Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 23

Verse 1

23:1 The {a} burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of {b} Tarshish; for {c} it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of {d} Chittim it is {e} revealed to them.

(a) Read Geneva "Isaiah 13:1"

(b) You of Cilicia that come here for merchandise.

(c) Tyrus is destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar.

(d) By Chittim they meant all the isles and countries west of Palestine.

(e) All men know of this destruction.

Verse 2

23:2 Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have {f} replenished.

(f) Have hunted and enriched you.

Verse 3

23:3 And by great waters the {g} seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, [is] her revenue; and she is a merchandise of nations.

(g) Meaning, the corn of Egypt which was fed by the overflowing of the Nile.

Verse 4

23:4 Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the {h} sea hath spoken, [even] the strength of the sea, saying, I {i} travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish young men, [nor] bring up virgins.

(h) That is, Tyrus, which was the chief part of the sea.

(i) I have no people left in me, and am as a barren woman, that never had children.

Verse 5

23:5 As at the report concerning Egypt, [so] shall they be {k} greatly pained at the report of Tyre.

(k) Because these two countries were joined in league together.

Verse 6

23:6 Pass ye over to {l} Tarshish; wail, ye inhabitants of the isle.

(l) Tyrus wills other merchants to go to Cilicia, and to come no more there.

Verse 8

23:8 Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the {m} crowning [city], whose merchants [are] princes, whose traders [are] the honourable of the earth?

(m) Who makes her merchants like princes.

Verse 10

23:10 Pass through thy land as a river, O {n} daughter of Tarshish: [there is] no more strength.

(n) Your strength will no more serve you: therefore flee to other countries for comfort.

Verse 12

23:12 And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed {o} virgin, {p} daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.

(o) For Tyre was never touched nor afflicted before.

(p) Because Tyrus was built by them of Zidon.

Verse 13

23:13 Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, [till] the {q} Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up its towers, they raised up its palaces; [and] he {r} brought it to ruin.

(q) The Chaldeans who dwelt in tents in the wilderness were gathered by the Assyrians into cities.

(r) The people of the Chaldeans destroyed the Assyrians: by which the prophet means that seeing the Chaldaeans were able to overcome the Assyrians who were so great a nation, much more will these two nations of Chaldea and Assyria be able to overthrow Tyrus.

Verse 14

23:14 Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your {s} strength is laid waste.

(s) That is, Tyrus by whom you are enriched.

Verse 15

23:15 And 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 {t} seventy years shall Tyre {u} sing as an harlot.

(t) Tyrus will lie destroyed seventy years which he calls the reign of one king, or a man’s age.

(u) Will use all craft and subtilty to entice men again to her.

Verse 16

23:16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; {x} make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

(x) She will labour by all means to recover her first credit, as a harlot when she is long forgotten, seeks by all means to entertain her lovers.

Verse 17

23:17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her {y} hire, and shall play the harlot with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.

(y) Though she has been chastised by the Lord, yet she will return to her old wicked practises and for gain will give herself to all men’s lusts like a harlot.

Verse 18

23:18 And her merchandise and her hire shall be {z} holiness to the LORD: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, for sufficient food and for durable clothing.

(z) He shows that God yet by the preaching of the gospel will call Tyre to repentance and turn her heart from evil and filthy gain, to the true worshipping of God, and liberality toward his saints.