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The parashah sections listed here are based on the Aleppo Codex. Isaiah 23 is a part of the Prophecies about the Nations (Isaiah 13–23). {P}: open parashah; {S}: closed parashah.Isaiah 23 is the twenty-third chapter of the Book of Isaiah in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet Isaiah, and is one of the Books of the Prophets. This chapter foretells the destruction of Tyre due to its pride (Isaiah 23:1-14), its rising again (Isaiah 23:15-17), and its conversion to God (Isaiah 23:18).

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets (916), Aleppo Codex (10th century), Codex Leningradensis (1008).Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

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a. She will return to her hire: God will allow Tyre, symbolized by a prostitute, to continue her gross materialism with all the kingdoms of the world. But Her gain and her pay will be set apart for the LORD; ultimately, the riches Tyre so desperately sought will be given to the LORD anyway.b. There is no house, no harbor: Isaiah pictures sailors from Tyre in the land of Cyprus and in Egypt hearing of the destruction of the harbor of Tyre. When they hear the news, they wail and are in agony at the report of Tyre.

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.And it shall be, at the end of seventy years, that the LORD will deal with Tyre. She will return to her hire, and commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. Her gain and her pay will be set apart for the LORD; it will not be treasured nor laid up, for her gain will be for those who dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for fine clothing. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. i. Tyre was the “Babylon of the Sea.” Because of their excellent harbor and seamanship, they established a commercial empire far greater than one would expect given their size and military power.i. “Tyre, after its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar, recovered, as it is here foretold, its ancient trade, wealth, and grandeur; as it did likewise after a second destruction by Alexander. It became Christian early with the rest of the neighbouring countries. St. Paul himself found many Christians there, Acts 21:4. It suffered much in the Diocletian persecution. It was an archbishopric under the patriarchate of Jerusalem, with fourteen bishoprics under its jurisdiction. It continued Christian till it was taken by the Saracens in 639; was recovered by the Christians in 1124; but in 1280 was conquered by the Mamelukes and afterwards taken from them by the Turks in 1517. Since that time it has sunk into utter decay; is now a mere ruin, a bare rock, ‘a place to spread nets upon,’ as the Prophet Ezekiel foretold it should be, Ezekiel 26:14.” (Clarke)Now it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king. At the end of seventy years it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot:

ii. Tyre was a city in two parts – an inland city, and an island city. The inland city was conquered by the Assyrians and the Babylonians, just as Isaiah prophesied. The island city was conquered later by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C.These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. a. Wail, you inhabitants of the coastland: Tyre was a city where money ruled. The merchants are princes, and the traders are the honorable of the earth. To be a leader or honorable, one didn’t need to be of royal heritage, a good or an honest man. The only thing needed was success in business. b. The LORD of hosts has purposed it, to bring to dishonor the pride of all glory: Because of its great success, Tyre had become proud and full of self-glory. But the LORD of hosts has purposed to judge and humble Tyre, and Isaiah announces it.

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iii. The influence of Tyre was both good and bad for Israel. King Hiram of Tyre supplied David and Solomon great timbers for the building of the temple and other projects (2 Samuel 5:11, 1 Kings 5:1-11). Hiram also gave Solomon sailors, so Israel could build their commerce by sea (2 Chronicles 8:17-18). But later, Tyre gave Israel one of the worst rulers Israel ever had: Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab of Israel (1 Kings 16:31).

And 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 tells me it’s not enough to temporarily stop doing bad things because you don’t want others to think badly of you. You cannot keep that up for eternity What you need and what Tyre needed was transformation. Jesus promises us, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17. He gives us a new heart, eternal life, and a new reputation. He gives us “a new name.” Revelation 2:17.

He 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.

As more and more revival events sweep our world, it’s very important to stay in tune with God’s Word. While we desperately long for a revival of primitive godliness, and we are called to pray and seek this revival, in the last days we are told that there will be a counterfeit revival as well. So how do we tell the difference? In these inspiring messages by Pastor Mark Finley, we can learn how to avoid the false and seek the true. Be sure to download the handout with selected readings from the Great Controversy on Modern Revivals.

A bad reputation is hard to live down if you don’t really change. Just how long does it take? According to Isaiah 23:15, it takes more than a generation, “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 seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.”

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 seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.I get the impression that, although Tyre may have been on her good behavior for an entire generation, the nation had not changed its nature. As soon as there was a change in leadership, Tyre went back to its old ways and its old reputation as a harlot.

