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

1This 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.

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

3On 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.

4Be 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.”

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

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

7Is 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 burdenמַשָּׂ֖אH4853Noun - masculine singular constructagainst Tyreצֹ֑רH6865Noun - proper - feminine singularWailהֵילִ֣ילוּ׀H3213Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine pluralO shipsאֳנִיּ֣וֹתH591Noun - feminine plural constructof Tarshishתַּרְשִׁ֗ישׁH8659Noun - proper - masculine singularforכִּֽי־H3588Conjunction[Tyre] is laid wasteשֻׁדַּ֤דH7703Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person masculine singularwithout houseמִבַּ֙יִת֙H1004Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular[or] harborמִבּ֔וֹאH935Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructWord has reachedנִגְלָה־H1540Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singularthemלָֽמוֹ׃Preposition | third person masculine pluralfrom the landמֵאֶ֥רֶץH776Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular constructof Cyprusכִּתִּ֖יםH3794Noun - 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 silentדֹּ֖מּוּH1826Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralO dwellersיֹ֣שְׁבֵיH3427Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural constructof the coastlandאִ֑יH339Noun - masculine singularyou merchantsסֹחֵ֥רH5503Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular constructof Sidonצִיד֛וֹןH6721Noun - proper - feminine singularwhose tradersעֹבֵ֥רH5674Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularhave crossedמִלְאֽוּךְ׃H4390Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural | second person feminine singularthe seaיָ֖םH3220Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

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

Original words

On the greatרַבִּים֙H7227Adjective - masculine pluralwatersוּבְמַ֤יִםH4325Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine pluralcame the grainזֶ֣רַעH2233Noun - masculine singular constructof Shihorשִׁחֹ֔רH7883Noun - proper - feminine singularthe harvestקְצִ֥ירH7105Noun - masculine singular constructof the Nileיְא֖וֹרH2975Noun - proper - feminine singularwas the revenue of Tyreתְּבֽוּאָתָ֑הּH8393Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singularshe wasוַתְּהִ֖יH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularthe merchantסְחַ֥רH5504Noun - masculine singular constructof the nationsגּוֹיִֽם׃H1471Noun - masculine plural
Verse 4

Original words

Be ashamedבּ֣וֹשִׁיH954Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singularO Sidonצִיד֔וֹןH6721Noun - proper - feminine singularthe strongholdמָע֥וֹזH4581Noun - masculine singular constructof the seaיָ֔םH3220Noun - masculine singularforכִּֽי־H3588Conjunctionthe seaהַיָּ֖םH3220Article | Noun - masculine singular. . .לֵאמֹ֑רH559Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructhas spokenאָמַ֣רH559Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularI have notלֹֽא־H3808Adverb - Negative particlebeen in laborחַ֣לְתִּיH2342Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularor given birthיָלַ֗דְתִּיH3205Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular. . .וְלֹ֥אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particleI have notוְלֹֽא־H3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particleraisedגִדַּ֛לְתִּיH1431Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singularyoung menבַּחוּרִ֖יםH970Noun - masculine pluralor brought upרוֹמַ֥מְתִּיH7311Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singularyoung womenבְתוּלֽוֹת׃H1330Noun - feminine plural
Verse 5

Original words

Whenכַּֽאֲשֶׁר־H834Preposition-k | Pronoun - relativethe report [reaches]שֵׁ֖מַעH8088Noun - masculine singularEgyptלְמִצְרָ֑יִםH4714Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singularthey will writhe in agonyיָחִ֖ילוּH2342Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralover the newsכְּשֵׁ֥מַעH8088Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular constructof Tyreצֹֽר׃H6865Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 6

Original words

Cross overעִבְר֖וּH5674Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralto Tarshishתַּרְשִׁ֑ישָׁהH8659Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singularwailהֵילִ֖ילוּH3213Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine pluralO inhabitantsיֹ֥שְׁבֵיH3427Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural constructof the coastlandאִֽי׃H339Noun - masculine singular
Verse 7

Original words

Is thisהֲזֹ֥אתH2063Article | Pronoun - feminine singularyourלָכֶ֖םPreposition | second person masculine pluraljubilant cityעַלִּיזָ֑הH5947Adjective - feminine singularwhose originקַדְמָתָהּ֙H6927Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singularis from antiquityקֶ֤דֶםH6924Noun - masculine singular. . .מִֽימֵי־H3117Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural constructwhose feetרַגְלֶ֔יהָH7272Noun - feminine dual construct | third person feminine singularhave taken herיֹבִל֣וּהָH2986Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person feminine singularto settleלָגֽוּר׃H1481Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructfar awayמֵֽרָח֖וֹקH7350Preposition-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.