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Isaiah 23

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 Chittim it is revealed to them.

2

Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.

3

And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations.

4

Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins.

5

As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.

6

Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.

1
7

Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.

8

Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?

9

The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.

10

Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength.

11

He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strong holds thereof.

1
12

And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.

13

Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin.

14

Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.

1
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 shall Tyre sing as an harlot.

16

Take an 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 the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.

18

And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

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Isaiah 23

Isaiah's prophecy against Tyre, the great Phoenician city and commercial power, announces the destruction of this wealthy trading center and its eventual humiliation before the Lord. The oracle depicts the merchants of Sidon and the ships of Tarshish being silenced, establishing that commerce and trade, the foundations of Tyre's wealth, will collapse under divine judgment. The prophecy emphasizes that Tyre will be laid waste and that its glory will fade, that the city whose merchants were princes will become a forgotten ruin. Yet the oracle concludes with a remarkable promise: after seventy years, Tyre will be remembered again, and she will return to her hire and harlotry, serving all the kingdoms of the earth. The reference to Tyre becoming a harlot suggests that the city will continue to exist but will lose her pride and dominion, surviving as a diminished power serving others. The prophecy establishes that even the greatest commercial and military powers are subject to divine judgment and that their apparent permanence and invulnerability prove illusory. The vision of Tyre's restoration after judgment indicates that annihilation is not the ultimate goal but rather humbling and transformation. The chapter demonstrates Isaiah's conviction that the foundations of human society—commerce, military power, political dominion—are all subject to divine scrutiny and judgment. The oracle against Tyre, the last of the nation-prophecies in this section, establishes the pattern that all human powers, regardless of their apparent stability and strength, are temporary and contingent on divine permission.

Isaiah 23:1

An oracle concerning Tyre introduces judgment against the great merchant city, calling upon the merchant ships to wail because Tyre is destroyed. The addressing of ships establishes the oracle's focus on Tyre's commercial networks and maritime power, the sources of its wealth and influence. The destruction announced—stripped of houses, ships returning from Cyprus to find the city destroyed—emphasizes the completeness of the coming judgment. The oracle extends the pattern of national judgments to one of the great commercial powers of the ancient world, suggesting that even economic dominance offers no immunity from divine judgment. The maritime focus establishes that judgment reaches across the sea routes that connected the ancient world, that no geography or distance exempts from God's sovereignty.

Isaiah 23:2

Be silent, inhabitants of the coast, you merchants of Sidon, you who pass over the sea, establishing the widespread impact of Tyre's fall upon the commercial network of the eastern Mediterranean. The silence enjoined represents a practical response to commerce disrupted and the loss of the city that had facilitated trade. Yet silence also suggests mourning, the inexpressibility of grief at the loss of the great merchant center. The specific mention of Sidon, a neighboring maritime city, emphasizes the interconnection of the Phoenician cities and the way that judgment upon Tyre affects the wider region. The oracle establishes that the fall of great commercial centers has ripple effects throughout the economic order they have sustained.

Isaiah 23:3

The grain from the Nile, the harvest of the river, was Sidon's revenue; yet now the grain industry that had enriched the coast will be disrupted by the fall of Tyre. The specificity regarding grain supplies emphasizes that economic disruption has real effects on livelihood and survival, not merely on wealth and status. The focus on grain establishes the oracle's concern with the material foundations of life and the way that political judgment disrupts the practical systems through which humans sustain themselves. The river—the Nile—connects the oracle to Egypt and the wider region, suggesting that Tyre's fall will affect the grain trade that connected Egypt to the Mediterranean world. This verse grounds the oracle in economic reality while maintaining its theological significance.

Isaiah 23:4

Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying: "I have neither labored nor given birth; I have not reared young men nor brought up maidens." The personification of the sea and Tyre establishes the oracle's mythic dimensions, suggesting that cosmic forces respond to and express judgment. The refusal to have labored or born fruit suggests either the stripping away of Tyre's productivity or a primordial statement that the sea itself—the chaos—will not sustain the human order built upon it. The failure to rear young men and maidens represents the severing of the generational continuity upon which societies depend. This verse suggests that judgment reaches to fundamental levels of human reproduction and societal continuation, not merely to economic systems.