This newly updated inspirational packet, compiled by Jerry and Janet Page, contains many resources on prayer including topics like: Praising God, abiding in Jesus’ love, guidelines for those desiring anointing, encouraging promises and quotes on healing, principles of intercessory prayer, how to pray with your spouse, powerful promises for parents, what to pray for non-Christians, when Satan called a worldwide meeting, and much more. (Download the entire packet or choose topics individually.) The 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. Be 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.And 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. 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. 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.

The name Isaiah means “salvation of the Lord,” which is befitting for this Messianic prophet. The son of Amoz, Isaiah had a wife and two sons, whose names also described important parts of his prophetic message: Shear-Jashub (“the remnant shall return,” Isaiah 7:3) and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (“spoil quickly, plunder speedily,” Isaiah 8:3). Isaiah’s writing spanned the reigns of four Judean kings during the 8 century B.C.: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. The prophets Hosea and Micah also wrote during this period of great political turmoil for Judah.Isaiah is one of the most well-known prophets in the Bible for his prediction of the coming of the Messiah, who would redeem His people from their sins. A book of stark contrasts, Isaiah juxtaposes terrifying warnings of judgement and destruction with uplifting promises of hope and prosperity. Learn more about the prophet Isaiah in this latest installment of our Biblical Figures series. Isaiah is called by God in a very dramatic way. In chapter six, he describes how he saw God seated in the temple, surrounded by six angels, worshipping God and saying, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” Isaiah is overwhelmed by his sinfulness: The prophet Isaiah played an important role in God’s plan; He foretold the Messiah’s coming and brought hope to His people during a challenging time. This promise of hope is not only for the nation of Israel, but also for all of us. In the book of Isaiah, we see how God works for the good of His children and is sovereign in the worst of circumstances. Not only that, but He also is a just God, who will give the evildoers in the world their recompense (Isaiah 61:8). Though we are sinful and deserve to be punished, He has provided salvation for us through Jesus Christ, who suffered on our behalf and freed us from our sins. In Him, we have hope for eternity.

An angel approaches Isaiah and touches his lips with a hot coal, cleansing them. Then the Lord speaks to Isaiah, calling him and giving him the message to send to his people:But Isaiah does not leave Israel without hope; throughout the book, he speaks of a coming Redeemer. In Chapter 11, he describes Christ as the shoot that will sprout from the destroyed stump of Israel, who will guide the nation with His wisdom:Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: The time is coming when all that is in your house, everything that your ancestors have stored up until this day, shall be carried off to Babylon; nothing shall be left, says the Lord. (Isaiah 39:5-6)“Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5)

By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateway’s emails at any time. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at [email protected] that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the span of a king’s life. But at the end of these seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute:

Tyre never again reached the pinnacle of glory and honor that they once knew. Why? Because they refused to turn from their wicked ways, their sin. We need to remember something that Paul wrote to the church in Rome about sin: “Tyre was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 572 b.c. and lay desolate for seventy years. The new city built on the island was taken by Alexander the Great in 332 b.c. Eventually Christianity prevailed at Tyre. Jesus visited there (Matt 15:21) and so did Paul (Acts 21:3-6). In his commentary on Isaiah Eusebius says that when the church of God was founded in Tyre, much of its wealth was consecrated to God and presented for the support of ministers. This is also the testimony of Jerome, the Latin church father writing in the fourth century.” ~AMPLIFIED Footnote Adonai–Tzva’ot, God Almighty, forgive me for those times that I have chosen to do things my own way, sinning against you and your ways. I repent of my sin. As I read of the city of Tyre I am reminded that obedience is better than sacrifice. Help me to walk in obedience, living a life that is holy and acceptable to you Lord. When sin comes knocking at my door, give me the strength to shout out a loud “NO”, bring to my mind your Word, and your promises. I choose to be wholly and completely yours, Lord.“When 70 years have passed, the Eternal will visit Tyre, and she’ll return to her wicked ways—selling herself to all the countries of the world. But everything Tyre earns—her profit, her goods—won’t be stored or saved: all will be devoted to the Eternal; her stocks will supply all the food and fine clothing needed by those who serve in the presence of the Eternal One.” -(VOICE)

“Yes, after seventy years, the Lord will revive Tyre, but she will be no different than she was before; she will return again to all her evil ways around the world. Yet the distant time will come when her businesses will give their profits to the Lord! They will not be hoarded but used for good food and fine clothes for the priests of the Lord!” -(TLB)“At the end of the seventy years, God will look in on Tyre. She’ll go back to her old whoring trade, selling herself to the highest bidder, doing anything with anyone—promiscuous with all the kingdoms of earth—for a fee. But everything she gets, all the money she takes in, will be turned over to God. It will not be put in banks. Her profits will be put to the use of God-Aware, God-Serving-People, providing plenty of food and the best of clothing.”

