Isaiah 23

1 The burden of Tyre. Ye ships of the sea, yell (out), for the house is destroyed, from whence comfort was wont to come; from the land of Chittim, and [it] was showed to them.

2 Be ye still, that dwell in the isle, the merchants of Sidon; [the] men passing [over] the sea filled thee in many waters; (Be ye still, ye who live on the island; the merchants of Sidon, those passing over the sea, have filled thee full;)

3 the seed of (the) Nile is [the] harvest, the flood is the corn thereof, and it is made the merchandise of heathen men. (the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the River, is its wheat, or its grain, and it is made the heathen's merchandise.)

4 Thou, Sidon, be ashamed, said the sea, the strength of the sea, and said, I travailed not of child, and I childed not, and I nourished not young men, and I brought not fully virgins to increasing. (O Sidon, be ashamed; for the sea, yea, the strength of the sea, hath said, I have not laboured with child, and I did not give birth, and I did not nourish young men, and I did not bring up virgins into womanhood.

5 When it shall be heard in Egypt, they shall make sorrow, when they hear of Tyre.

6 Pass ye the seas; yell ye, that dwell in the isle. (Go ye over to Tarshish; yell, ye who live on the island.)

7 Whether this city is not yours, that had glory from eld days in his eldness? the feet thereof shall lead it [a]far, to go in pilgrimage (its feet shall take it far away, to go on a journey).

8 Who thought this thing on Tyre (Who thought this word against Tyre), (that was) sometime crowned, whose merchants were princes, (yea,) the sellers of (the) merchandise thereof were (the) noble men of [the] earth?

9 The Lord of hosts thought this thing, that he should draw down the pride of all glory, and that he should bring to shame all the noble men of (the) earth.

10 Thou daughter of the sea, pass [over] thy land as a flood; a girdle is no more to thee. (O daughter of Tarshish, pass over thy land like a river; no more hath thou a girdle, or a market.)

11 It stretched forth his hand above the sea, and troubled realms (He stretched forth his hand over the sea, and troubled kingdoms). The Lord sent (his command) against Canaan, for to all-break the strong men thereof;

12 and he said, Thou maid(en), the daughter of Sidon, that sufferest challenge, shalt no more add, that thou have glory. Rise thou (up), and pass over the sea into Chittim; there also no rest shall be to thee (even there, there shall be no rest for thee).

13 Lo! the land of Chaldees, such a people was not; Assur founded that Tyre (Lo! the land of the Chaldeans, such a people were not, until the Assyrians founded that Tyre); they led over into captivity the strong men thereof; they (under)mined the houses thereof; they setted it into falling.

14 Yell, ye ships of the sea (Yell, ye ships of Tarshish), for your strength be destroyed

15 And it shall be, in that day, thou, Tyre, shalt be in forgetting by seventy years, as the days of one king; but after seventy years, as the song of a whore shall be to Tyre. (And it shall be, from that day, O Tyre, thou shalt be forgotten for seventy years, like the days, or the life, of one king; and then after seventy years, Tyre shall be like the whore in the song:)

16 Thou whore, given to forgetting, take an harp, compass the city; sing thou well, use thou oft a song, that mind be of thee. (O whore, now forgotten, take up a harp, and go around the city; sing thou well a song, and sing thou it often, so that thou will be remembered again.)

17 And it shall be, after seventy years, the Lord shall visit Tyre, and shall bring it again to his hire; and again it shall be, when it shall do fornication with all [the] realms of [the] earth, on the face of [the] earth. (And so it shall be, that after seventy years, the Lord shall visit Tyre, and she shall hire herself out again; and it shall be, that once again she shall do fornication with all the kingdoms of the earth, upon the face of the earth.)

18 And the merchandises thereof and the meeds thereof shall be hallowed to the Lord; they shall not be hid, neither shall be laid up; for why the merchandise thereof shall be to them that dwell before the Lord (for its merchandise shall be for those who worship the Lord), (so) that they eat to fullness, and be clothed till to eldness.

Isaiah 23 Commentary

Chapter 23

The overthrow of Tyre. (1-14) It is established again. (15-18)

Verses 1-14 Tyre was the mart of the nations. She was noted for mirth and diversions; and this made her loth to consider the warnings God gave by his servants. Her merchants were princes, and lived like princes. Tyre being destroyed and laid waste, the merchants should abandon her. Flee to shift for thine own safety; but those that are uneasy in one place, will be so in another; for when God's judgments pursue sinners, they will overtake them. Whence shall all this trouble come? It is a destruction from the Almighty. God designed to convince men of the vanity and uncertainty of all earthly glory. Let the ruin of Tyre warn all places and persons to take heed of pride; for he who exalts himself shall be abased. God will do it, who has all power in his hand; but the Chaldeans shall be the instruments.

Verses 15-18 The desolations of Tyre were not to be for ever. The Lord will visit Tyre in mercy. But when set at liberty, she will use her old arts of temptation. The love of worldly wealth is spiritual idolatry; and covetousness is spiritual idolatry. This directs those that have wealth, to use it in the service of God. When we abide with God in our worldly callings, when we do all in our power to further the gospel, then our merchandise and hire are holiness to the Lord, if we look to his glory. Christians should carry on business as God's servants, and use riches as his stewards.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 23

This chapter gives an account both of the desolation and restoration of Tyre, an ancient city of Phoenicia. Its desolation is described as so complete, that a house was not left in it, Isa 23:1 and by the fewness and stillness of the inhabitants of it, with which it had been replenished, it having been a mart of nations, Isa 23:2,3 and by the shame and pain Zidon, a neighbouring city, was put into, on account of it, Isa 23:4,5 and by the removal of its inhabitants to other places, Isa 23:6,7,12 all which is attributed to the counsel, purpose, and commandment of God, to destroy it; whose view was to stain their pride, and bring them into contempt, Isa 23:8-11 the means and instruments made use of to this purpose were the Assyrians or Chaldeans, Isa 23:13 and its desolation is further aggravated by the loss of its trade; hence the merchants of other countries are called to mourning, Isa 23:1,14 the date and duration of this desolation were seventy years, Isa 23:15 after which it should be restored, and its merchandise and commerce with all the nations of the earth be revived again, Isa 23:15-18.