Isaiah 23:5

When news reaches Egypt, they will writhe in anguish at the report of Tyre, establishing Egypt's economic and political interest in Tyre's fate and the ripple effects of the judgment. The writhing in anguish expresses the visceral impact of commercial disruption upon those economically dependent on trade networks. The news traveling to Egypt emphasizes the speed and extent of the impact, the way that the fall of one great center affects distant regions. This verse establishes the interconnectedness of the ancient Near Eastern economy and the way that judgment on one nation has consequences for others. The emotional response—writhing, anguish—suggests that the disruption is not merely political but profoundly personal to those affected.

Isaiah 23:6

Cross over to Tarshish; wail, inhabitants of the coast, addressing those with maritime connections to flee and find refuge across the sea in the distant land of Tarshish. The command to cross over represents the disruption of normal patterns, the flight of refugees and merchants seeking safety. Yet the wailing suggests that even distant refuge cannot assuage the loss and grief occasioned by Tyre's fall. The oracle addresses the maritime powers and their associates, establishing that judgment affects all those connected to Tyre's commercial networks. The directive to cross over emphasizes the totality of disruption, the necessity of abandoning the homeland and seeking refuge elsewhere.

Isaiah 23:7

Is this your exultant city whose origin is from days of old, whose feet carried her to settle afar, establishing Tyre's ancient lineage and far-flung commercial connections. The exultant city refers to Tyre's pride and confidence in its wealth and power, the prosperity that had made it a center of influence. The antiquity of Tyre's origin and the extent of its settlements emphasize the depth of its power and the breadth of its reach. Yet the oracle's framing of these facts suggests that age and success create no immunity from judgment. The contrast between Tyre's ancient glory and its coming destruction establishes the oracle's theme: that human achievement, however impressive in duration and extent, remains subject to divine judgment and reversal.

Isaiah 23:8

Who has purposed this against Tyre, the crown-giver, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are the honored of the earth, establishing Tyre's political and economic supremacy through the language of kingship and honor. The crown-giver suggests Tyre's role in establishing and legitimizing the rule of others, its influence extending beyond commerce to political matters. The merchants as princes and traders as honored establish the unique status of Tyre's commercial class, the way that economic power has been elevated to political significance. Yet the question "who has purposed this?" expects the reader to supply the answer: God. The oracle's questioning format maintains the pattern of invoking divine agency while allowing the reader to recognize it.

Isaiah 23:9

The LORD of hosts has purposed it, to defile the pride of all glory, to dishonor all the honored of the earth, establishing God as the active agent in Tyre's judgment and establishing the judgment's cosmic significance: the humbling of earthly pride and honor. The defiling of glory and dishonoring of the honored establish the judgment as reaching to the fundamental sources of human status and prestige. The cosmic language—the LORD of hosts—invokes the full weight of divine authority and suggests that what appears in earthly terms as commerce and politics is, from the cosmic perspective, a matter of ultimate spiritual significance. The oracle establishes that God's judgment of pride and human exaltation operates on the largest scales and affects the greatest powers.

Isaiah 23:10

Overflow your land like the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish; there is no longer a restraint, addressing Tarshish and invoking the overflowing of the Nile as an image of both fertility and devastating inundation. The overflow suggests both the abundance that trade brings and the chaos and disruption of judgment. The lack of restraint suggests a breaking loose of destructive forces, a removal of the boundaries that had maintained order. The command to Tarshish to overflow suggests that judgment against Tyre has consequences for the entire system of maritime commerce that Tarshish represents. The Nile imagery connects the oracle to Egyptian power and to the natural forces that sustain or disrupt human civilization.

Isaiah 23:11

He has stretched out his hand over the sea; he has shaken the kingdoms; the LORD has given commandment concerning Canaan to destroy its strongholds, establishing God's sovereignty over sea, land, and kingdoms, and specifying that Canaan and its strongholds—including Tyre—are the targets of divine judgment. The stretching out of hand and shaking of kingdoms invoke images of divine power operating at cosmic scale. The commandment to destroy strongholds establishes that the judgment is deliberate and purposeful, not accidental or incidental. The connection of Tyre to Canaan establishes its role within the history of Israel's land and covenant, suggesting that the judgment of Tyre relates to the larger narrative of Israel's occupation and the nations encountered there.