We are told that after 70 years has passed God will allow Tyre, who is symbolized by a prostitute, to return to her commerce; trading with the kingdoms of the earth. Commerce to them was wealth and power. Her gross focus on materialism and self-gratification will sadly not have changed. What will change though, is that she will set aside her profits unto the Lord. In the end, the riches that Tyre chased after so fiercely will be given to Adonai–Tzva’ot, God Almighty.“It will come to pass at the end of seventy years that the Lord will remember Tyre. Then she will return to her prostitute’s wages and will play the [role of a] prostitute [by trading] with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. But her commercial gain and her prostitute’s wages will be dedicated to the Lord; it will not be treasured or stored up, but her commercial gain will become sufficient food and stately clothing for those who dwell (minister) in the presence of the Lord.” -AMPLIFIED “I will use My avenger to silence your lutes and harps and put an end to your songs. I will leave you a bare rock in the lonely ocean, a desolate island used only for drying out fishnets. I promise you will never be rebuilt. Never. I, the Eternal Lord, declare this.” -Ezekiel 26:13-14 (VOICE) We will find in todays’ text that Tyre does not turn away from her sin. In fact, she returns to her wicked ways. Sin holds great power over us, unless we learn to submit to the Lord God in our lives. Sadly, the hearts of the people of Tyre were unchanged.History tells us that after Tyre’s destruction by Nebuchadnezzar, it recovered for a time. Then it was destroyed a second time by Alexander the Great. For a time, it became Christian, for in Acts 21 we find an account of Paul visiting the believers in Tyre when he was on his way back to Jerusalem. We know that the city’s Christians suffered great persecution during the Great Persecution, otherwise known as the Diocletianic Persecution. We also know that in 1280 Tyre, and the surrounding area, was captured by Mamelukes, a group that was a former military caste, originally composed of slaves from Turkey. Around 1517 the same area was taken over by the Turks. Eventually it fell into decay. Today, that once great city of Tyre of Phoenicia, is part of Lebanon. It has been noted that it is a city of ancient sites and ruins. In fact, one historian said this about Tyre:

“The ones who live in an intimate relationship with Him do not persist in sin, but anyone who persists in sin has not seen and does not know the real Jesus.” -1 John 3:6 (VOICE) “The payoff for a life of sin is death, but God is offering us a free gift—eternal life through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King.” -Romans 6:23 (VOICE) The prophet next turns to the people of the nearest Phoenician colony, Cyprus. He points to the contrast between Tyre’s past gaiety and wide-flung colonization to its current humbling under the mighty hand of God (vv. 9-10). The pride of Tyre was a sin that God could not ignore. The implication of this passage is that the fall of Tyre would mean the ruin of the commercial trading ventures of Cypress (vv. 11-12) and Western Europe. Neither Tyre or Cypress, across the sea, could be regarded as a haven of safety when Assyria, the instrument of God’s wrath (Isa. 10:5-11), was on the rampage (vv. 13-14). The city of Tyre will be forgotten for 70 years (vv. 15-16). At the end of those 70 years, the Lord will let Tyre get back into business (vv. 17-18). Some of the lessons that Isaiah teaches us from this portion of scripture is: (1) God controls all of the nations of the world and does with them what He pleases. (2) God especially hates the sin of pride. (3) God judges the nations for the way they treat each other.“Pride is so subtle that if we aren’t careful we’ll be proud of our humility. When this happens our goodness becomes badness. Our virtues become vices. We can easily become like the Sunday School teacher who, having told the story of the Pharis … More No matter how frightening the national or international situation may become, because I know that I am one of God’s children, I can have peace because God is on the throne. Isaiah 26:1 tells us that a song will be sung at that time, “In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah;” The song of chapter 26 portrays conditions on the earth leading up to and including the yet-future millennium.And how does it all end? Verse 13, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.” The whole world will worship the LORD who shall reign from Jerusalem.

