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The Prophets · Old Testament

Isaiah 23

Isaiah 23: the burden of Tyre and the merchant city brought low

General context

The chapter opens as the burden of Tyre. Ships of Tarshish are told to howl because the city is laid waste, with no house and no entering in, and the news reaches them from the land of Chittim. The inhabitants of the isle are told to be still; they are the ones the merchants of Zidon have replenished. Tyre's revenue is the seed of Sihor and the harvest of the river, and she is called a mart of nations. Zidon is told to be ashamed, because the sea itself says it has not brought forth children. The report of Tyre will pain hearers as the report concerning Egypt did. The speaker asks who has taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city whose merchants are princes, and answers that the Lord of hosts has purposed it to stain the pride of all glory. The Lord stretches out his hand over the sea and shakes the kingdoms, and gives a commandment against the merchant city. The oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon, is told she will rejoice no more, and that even in Chittim she will have no rest. The land of the Chaldeans is pointed to, a people the Assyrian founded, and he brought it to ruin. Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king; after that she will sing as a harlot, taking a harp and singing to be remembered. The Lord will then visit Tyre, and she will return to her hire with all the kingdoms of the world, but her merchandise and hire will be holiness to the Lord, food and durable clothing for those who dwell before him.

Cited passages: Isaiah 23:1, Isaiah 23:2, Isaiah 23:3, Isaiah 23:4, Isaiah 23:5, Isaiah 23:7, Isaiah 23:8, Isaiah 23:9, Isaiah 23:11, Isaiah 23:12, Isaiah 23:13, Isaiah 23:15, Isaiah 23:16, Isaiah 23:17, Isaiah 23:18

Isaiah 23 (KJV)

1The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.

2Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.

3And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations.

4Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins.

5As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.

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

7Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.

8Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?

9The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.

10Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength.

11He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strong holds thereof.

12And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.

13Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin.

14Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.

15And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.

16Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

17And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.

18And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The text names Tyre as the subject of the burden and also addresses Zidon, the ships of Tarshish, the inhabitants of the isle, and a daughter of Tarshish, without explaining how these places relate to one another beyond the trade language it uses: Zidon's merchants pass over the sea, and Tyre is a mart of nations. The Lord of hosts is named as the one who purposed Tyre's fall, but the oracle names no human conqueror of Tyre. Verse 13 mentions the land of the Chaldeans and says the Assyrian founded it and brought it to ruin; the text does not say whether the Chaldeans or the Assyrian act against Tyre. The seventy years are measured by the days of one king, but the king is not named. The final verses describe a return of Tyre's trade and say its gain will be holiness to the Lord, without saying when this happens. The chapter gives no date, no name of a prophet within the verses, and no narrative frame; it is oracle throughout.

Cited passages: Isaiah 23:1, Isaiah 23:2, Isaiah 23:3, Isaiah 23:10, Isaiah 23:9, Isaiah 23:13, Isaiah 23:15, Isaiah 23:18

Literary context

The oracle is framed by a repeated command to the ships of Tarshish to howl, in the first verse and again in verse 14, and the reason is the same: strength laid waste. Inside that frame the poem asks two questions, whether this is the joyous city of ancient days and who has taken counsel against Tyre, and answers the second by naming the Lord of hosts and his purpose against pride. The sea is made to speak, disowning children, so that the trading city is pictured as childless. Commands accumulate: be still, pass over to Tarshish, pass through thy land, arise, pass over to Chittim, and the last two end with the note that there is no more strength and no rest. The closing section turns on the phrase seventy years, stated three times across verses 15 and 17, and on the image of a forgotten harlot who sings to be remembered; the last verse reverses her hire into holiness. The chapter closes the run of burdens that began with the burden of Babylon in 13:1, and the next chapter widens the scene from one city to the whole earth.

Cited passages: Isaiah 23:1, Isaiah 23:14, Isaiah 23:7, Isaiah 23:8, Isaiah 23:9, Isaiah 23:4, Isaiah 23:6, Isaiah 23:12, Isaiah 23:15, Isaiah 23:17, Isaiah 23:16, Isaiah 23:18, Isaiah 13:1

Key moments

  1. Ships of Tarshish told to howl (Isaiah 23:1). The burden of Tyre opens with the city laid waste and the news reaching Chittim.
  2. The sea disowns children (Isaiah 23:4). Zidon is told to be ashamed because the sea says it has brought forth no children.
  3. Who has purposed this? (Isaiah 23:9). The answer names the Lord of hosts, who acts to stain the pride of all glory.
  4. Commandment against the merchant city (Isaiah 23:11). The Lord shakes the kingdoms and commands the destruction of the strongholds.
  5. Seventy years forgotten (Isaiah 23:15). Tyre is to be forgotten for seventy years and then sing as a harlot.
  6. Hire turned to holiness (Isaiah 23:18). Tyre's merchandise and hire become holiness to the Lord for those who dwell before him.

For reflection

The oracle says the Lord purposed Tyre's fall to stain the pride of all glory, yet ends with the city's trade restored and its hire given to those who dwell before the Lord. What does the text ask a reader to make of gain that is first condemned and then called holiness?