King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.
Complete Jewish Bible:
Silence, you who live on the coast, you who have been enriched by the merchants of Tzidon crossing the sea.
Berean Standard Bible:
Be silent, O dwellers of the coastland, you merchants of Sidon, whose traders have crossed the sea.
American Standard Version:
Be still, ye inhabitants of the coast, thou whom the merchants of Sidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Be still{H1826}, ye inhabitants{H3427} of the isle{H339}; thou whom the merchants{H5503} of Zidon{H6721}, that pass over{H5674} the sea{H3220}, have replenished{H4390}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Isaiah 47:5
- Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.
Psalms 46:10
- Be still, and know that I [am] God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Ezekiel 27:3
- And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, [which art] a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O Tyrus, thou hast said, I [am] of perfect beauty.
Ezekiel 27:4
- Thy borders [are] in the midst of the seas, thy builders have perfected thy beauty.
Isaiah 41:1
- ¶ Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew [their] strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.
Ezekiel 28:2
- Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart [is] lifted up, and thou hast said, I [am] a God, I sit [in] the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou [art] a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:
Ezekiel 27:8
- The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners: thy wise [men], O Tyrus, [that] were in thee, were thy pilots.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Isaiah 23:2
Isaiah 23:2 is part of a prophetic oracle concerning the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre, which is referred to metaphorically as an "isle" due to its location on an island. The verse calls for silence or stillness among the inhabitants of this isle, which is likely a command to mourn or to recognize the gravity of the impending judgment that the prophet Isaiah is about to declare. The historical context of this verse is set during a time when Tyre was a major maritime and commercial power in the Mediterranean, with extensive trade networks.
The merchants of Sidon, another prominent Phoenician city, are mentioned as those who have "replenished" or supplied the island of Tyre. This indicates the close economic relationship between these cities, with Sidon contributing to the prosperity and wealth of Tyre through maritime trade. The verse reflects the interconnectedness of these ancient economies and the dependence of Tyre on international commerce for its prosperity.
The broader theme of Isaiah 23 includes the impermanence of human power and wealth, as well as the sovereignty of God over the nations and their economies. Despite Tyre's apparent strength and prosperity, the prophecy foretells a time when its commerce will be disrupted and its power diminished. This serves as a reminder of the transient nature of earthly success and the ultimate accountability of all nations before God. The call to silence may also foreshadow the sudden halt of Tyre's bustling trade activity, emphasizing the dramatic reversal of fortune that the city will experience according to the prophecy.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H1826
There are 29 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דָּמַם
Transliteration: dâmam
Pronunciation: daw-man'
Description: a primitive root (compare דָּהַם, דָּמָה); to be dumb; by implication, to be astonished, to stop; also to perish; cease, be cut down (off), forbear, hold peace, quiet self, rest, be silent, keep (put to) silence, be (stand) still, tarry, wait. - Strong's Number: H3427
There are 980 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָשַׁב
Transliteration: yâshab
Pronunciation: yaw-shab'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry; (make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, [idiom] fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, [idiom] marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(-tle), (down-) sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry. - Strong's Number: H339
There are 127 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אִי
Transliteration: ʼîy
Pronunciation: ee
Description: from אָוָה; properly, a habitable spot (as desirable); dry land, a coast, an island; country, isle, island. - Strong's Number: H5503
There are 20 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: סָחַר
Transliteration: çâchar
Pronunciation: saw-khar'
Description: a primitive root; to travel round (specifically as a pedlar); intensively, to palpitate; go about, merchant(-man), occupy with, pant, trade, traffick. - Strong's Number: H6721
There are 22 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: צִידוֹן
Transliteration: Tsîydôwn
Pronunciation: tsee-done'
Description: or צִידֹן; from צוּד in the sense of catching fish; fishery; Tsidon, the name of a son of Canaan, and of a place in Palestine; Sidon, Zidon. - Strong's Number: H5674
There are 493 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָבַר
Transliteration: ʻâbar
Pronunciation: aw-bar'
Description: a primitive root; to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in copulation); alienate, alter, [idiom] at all, beyond, bring (over, through), carry over, (over-) come (on, over), conduct (over), convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail, gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way, in, on, over, through), have away (more), lay, meddle, overrun, make partition, (cause to, give, make to, over) pass(-age, along, away, beyond, by, -enger, on, out, over, through), (cause to, make) [phrase] proclaim(-amation), perish, provoke to anger, put away, rage, [phrase] raiser of taxes, remove, send over, set apart, [phrase] shave, cause to (make) sound, [idiom] speedily, [idiom] sweet smelling, take (away), (make to) transgress(-or), translate, turn away, (way-) faring man, be wrath. - Strong's Number: H3220
There are 339 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָם
Transliteration: yâm
Pronunciation: yawm
Description: from an unused root meaning to roar; a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or an artifical basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the south; sea ([idiom] -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern, side, -ward). - Strong's Number: H4390
There are 240 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מָלֵא
Transliteration: mâlêʼ
Pronunciation: maw-lay'
Description: or מָלָא; (Esther 7:5), a primitive root; to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and figuratively); accomplish, confirm, [phrase] consecrate, be at an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil, (be, become, [idiom] draw, give in, go) full(-ly, -ly set, tale), (over-) flow, fulness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume, replenish, satisfy, set, space, take a (hand-) full, [phrase] have wholly.