Isaiah 23:9

9 The LORD of heavenly forces planned it, to defile the pride of all beauty, to shame all the honored of the earth.

Isaiah 23:9 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 23:9

The Lord of hosts hath purposed it
To destroy Tyre; who is wonderful in counsel, capable of forming a wise scheme, and able to put it in execution; being the Lord of armies in heaven and in earth: and his end in it was,

to stain the pride of all glory;
Tyre being proud of its riches, the extent of its commerce, and the multitude of its inhabitants, God was resolved, who sets himself against the proud, to abase them; to pollute the glorious things they were proud of; to deal with them as with polluted things; to trample upon them:

[and] to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth:
or, "to make light all the heavy ones of the earth" F4; all such, who are top heavy with riches and honour, God can, and sometimes does, make as light as feathers, which the wind carries away, and they fall into contempt and disgrace with their fellow creatures; and the Lord's thus dealing with Tyre was not merely on their account, to stain their pride and glory, and disgrace their honourable ones; but for the sake of others also, that the great ones of the earth might see and learn, by this instance of Tyre, how displeasing to the Lord is the sin of pride; what a poor, vain, and perishing thing, worldly honour and glory is; and what poor, weak, feeble creatures, the princes and potentates of the earth are, when the Lord takes them in hand.


FOOTNOTES:

F4 (Ura ydbkn lk lqhl) .

Isaiah 23:9 In-Context

7 Is this your triumphant town, whose origin is from ancient times, whose feet carried her to settle far away?
8 Who planned this concerning Tyre, the one who gives crowns, whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth?
9 The LORD of heavenly forces planned it, to defile the pride of all beauty, to shame all the honored of the earth.
10 Go through your own land, Daughter Tarshish, for the harbor is gone.
11 God's hand is extended over the sea, shaking nations. The LORD gave the command to destroy Phoenicia's fortresses,
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