Isaiah 23:6

6 You ships should return to Tarshish. You people living near the sea should be sad.

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 Sidon, be ashamed. Strong city of the sea, be ashamed, because the sea says: "I have not felt the pain of giving birth; I have not reared young men or women.
5 Egypt will hear the news about Tyre, and it will make Egypt hurt with sorrow.
6 You ships should return to Tarshish. You people living near the sea should be sad.
7 Look at your once happy city! Look at your old, old city! People from that city have traveled far away to live.
8 Who planned Tyre's destruction? Tyre made others rich. Its merchants were treated like princes, and its traders were greatly respected.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.