One day Israel will be completely redeemed and vindicated from her enemies. Here Isaiah draws from a well-known mythological figure to make his point when he refers to leviathan. This multi-headed monster is used as a reference to the enemies of Israel motivated by the powers of evil – Satan himself. Chapter 27 speaks of Israel’s redemption from this enemy. This total defeat of the enemy does not take place until the last battle of Armageddon in Revelation 19:11-21 (see notes) just prior to the millennium. We see in verse 13 that Jerusalem will become a central place of worship for all.

All three chapters (24-26) are yet future to, not only Isaiah, but to us as well. The judgment of chapter 24 over the whole earth is a prophecy concerning the judgment of God on the earth. Compatibility with John’s Revelation would place this judgment during the tribulation, most likely the last Battle of Armageddon in Revelation 19:11-21 (see notes). This is the last great battle and judgment on the earth just prior to the beginning of the millennium. In Revelation 19:11-21 all of the wicked people of the earth will be destroyed, and only saved people will enter into the millennium. There will be the presence of unsaved people during the millennium, but they will be people who are born during that period of 1,000 years, not the people who originally pass from tribulation-period earth into millennium-period earth.

Tyre is located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea just beyond the northern border of modern-day Israel. It was a trade city, perhaps even the mother of all trade cities in their day. Sidon (aka Zidon) was a sister port city approximately 20 miles up the coast. Tyre’s fall is not prophesied here, but rather the interruption of their commerce for a period of 70 years (verses 15 and 17). This interruption could have occurred from around 700 B.C. to 630 B.C. when the Assyrians dominated the land and the local people. It is possible, however, that the 70 years interruption could have coincided with the 70 years of Jewish exile about which Jeremiah prophesied. If so, this period would have been from 605 B.C. until 535 B.C. Click here to read the summary on Jeremiah’s prophecy regarding this 70-year exile. We really do not have historical validation to know precisely when this prophecy was fulfilled.

These three chapters deal with the whole earth. All references to “earth” and “land” are translated from the exact same Hebrew word, “eretz.” Sometimes the word is translated “earth” and sometimes “land” in the Old Testament. It is important to recognize that, when it is translated “land” in this passage, it is still a reference to the whole earth. Another Hebrew word (“tay-bale´”) is used four times in chapters 24-27 (24:4, 26:9, 26:18, 27:6). This word is used only 36 times in the Old Testament, but is defined as “the global mass called earth, including the atmosphere or heavens.” There can be no question that Isaiah’s prophecy in chapters 24-26 speaks of a world-wide phenomenon of God’s judgment. Only one historical/prophetic period of time fills the specifications here – the period yet future to us we refer to as the Tribulation period and leading into the Millennium. Moreover, Paul’s usage of Isaiah 25:8 in I Corinthians 15:54 (see notes) to describe this period, seals the deal on which period is being specified.

It is worth noting that John portrays Satan as a dragon in his vision found in Revelation 12 (see notes). It is this very same dragon (Satan) who empowers the beast (aka antichrist) of Revelation 13:1-10 (see notes). And then in Revelation 20:2-3 (see notes) we see, “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.” Finally, in Revelation 20:10 (see notes), Satan is cast into the lake of fire…permanently. It occurs to me that it very well may be that Isaiah is seeing these very prophetic events outlined in John’s revelation; the time frame fits.Enter your email address to join hundreds of others in following this website and to receive notifications of new posts by email. Unsubscribe at any time.After identifying the city of Tyre and noting its judgment in Isa. 23:1–3, in Isa. 23:4–9 some of the details of the destruction of Tyre are given. Note the fact that Isaiah also mentions the city of Sidon (cf. Isa. 23:2, 4) shows that the judgment described here applied to all of Phoenicia, not just the city of Tyre. In this passage Isaiah describes the future barrenness of Tyre, as well as the news of its destruction reaching Egypt and Tarshish. Observe in Isa. 23:7 Tyre is referred to as an “ancient city.” Indeed, Tyre is first mentioned in Scripture at Josh. 19:29, and it was an establish city at the time when Israel entered the Promised Land. Early in the Old Testament it is clear that Tyre was an economic hub, as King Hiram of Phoenicia provided both David and Solomon with a massive quantity of raw materials to develop Jerusalem (cf. 2 Chron. 2:3–16). Note King Ahab of Israel married Jezebel, daughter of the King of Phoenicia.After delivering his message of judgement, in a similar manner to his earlier addresses to Israel, Isaiah prophecies a time of restoration of the city of Tyre. The reference in this passage to “seventy years” (Isa. 23:15, 17) is familiar, as Jeremiah specified the same time frame for the exile of Israel to Babylon (cf. 2 Chron. 36:21; Jer. 25:11–12; 29:10; Zech. 1:12; 7:5). Indeed, Phoenicia was surely included in Jeremiah’s reference to “the nations [whom] shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years” (Jer. 25:11). The restoration of Tyre, however, differs from that of Israel, as in this passage Isaiah refers to Tyre as a harlot who would continue with her sins after her restoration. While Tyre would again flourish economically, Isaiah writes, “Her pay will be set apart for the Lord . . . her gain will be for those who dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently and for fine clothing” (Isa. 23:18).

