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Isaiah 23

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The Oracle Against Tyre 1–7

1
The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Kittim it is revealed to them. ​
2
Be still, ye inhabitants of the coast, thou whom the merchants of Sidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.
3
And on great waters the seed of the Shihor, the harvest of the Nile, was her revenue; and she was the mart of nations. ​
4
Be thou ashamed, O Sidon; for the sea hath spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying, I have not travailed, nor brought forth, neither have I nourished young men, nor brought up virgins. ​
5
When the report cometh to Egypt, they shall be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.
6
Pass ye over to Tarshish; wail, ye inhabitants of the coast.
7
Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days, whose feet carried her afar off to sojourn?

The Lord's Purpose for Judgment 8–14

8
Who hath purposed this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorable of the earth? ​
9
Jehovah of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth. ​
10
Pass through thy land as the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish; there is no restraint any more.
11
He hath stretched out his hand over the sea, he hath shaken the kingdoms: Jehovah hath given commandment concerning Canaan, to destroy the strongholds thereof.
12
And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon: arise, pass over to Kittim; even there shalt thou have no rest.
13
Behold, the land of the Chaldeans: this people was not; the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness; they set up their towers; they overthrew the palaces thereof; they made it a ruin. ​
14
Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for your stronghold is laid waste.

Restoration After Seventy Years 15–18

15
And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years it shall be unto Tyre as in the song of the harlot. ​
16
Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered. ​
17
And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that Jehovah will visit Tyre, and she shall return to her hire, and shall play the harlot with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. ​
18
And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to Jehovah: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before Jehovah, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Isaiah 23

Verse 1

Howl, ye ships of Tarshish — Tarshish and Chittim (Kittim) are sons of Javan (Gen 10:4), the peoples of 'the isles of the Gentiles' (Gen 10:5). Tyre's trade reached Tarshish, which 'was thy merchant' (Ezek 27:12), and Solomon's navy with Hiram's went there (1 Kgs 10:22). That Tyre 'is laid waste' is 'revealed to them' from 'the land of Chittim'.

Verse 3

the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river — Sihor is the Nile, 'Sihor, which is before Egypt' (Josh 13:3; Jer 2:18). 'The river' is ye'or, the word used of the Nile in Gen 41:1 and Ex 7:20, and of the failing 'brooks' in Isa 19:6–8. The 'seed' and 'harvest' of Egypt's river are Tyre's 'revenue', and Tyre is 'a mart of nations'.

Verse 4

the strength of the sea — Zidon, Canaan's 'firstborn' (Gen 10:15), is told to be ashamed because 'the strength of the sea' speaks: ma'oz, the stronghold set in the sea, which is Tyre ('ye inhabitants of the isle', v.2). It says it has no children: 'I travail not, nor bring forth children'. In v.14 the same word is used: 'your strength is laid waste'.

Verse 8

the crowning city — 'Crowning' (atar) is the verb of Ps 103:4, 'who crowneth thee with lovingkindness'. Tyre's 'traffickers' are Kena'an, the name of Canaan, whose people were known as traders (Prov 31:24; Zech 14:21). The question 'Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre?' is answered in v.9: the LORD of hosts, with the same verb, ya'ats.

Verse 9

to stain the pride of all glory — 'Hath purposed' (ya'ats) is the verb of 'taken counsel' in v.8. 'Stain' is chalal, to profane or defile, so the 'pride' (ga'on, the word of Moab's pride in Isa 16:6) is made common. The target is wider than Tyre: 'every one that is proud and lofty… shall be brought low' (Isa 2:12), and 'all the honourable of the earth' repeats v.8.

Verse 13

the land of the Chaldeans — The Chaldeans, it says, were no people until the Assyrian 'founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness' (tsiyyim, as in Ps 72:9 and Isa 13:21). Towers and palaces were raised, and 'he brought it to ruin' (mappelah, as Damascus becomes 'a ruinous heap' in Isa 17:1). Isa 13:19 calls Babylon 'the glory of kingdoms'.

Verse 15

Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years — Seventy years is the term given for the nations' service to Babylon, with 'all the kings of Tyrus' and 'of Zidon' among them (Jer 25:11, 22), and for the land's sabbaths (2 Chr 36:21). 'According to the days of one king' sets the length by a single reign. After it Tyre sings 'as an harlot', a song of one who trades for hire.

Verse 16

Take an harp, go about the city — The forgotten harlot goes about 'in the streets' (Prov 7:12) with harp and song. 'Forgotten' (shakach) was said of Tyre in v.15, and the reason for the singing is 'that thou mayest be remembered' (zakar). Her songs are to be 'many', as many as it takes to be remembered.

Verse 17

shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms — 'Visit' (paqad) is the LORD's attention to Tyre; the city returns 'to her hire' (etnan, a harlot's pay; cf. Ezek 16:31) and trades with every kingdom. Nahum uses the same figure of Nineveh, 'that selleth nations through her whoredoms' (Nah 3:4), and Ezek 27 lists Tyre's partners from Tarshish onward.

Verse 18

holiness to the LORD — 'Holiness' (qodesh) is the inscription on the high priest's gold plate (Ex 28:36) and on 'every pot in Jerusalem' (Zech 14:20–21). Tyre's gain is neither 'treasured nor laid up' but goes to 'them that dwell before the LORD'. Hiram of Tyre had supplied Solomon (1 Kgs 5:1), and Isa 60:9 has 'the ships of Tarshish first', bringing silver and gold.