Isaiah 23 Study Notes

23:10 The Nile’s waters overflow annually, depositing a rich, fertile soil. As a result, the Nile also overflowed with human population. Now Tarshish will overflow with all the refugees from the destroyed cities of the Phoenician coastland.

23:11 God determines the fate of even the most powerful cities and strikes terror in the hearts of the nations (Ps 2). Phoenicia was considered a part of Canaan, and its fortresses may be referred to as Canaanite fortresses.

23:12 Sidon is compared to a rape victim, who must leave to seek refuge in Cyprus.

23:13-14 An analogy is drawn between the fall of the Chaldeans (the Aramaic-speaking tribe that produced the two rebels against Assyria—Merodach-baladan at the end of the eighth century and Nabopolassar at the end of the seventh century BC) and the fall of Tyre. Since the verse goes on to imply the fall of Babylon at the hands of the Assyrians, it probably refers to the first of these, not the second in which Babylon was victorious.

23:15-18 The pronouncement against Tyre ends with a note about its restoration. It also suggests that the city will turn to the Lord.

23:15 Interestingly, seventy years is cited as the length of the exile and punishment of the people of God (Jr 25:12; Dn 9:2; Zch 1:12). There have been some attempts to identify such a time period (from the death of Sennacherib to the time of Nebuchadnezzar), but this cannot be done with certainty.

23:16 This song may have been popular in ancient Israel. It speaks of an old forgotten prostitute who tried to attract attention by singing songs. The revived Tyre is like this prostitute. The image of the prostitute suggests Tyre itself, since it was a trading city.

23:18 Surprisingly, though, Tyre’s restored trade will go to the work of the Lord, specifically to the priests.