Focused Passage

Isaiah 23:1-7

The Oracle Against Tyre, the Humbling of Commercial Glory, and Wealth Set Apart for the LORD

The chapter moves from the wailing of ships of Tarshish over Tyre’s destruction, to the silencing of island traders, to the shame of Sidon and the sea, to the question of who planned this against the city that crowned kings and whose merchants were princes, to the answer that the LORD Almighty planned it to humble pride, to the command for Tarshish to overflow its land because its harbor is gone, to the LORD’s command over Phoenicia, to the failed refuge in Cyprus, to the example of the Chaldeans, to Tyre being forgotten for seventy years, to the song of the forgotten prostitute, and finally to Tyre’s restored trade whose profits are set apart for the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 This is the burden against Tyre: Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, without house or harbor. Word has reached them from the land of Cyprus.

2 Be silent, O dwellers of the coastland, you merchants of Sidon, whose traders have crossed the sea.

3 On the great waters came the grain of Shihor; the harvest of the Nile was the revenue of Tyre; she was the merchant of the nations.

4 Be ashamed, O Sidon, the stronghold of the sea, for the sea has spoken: “I have not been in labor or given birth. I have not raised young men or brought up young women.”

5 When the report reaches Egypt, they will writhe in agony over the news of Tyre.

6 Cross over to Tarshish; wail, O inhabitants of the coastland!

7 Is this your jubilant city, whose origin is from antiquity, whose feet have taken her to settle far away?

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

[This is] the burden מַשָּׂ֖א H4853 Noun - masculine singular construct against Tyre צֹ֑ר H6865 Noun - proper - feminine singular Wail הֵילִ֣ילוּ׀ H3213 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural O ships אֳנִיּ֣וֹת H591 Noun - feminine plural construct of Tarshish תַּרְשִׁ֗ישׁ H8659 Noun - proper - masculine singular for כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction [Tyre] is laid waste שֻׁדַּ֤ד H7703 Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person masculine singular without house מִבַּ֙יִת֙ H1004 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular [or] harbor מִבּ֔וֹא H935 Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Word has reached נִגְלָה־ H1540 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular them לָֽמוֹ׃ Preposition | third person masculine plural from the land מֵאֶ֥רֶץ H776 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct of Cyprus כִּתִּ֖ים H3794 Noun - proper - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • Or Wail, O fleet of trading ships; also in verse 14
  • Hebrew Kittim; also in verse 12
Verse 2

Original words

Be silent דֹּ֖מּוּ H1826 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural O dwellers יֹ֣שְׁבֵי H3427 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct of the coastland אִ֑י H339 Noun - masculine singular you merchants סֹחֵ֥ר H5503 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct of Sidon צִיד֛וֹן H6721 Noun - proper - feminine singular whose traders עֹבֵ֥ר H5674 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular have crossed מִלְאֽוּךְ׃ H4390 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural | second person feminine singular the sea יָ֖ם H3220 Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • DSS and LXX; MT whom the seafarers have enriched
Verse 3

Original words

On the great רַבִּים֙ H7227 Adjective - masculine plural waters וּבְמַ֤יִם H4325 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural came the grain זֶ֣רַע H2233 Noun - masculine singular construct of Shihor שִׁחֹ֔ר H7883 Noun - proper - feminine singular the harvest קְצִ֥יר H7105 Noun - masculine singular construct of the Nile יְא֖וֹר H2975 Noun - proper - feminine singular was the revenue of Tyre תְּבֽוּאָתָ֑הּ H8393 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular she was וַתְּהִ֖י H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular the merchant סְחַ֥ר H5504 Noun - masculine singular construct of the nations גּוֹיִֽם׃ H1471 Noun - masculine plural
Verse 4

Original words

Be ashamed בּ֣וֹשִׁי H954 Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular O Sidon צִיד֔וֹן H6721 Noun - proper - feminine singular the stronghold מָע֥וֹז H4581 Noun - masculine singular construct of the sea יָ֔ם H3220 Noun - masculine singular for כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction the sea הַיָּ֖ם H3220 Article | Noun - masculine singular . . . לֵאמֹ֑ר H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct has spoken אָמַ֣ר H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular I have not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle been in labor חַ֣לְתִּי H2342 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular or given birth יָלַ֗דְתִּי H3205 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular . . . וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle I have not וְלֹֽא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle raised גִדַּ֛לְתִּי H1431 Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular young men בַּחוּרִ֖ים H970 Noun - masculine plural or brought up רוֹמַ֥מְתִּי H7311 Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular young women בְתוּלֽוֹת׃ H1330 Noun - feminine plural
Verse 5

Original words

When כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־ H834 Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative the report [reaches] שֵׁ֖מַע H8088 Noun - masculine singular Egypt לְמִצְרָ֑יִם H4714 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular they will writhe in agony יָחִ֖ילוּ H2342 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural over the news כְּשֵׁ֥מַע H8088 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct of Tyre צֹֽר׃ H6865 Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 6

Original words

Cross over עִבְר֖וּ H5674 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural to Tarshish תַּרְשִׁ֑ישָׁה H8659 Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular wail הֵילִ֖ילוּ H3213 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural O inhabitants יֹ֥שְׁבֵי H3427 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct of the coastland אִֽי׃ H339 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 7

Original words

Is this הֲזֹ֥את H2063 Article | Pronoun - feminine singular your לָכֶ֖ם Preposition | second person masculine plural jubilant city עַלִּיזָ֑ה H5947 Adjective - feminine singular whose origin קַדְמָתָהּ֙ H6927 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular is from antiquity קֶ֤דֶם H6924 Noun - masculine singular . . . מִֽימֵי־ H3117 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct whose feet רַגְלֶ֔יהָ H7272 Noun - feminine dual construct | third person feminine singular have taken her יֹבִל֣וּהָ H2986 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person feminine singular to settle לָגֽוּר׃ H1481 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct far away מֵֽרָח֖וֹק H7350 Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.