Isaiah 23:12

And He said: You will no longer exult, O crushed maiden, Sidon; arise, cross over to Cyprus; even there you will have no rest, addressing Sidon as a crushed maiden and announcing that judgment follows her even to distant refuge. The designation of Sidon as a maiden suggests vulnerability despite its commercial power, emphasizing the oracle's recognition that even great maritime powers are ultimately defenseless against divine judgment. The command to arise and cross over suggests flight and wandering, the loss of home and stability. The assurance that rest will not be found even in distant Cyprus suggests the totality of the judgment: there is no geographic refuge from God's purposes.

Isaiah 23:13

Behold, the land of the Chaldeans—this is the people; it is not Assyria—establishing historical context for Tyre's judgment: the Chaldeans (Babylonians) under Nebuchadnezzar will be the instrument of Tyre's destruction. The correction—"it is not Assyria"—establishes that the prophet's oracle is not simply repeating earlier threats of Assyrian conquest but announcing a new threat from a different power. The Chaldeans' founding of watch-posts and siege equipment against Tyre establishes the mechanism and manner of destruction: systematic siege and military encirclement. This historical detail grounds the oracle in the political reality of the sixth century and demonstrates that prophetic vision encompasses the shifting patterns of imperial power.

Isaiah 23:14

Wail, O ships of Tarshish! For your stronghold is destroyed, returning to the maritime theme and completing the oracle of Tyre's judgment with a final lamentation addressed to the merchants and their vessels. The destruction of the stronghold establishes Tyre's commercial and military base as the target of judgment. The command to wail reiterates the oracle's insistence on the emotional and spiritual reality of the catastrophe, not merely its political and economic dimensions. The oracle's repetition of calls to lament throughout emphasizes that judgment produces mourning that no human resourcefulness can prevent or assuage.

Isaiah 23:15

In that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, like the days of one king, establishing that the judgment will be severe and extended in duration, seventy years representing a complete generational exile and disruption. The comparison to the days of one king suggests a parallel to historical patterns of subjugation and rise, yet the specific mention of seventy years establishes this as a significant period of exile and separation. The forgetting of Tyre suggests not merely its loss of power but its removal from the active consciousness of international commerce and politics. This verse establishes that judgment can involve extended suffering and the loss of place within the historical narrative.

Isaiah 23:16

After the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot: "Take a harp, go about the city, you forgotten harlot; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that you may be remembered." The image of the forgotten harlot establishing herself through song creates a powerfully ironic judgment: Tyre, having lost its power and place, will be reduced to seeking favor through entertainment. The harlot imagery, drawing on familiar biblical associations of unfaithfulness and degradation, suggests that Tyre's commercial relationships represented a fundamental betrayal of covenant. Yet the song and melody suggest a kind of restoration, though a degraded one. The oracle thus presents a future for Tyre but one utterly reversed from its former glory.

Isaiah 23:17

After the end of seventy years, the LORD will visit Tyre, and she will return to her hire, and will play the harlot with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth, establishing that judgment is not eternally permanent but gives way to a restoration characterized by the resumption of Tyre's commercial activity and its old patterns of commercial immorality. The "visiting" suggests both punishment and the beginning of restoration, a renewal of divine attention. The return to hire and the image of harlotry suggest that Tyre will resume its commercial relationships but will not have learned from judgment, instead returning to the practices that occasioned its fall. This oracle maintains the pattern in Isaiah of judgment followed by restoration, yet refuses to suggest that restoration automatically implies moral transformation.

Isaiah 23:18

Yet her merchandise and her hire will be dedicated to the LORD; it will not be stored or hoarded, but her merchandise will supply abundant food and fine clothing for those who dwell before the LORD, introducing an eschatological note suggesting that even Tyre's commerce, once restored, will serve purposes larger than its own enrichment. The dedication of merchandise and hire to the LORD suggests a consecration of commercial activity to divine purposes, a subordination of economic power to covenant faith. The provision of food and clothing for those dwelling before the LORD establishes that restored Tyre's commerce will serve the maintenance of covenant community rather than merely enriching itself. This oracle's conclusion transforms judgment into an eschatological vision where all human activity, including commerce, serves the purposes of God and the welfare of the covenanted community. The oracle thus maintains Isaiah's conviction that even judgment serves larger redemptive purposes and that all creation will ultimately be oriented toward God.