Isaiah 23

The chapter follows a lament structure, shifting from the immediate panic of the merchant class to a theological reflection on why the destruction occurred, concluding with a strange paradox of restoration.

• The Lord will visit Tyre in mercy after seventy years (v. 17).
• The merchandise and hire of Tyre will be dedicated as holiness to the Lord (v. 18).

• Howl, ye ships of Tarshish (v. 1).
• Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle (v. 2).
• Pass ye over to Tarshish (v. 6).
• Pass through thy land as a river (v. 10).
• Arise, pass over to Kittim (v. 12).
• Take an harp, go about the city (v. 16).

• Be thou ashamed, O Zidon (v. 4).

• Tyre was the leading city of Phoenicia, a major maritime and commercial power known for its purple dye, glass, and cedar trade.
• The mention of the 'Chaldeans' (v. 13) as the founders/instruments of ruin suggests a Babylonian connection, though the exact timing of this destruction in history (Nebuchadnezzar's siege or earlier) is debated.

• Tyre and Sidon (Zidon) were closely linked sister-cities in the Phoenician cultural sphere.
• The metaphor of 'harlot' (v. 15-16) reflects the ancient Near Eastern view of commerce that prioritizes profit over covenant, a concept Matthew Henry observes as 'spiritual idolatry' where the love of worldly wealth replaces devotion to God.

• This chapter is part of the section of Isaiah (chaps. 13–23) containing oracles against the nations, demonstrating that the God of Israel is the God of all the earth.
• The 'seventy years' (v. 15) provides a literary link to the duration of the Babylonian exile mentioned in Jeremiah, suggesting a standard period for divine discipline.

• The passage reflects the theme established in Isaiah 2:11, that 'the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down' when the LORD alone is exalted.
• Matthew Henry, writing from a Reformed tradition, suggests that the eventual 'holiness' of Tyre's trade (v. 18) indicates that in God's providence, wealth can be consecrated to his service, though he cautions that one must avoid interpreting this as an endorsement of worldly greed.

• The destruction of Tyre is also prophesied in Ezekiel 26–28, which provides more granular detail on the pride of the Prince of Tyre.

• The word for 'burden' (מַשָּׂא [H4853]) is from the root 'to lift,' implying a heavy utterance or a pronouncement that must be borne by the listener.
• The word 'inhabitants' (יָשַׁב [H3427]) implies 'to sit,' reflecting the settled, comfortable life of the Tyrians which the LORD is now overturning.
• The term 'merchants' (סָחַר [H5503]) literally means one who 'travels round,' emphasizing the mobile nature of the wealth that is now being halted.

• That the LORD of Hosts (יהוה צבאות) is the subject of every significant verb concerning the destruction, identifying Him as the ultimate political actor.
• The peculiar ending (v. 18) where the profit of the city is redirected to 'them that dwell before the Lord,' suggesting that the fruits of commerce are not inherently evil, but their destination determines their status.

• Scholars debate the exact '70 years' mentioned in verse 15. Some view it as a literal historical period of subjugation under Babylon, while others view it as a symbolic 'complete' period of punishment.
• There is tension regarding the identity of the 'king' mentioned in v. 15; it is unclear if this refers to a specific Tyrian monarch or a symbolic reference to a ruling power like Nebuchadnezzar.