Angels Ceremonial Laws Concurrence Covenant Deliverance Election End Time Faith False Teachers Fasting God’s Judgment God’s Sovereignty Good works Holiness Holy Spirit Introduction John the Baptist Kingdom of God Law and Gospel Leadership Love of Neighbor Marriage Miracles Parables of Jesus Passover Persecution Prayer Priesthood Promised Land Prophecy Propitiation Providence Repentance Sabbath Salvation Sanctification Spiritual Gifts Suffering Temple Unity Wealth and Poverty Will of God Wisdom World History WorshipTyre was an ancient city, and along with Sidon, was a chief city of the Phoenicians. While there were times of peace between Israel and Tyre, this city was oftentimes antagonistic towards Israel. This ill-treatment of God’s people is a main reason why the city of Tyre is prophesied against in passages such as Ezek. 26–28; Amos 1:9–10; Joel 3:4–8; and Zech. 9:1–4. Note that Jesus ministered in this region (cf. Matt. 15:21) and that some of the inhabitants of Tyre followed Christ (cf. Mark 3:8). Further, Paul later found disciples at Tyre (cf. Acts 21:3–4). While Tyre was an immoral city, Jesus taught that His ministry in Chorazin would have produced repentance in Tyre (cf. Matt. 11:21–22). Note that Isa. 1:1–3 describes the future destruction of Tyre. Indeed, this city was under siege five times between Isaiah’s writing and 332 BC, when Alexander the Great finally captured the city.

In Isa. 23:10–14 Isaiah further describes the thorough destruction of Tyre, noting that its citizens “will have no rest” (Isa. 23:12). In Isa. 23:13 Isaiah reminds the people of Tyre that the Assyrians—the world superpower of their day—had destroyed Babylon, which occurred in 689 BC. The implication being that the capture of Tyre was possible, too. In fulfillment of this prophecy, Tyre was eventually attacked by the Assyrians, although the entire city was not destroyed, for the island section of Tyre was not captured by the Assyrians. Note the New Testament records two important events that occurred in the vicinity of Tyre. First, Matt. 15:21–28 records Jesus’ healing of the daughter of a Syro-Phoenician woman. This was Christ’s first recorded healing of a Gentile. Second, Acts 12:20–24 reports the death of Herod Agrippa I during a speech to the citizens of Tyre and Sidon.

This city was one of the first great cities on earth. Herodotus gave the date of its founding as 2300 B.C.[2] It stood for many centuries as the prime example of commercialism; and Hailey believed that it was in its capacity as a center of commerce that it received God’s prophetic condemnation here. Having already proclaimed the doom of great political and military powers, as well as the centers of decadent paganism, God, as Hailey saw it, was here denouncing “the world capital of commerce.”[3] We cannot fully agree with this, because Tyre in this chapter represents the entire coastal country. She is identified with Sidon in Isaiah 23:4; and “Tyre and Sidon” are mentioned together throughout the New Testament especially; and, even in the Old Testament, the godless wife of Ahab was identified as the “daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians.” She was the one who murdered the prophets of God, installed Baal as the God of Northern Israel and moved hundreds of pagan priests into the country. Therefore, although the selfish, wicked commercialism of Tyre was indeed condemned by the Lord’s denunciation here, that was by no means the full extent of their sins.Peake declared that, “This is best referred to Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Tyre (585-577 B.C.).”[16] This, of course is correct; but the critical dictum about “predictive prophecy” forces such a scholar to date the passage “after the exile,” which is ridiculous, there being no evidence for such a thing anywhere on earth. The repeated mention of “seventy years” is significant, that being almost exactly the duration of the Chaldean dynasty that controlled Babylon during their conquest of Assyria and their conquest of Jerusalem and the removal of Judah into captivity. Lowth pointed out that:

“Pass through the land as the Nile …” (Isaiah 23:10). This verse is admitted to be obscure in meaning; but Barnes thought that, “Just as a river flows without obstruction through a land, so the inhabitants would be scattered.”[13]The really difficult part of Isaiah 23:13 is in the words, “They overthrew the palaces thereof, they made it a ruin.” In our view, the first words of the next verse (Isaiah 23:14) compel us to interpret this as a reference to the overthrow of Tyre, not a victory over Babylon by the Assyrians. They appear in the verse as builders of Babylon, which of course, they were until Babylon rebelled and overthrew Assyria.

It is generally believed that Tarshish, as mentioned here must be identified with Tartessus, a colony of Tyre built upon the southwest coastline of Spain “beyond the Pillars of Hercules, which was the center of an important and lucrative commerce.”[4]”Merchants of Sidon …” Here Sidon stands for Tyre and all of Phoenicia. The ships of Tarshish (Isaiah 23:1) are the same vessels referred to here as “ships of Sidon.” After all, Sidon was the mother city of Tyre; and, “Old coins, excavated from the ruins of Tyre, carry the legend, “The metropolis of the Sidonians.”[6] “Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for your stronghold is laid waste …” (Isaiah 23:14). All scholars admit the difficulty and ambiguity of this passage, and we are extremely suspicious of those who wish to see Isaiah’s prophecy here as something which he might have been able to foresee, rather than as authentic predictive prophecy of events centuries after Isaiah lived. Only in those instances of Nebuchadnezzar’s capture of Tyre and of Alexander’s destruction of it may we actually find such terms as “laid waste” applicable to what happened.The unreasonable and inaccurate dating of this prophecy often encountered violates the very words of the prophecy. For example, Kelley flatly declared that, “The prophecy of Tyre’s restoration probably belongs in the sixth century!”[21] If so, what about the “seventy years” mentioned three times? Such a date simply does not fit, and it could not possibly be correct.

“Pass ye over to Tarshish; wail, ye inhabitants of the coast. Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days, whose feet carried her afar off to sojourn? Who hath purposed this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorable of the earth? Jehovah of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.”We are delighted to note that a recent dependable scholar agrees with our interpretation that Isaiah 23:13-14 refer to the conquest of Tyre by Babylon, and not by Assyria. He wrote: Isaiah 23:17 states that Jehovah would restore Tyre and bless the city ag
ain after the seventy years; and we might have hope that after such a scourge was lifted, Tyre might have learned her lesson; but no! She returned to her hire and “played the harlot with all the nations of the world” (Isaiah 23:17). “A nation’s prosperity is of God; all is in his hand. He controls the destiny both of men and of nations.”[19] “Whose feet carried her afar off to sojourn …” (Isaiah 23:7). This is a prophetic reference to the selling of 30,000 citizens of Tyre into captivity, and to nothing else in the long history of that great city. Critical efforts to make this a prophecy of some other calamity in Tyre are futile. Regarding all of those conflicts with Assyria, and even in the case of the 13-year siege by Nebuchadnezzar, nothing that even resembles this is visible. Concerning all the invasions and assaults of Tyre prior to Alexander the Great, the Encyclopedia Britannica states that, “For the most part, Assyrian and Babylonian might spent itself in vain against Tyre’s defenses … But after a siege of seven months Alexander took it, slaughtered 8,000 of its citizens, later executed 2,000 more, and sold 30,000 into slavery!”[10] Of course, such slaves were marched to their destination on foot; and right here one finds Tyre’s own feet carrying her afar off to sojourn. Oh yes, this is indeed predictive prophecy. Isaiah lived in the eighth century; Tyre was “carried off on its own feet” in the fourth (332 B.C.)! Thus at last the old slave traders finally got what was coming to them. For ages “They had been present on battlefields, either stripping the dead, or bargaining for captives.”[11] On one occasion, they had even sold Israelites as captives, a shameful act that earned them this denunciation from Amos:

Ezekiel 26:16-21 carries another explicit prophecy of the destruction of Tyre, which also is a prophecy of the total destruction of the city, which actually occurred in 332 B.C. “Thou shalt never be found again … I shall make thee a desolate city like the cities that are not inhabited … The isles shall be dismayed at thy departure” (Isaiah 23:18,19,21).Barnes suggested that the ruin of a great city so magnificent and so ancient would naturally raise a question as to who had purposed such a thing; and that question is raised in Isaiah 23:8. The thundering answer comes in the very next verse: “Jehovah of hosts hath purposed it!” Furthermore, the reasons underlying God’s purpose were also given. God wished to stain all false pride and human glory. He would punish and denounce that false standard of success that declared the crooked traffickers of Tyre as the “honorable of the earth.” Honorable they were not. God reduced, and he should have reduced such “honor” to the contempt it deserved. In our own generation, there are many examples of the same human conceit that God here punished.

“Pass over to Kittim; even there shalt thou have no rest …” (Isaiah 23:12). “Kittim” here is generally held to be the same as the island of Cypress, a colony of Sidon, and one of the stops by ships of Tarshish on their way home to Tyre. On two occasions when Tyre fell, some of the people actually escaped in ships to Cypress.

“No house, no entering in …” Such words as these denoted the total ruin of Tyre, something that did not occur until the ruin of the city by Nebuchadnezzar; and even in that conquest, Tyre continued “for the life of one king (seventy years),” in a sense “forgotten” and of no particular importance till later. The fulfillment of this line “no house … no entering in” took place in the siege by Alexander in 332 B.C. It happened like this: After taking the Tyre on the coast, Alexander tore down all the houses of Tyre, using them to construct a mole all the way out to the island city itself, which was literally scraped into the sea. The critics, of course, would date this prophecy, not merely “after the exile”[5] but after 332 if they dared; but Alexander himself indicated belief in these very prophecies. See the full discussion of this in my Commentary on Daniel (Vol. 1 of the Major Prophets), pp. 9-11.

“Pass through the land as the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish; there is no restraint any more. He hath stretched out his hand over the sea, he hath shaken the kingdoms: Jehovah hath given commandment concerning Canaan, to destroy the stronghold thereof. And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon: arise, pass over to Kittim; even there shalt thou have no rest. Behold, the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not; the Assyrians founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness; they set up their towers; they overthrew the palaces thereof; they made it a ruin. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for your stronghold is laid waste.”

In this connection we might ask, in what way was Tyre a harlot? Well, their very religion was largely Baal-worship, featuring hundreds of both male and female prostitutes; but more is intended here. By pandering to the slave trade, which we have already mentioned, they were prostituting their honor and sacrificing the lives of countless people in order to satisfy the greed and lust of people who desired to own slaves. In a similar way today, some people are pandering to the desire of the wicked for drugs.

“The bestower of crowns …” (Isaiah 23:8). This emphasizes the importance of ancient Tyre. All over the Mediterranean world, there were colonies and cities where Tyre had established petty dependent “kings” who cooperated with them in their worldwide system of markets. Jamieson called Tyre, “The city from which dependent kingdoms had arisen.”[12]Isaiah 23:11 mentions the “destruction” of Tyre, a thing that actually took place only once, in the complete sense, but which also appears in this passage to speak of the destruction by Babylon, the successful termination of that 13-year siege, being certainly a sufficient “destruction” to put the city in a state of having been forgotten for some seventy years. “The 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 Kittim it is revealed to them. Be still ye inhabitants of the coast, thou whom the merchants of Sidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished. And on great waters the seed of the Shihor, the harvest of the Nile was her revenue; and she was the mart of nations. Be thou ashamed, O Sidon; for the sea hath spoken, the stronghold of the sea, I have not travailed, nor brought forth, neither have I nourished young men, nor brought up virgins. When the report cometh to Egypt, they shall be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.” Of great significance in this paragraph is the use of the word “traffickers” (Isaiah 23:8). It never meant an honorable merchant, but a crooked deceiver. (See Hosea, Vol. 2 of the Minor Prophets Series for an extended discussion of this word, pp. 198,199.) The word thus rendered here also may be translated Canaanite, or Phoenician; and one of the charges of the prophet Hosea against Israel was that they also had become “traffickers” in the crooked and deceitful sense (Hosea 12:7).

