Isaiah 23:6

6 Pass over to Tarshish, howl, ye inhabitants of the isle,

Isaiah 23:6 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 23:6

Pass ye over to Tarshish
Either to Tartessus in Spain, or to Tarsus in Cilicia, which lay over against them, and to which they might transport themselves, families, and substance, with greater ease; or "to a province of the sea", as the Targum, any other seaport; the Septuagint says to Carthage, which was a colony of the Tyrians; and hither the Assyrian F21 historians say they did transport themselves; though Kimchi thinks this is spoken, not to the Tyrians, but to the merchants that traded with them, to go elsewhere with their merchandise, since their goods could no more be disposed of in that city as usual.

Howl, ye inhabitants of the isle:
of Tyre, as in ( Isaiah 23:2 ) or of every isle, as Aben Ezra, which traded here, because now their commerce was at an end; so Kimchi.


FOOTNOTES:

F21 Apud Hieron. in loc.

Isaiah 23:6 In-Context

4 Be ashamed, O Zidon; for the sea spake, The strength of the sea, saying: `I have not been pained, nor have I brought forth, Nor have I nourished young men, [nor] brought up virgins.
5 As [at] the report of Egypt they are pained, So [at] the report of Tyre.
6 Pass over to Tarshish, howl, ye inhabitants of the isle,
7 Is this your exulting one? From the days of old [is] her antiquity, Carry her do her own feet afar off to sojourn.
8 Who hath counselled this against Tyre, The crowning one, whose traders [are] princes, Her merchants the honoured of earth?'
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.