Isaiah 2:16

16 against every ship of Tarshish, ^[a] and against every stately vessel.

Isaiah 2:16 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 2:16

And upon all the ships of Tarshish
Upon all the merchants and merchandises of Rome. The Targum is,

``and upon all that dwell in the islands of the sea.''

See ( Revelation 16:20 ) ( 18:11-19 ) . Tarshish, as Vitringa observes, designs Tartessus or Gades in Spain, which must bring to mind the memorable destruction of the Spanish Armada in 1558, as he also notes. And upon all pleasant pictures;
of Christ and the Virgin Mary, of angels, and of saints departed, the Papists make use of to help their devotion. The Targum is,

``and upon all that dwell in beautiful palaces;''

such as those of the pope and his cardinals at Rome, and of archbishops and bishops at other places. The Septuagint version is, "and upon all the sight of the beauty of ships"; such were the ships of the Phoenicians, which were very much ornamented, and beautiful to behold.

Isaiah 2:16 In-Context

14 against all the tall mountains, against all the high hills,

15 against every high tower, against every fortified wall,

16 against every ship of Tarshish, and against every stately vessel.

17 So the pride of man will be brought low, and the loftiness of men will be humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day,

18 and the idols will vanish completely.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or every ship of trade