Present-day commentators are reluctant to decide which destruction of Tyre is here prophesied; but the Assyrian “destruction” which is favored by some cannot be fully established. Sure, there were defeats of Tyre by a number of Assyrian invaders; but by paying heavy tribute, and by certain other accommodations the Tyrians were usually able to maintain some semblance of autonomy except in two instances: (1) that of the 13-year siege by Nebuchadnezzar from, 587-574 B.C., and (2) that of Alexander the Great in 332 B.C. which lasted seven months and was completed when Alexander built a mole out to the island city and literally scraped all of it into the sea.[1] Of course, critical commentators are blind to either one of these sieges on account of their absurd dictum about “predictive prophecy.” We feel very certain that these are precisely the sieges foretold by the prophecy. In fact, the mention of the Chaldeans in Isaiah 23:13 is the only proof of this needed.Isaiah 23:5 refers to the pain that was supposed to come to Egypt over the fall of Tyre. As Rawlinson suggested, “Egypt bore no great affection toward any foreign nation”;[9] but, as Tyre was a buffer stronghold on the Egyptian border, the fall of it would indeed be a source of pain and apprehension on the part of the Egyptians. Whatever nation would be strong enough to take Tyre could reasonably be expected to launch a campaign against the Nile valley also.

The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy of Scripture. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry. Tyre being a sea-port town, this prophecy of its overthrow fitly begins and ends with, Howl, you ships of Tarshish; for all its business, wealth, and honour, depended upon its shipping; if that be ruined, they will be all undone. Observe, Recognizing the value of consistent reflection upon the Word of God in order to refocus one’s mind and heart upon Christ and His Gospel of peace, we provide several reading plans designed to cover the entire Bible in a year.This chapter is concerning Tyre, an ancient wealthy city, situated upon the sea, and for many ages one of the most celebrated cities for trade and merchandise in those parts of the world. The lot of the tribe of Asher bordered upon it. See Joshua 19:29, where it is called “the strong city Tyre.” We seldom find it a dangerous enemy to Israel, but sometimes their faithful ally, as in the reigns of David and Solomon; for trading cities maintain their grandeur, not by the conquest of their neighbours, but by commerce with them. In this chapter is foretold,

Cookie Notice: Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. Please see Blue Letter Bible’s Privacy Policy for cookie usage details.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.

For generations, Isaiah’s words have encouraged thousands of people who have waited in anticipation for the Messiah and for God to set right all that has been wronged.Though Israel will face the consequences of their rebellion, Isaiah’s prophetic words are full of hope for the day when God would restore his people to himself. This hope would be embodied through God’s servant, “Immanuel,” who will one day establish a new Israel and God’s Kingdom on Earth. Isaiah’s prophecies are fulfilled in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

Like Elijah, Jeremiah, and the other prophets, Isaiah was called by God to deliver his words to Israel. The book of Isaiah is filled with sobering accounts of Israel’s sin and rebellion and warnings of their coming judgement. But along with warnings, Isaiah also offers a message of hope—a suffering servant, a coming Messiah, who would come to establish God’s Kingdom on Earth and create a new Jerusalem.Since the yoke was destroyed and the burden was taken away, but not destroyed. What does this mean prophetically for the people of God, including the New Testament Church? Well the burden , which deals with everything from bearing a heavy load to paying tribute (taxes) has been addressed by the Lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew 11:28-30; Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Because Jesus was given the Spirit without measure, the oil in His vessel never runs out, and is available to you and me as long as we live. We can boldly proclaim as David did in Psalm 92:10, that we shall be anointed with fresh oil. But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil. Confess with your mouth today — I have been anointed with fresh oil. Let every burden be lifted and yokes be destroyed because of the anointing on your life today.

This is that day for the word to come to pass for you. Your horn (or strength) is being exalted so that you can bear the load of a wild ox; you have been anointed with fresh oil by the entrance of His word, that is Spirit and life. Yokes be destroyed and burdens be lifted today. It is so, and so it is, in Jesus’ name. Amen!Praise God that both the burden and the yoke is dealt with in the person of Jesus Christ. The anointing oil is rich, powerful and abundant in Him. John tells us — For He whom God has sent utters the words of God, for He gives the Spirit without measure. John 3:34 ESV

When we are driven by pride, a fall will come. God will do whatever necessary to humble us in order that we turn toward Him. Some have to fall so far before they’re willing to look up to Him and see the foolishness of their choices and finally surrender to His Lordship.