, sing many songs, That you may be remembered.
17It will come about at the end of seventy years that the Lord will visit Tyre. Then she will go back to her prostitute’s wages and commit prostitution with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.
18Her profit and her prostitute’s wages will be sacred to the Lord; it will not be stored up or hoarded, but her profit will become sufficient food and magnificent attire for those who dwell in the presence of the Lord.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Isaiah 23.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The overthrow of Tyre. (1-14). It is established again. (15-18).
vv1-14
Tyre was the mart of the nations. She was noted for mirth and diversions; and this made her loth to consider the warnings God gave by his servants. Her merchants were princes, and lived like princes. Tyre being destroyed and laid waste, the merchants should abandon her. Flee to shift for thine own safety; but those that are uneasy in one place, will be so in another; for when God's judgments pursue sinners, they will overtake them. Whence shall all this trouble come? It is a destruction from the Almighty. God designed to convince men of the vanity and uncertainty of all earthly glory. Let the ruin of Tyre warn all places and persons to take heed of pride; for he who exalts himself shall be abased. God will do it, who has all power in his hand; but the Chaldeans shall be the instruments.
vv15-18
The desolations of Tyre were not to be for ever. The Lord will visit Tyre in mercy. But when set at liberty, she will use her old arts of temptation. The love of worldly wealth is spiritual idolatry; and covetousness is spiritual idolatry. This directs those that have wealth, to use it in the service of God. When we abide with God in our worldly callings, when we do all in our power to further the gospel, then our merchandise and hire are holiness to the Lord, if we look to his glory. Christians should carry on business as God's servants, and use riches as his stewards.
Key Words
מַשָּׂא: a burden; specifically, tribute, or (abstractly) porterage; figuratively, an utterance, chiefly adoom, especially singing; mental, desire
צֹר: Tsor, a place in Palestine
יָלַל: to howl (with a wailing tone) or yell (with a boisterous one)
אֳנִיָּה: a ship
תַּרְשִׁישׁ: Tarshish, a place on the Mediterranean, hence, the ephithet of a merchant vessel (as if for or from that port); also the name of a Persian and of an Israelite
שָׁדַד: properly, to be burly, i.e. (figuratively) powerful (passively, impregnable); by implication, to ravage
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
בַּיִת: a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
בּוֹא: to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
אֶרֶץ: the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
Cross References
Isaiah 23Parallels the specific seventy-year period of judgment/servitude under the Babylonian empire.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Historical Pentateuchal reference identifying Chittim as a naval power, foreshadowing the maritime distress of Tyre.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Identifies "Sihor" as the waters of the Nile, explaining the source of Egypt's agricultural harvest.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Expands on the widespread panic and mourning among nations upon hearing of Tyre's catastrophic fall.
Supported by JFB
Parallels the final restoration where commerce and common objects become "holiness unto the Lord."
Supported by Matthew Henry
Illustrates "ships of Tarshish" as large merchant vessels trading in valuable foreign commodities.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Ezekiel's parallel lamentation depicting Tyre as the opulent merchant entry-port to the sea.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Highlights the extreme self-exaltation of the prince of Tyre dwelling in the heart of the seas.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Explains the term "merchant city" (Hebrew: Canaan), linking mercantile success with deceptive scales.
Supported by JFB
Identifies "ships of Tarshish" as symbols of pride and human commerce targeted by divine judgment.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Links the pines/boxwood of the "isles of Chittim" with Tyrian shipbuilding and luxury trade.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Uses Chittim to denote the western coastlands and naval forces of the Mediterranean.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The New Testament echo where the merchants of the earth weep because their market is gone.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Ezekiel's lament over Tyre, "the renowned city, which was strong in the sea."
Supported by JFB
Confirms the grueling historical reality of Nebuchadnezzar's long siege against Tyre.
Supported by JFB