Focused Passage

Isaiah 23:15-18

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

15 At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years—the span of a king’s life. But at the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot:

16 “Take up your harp, stroll through the city, O forgotten harlot. Make sweet melody, sing many a song, so you will be remembered.”

17 And at the end of seventy years, the LORD will restore Tyre. Then she will return to hire as a prostitute and sell herself to all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.

18 Yet her profits and wages will be set apart to the LORD; they will not be stored or saved, for her profit will go to those who live before the LORD, for abundant food and fine clothing.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 15

Original words

- וְהָיָה֙ H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular At that הַה֔וּא H1931 Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular time בַּיּ֣וֹם H3117 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Tyre צֹר֙ H6865 Noun - proper - feminine singular will be forgotten וְנִשְׁכַּ֤חַת H7911 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine singular for seventy שִׁבְעִ֣ים H7657 Number - common plural years שָׁנָ֔ה H8141 Noun - feminine singular the span כִּימֵ֖י H3117 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine plural construct of a אֶחָ֑ד H259 Number - masculine singular king’s life מֶ֣לֶךְ H4428 Noun - masculine singular But at the end מִקֵּ֞ץ H7093 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of seventy שִׁבְעִ֤ים H7657 Number - common plural years שָׁנָה֙ H8141 Noun - feminine singular it will happen יִהְיֶ֣ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular to Tyre לְצֹ֔ר H6865 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular as in the song כְּשִׁירַ֖ת H7892 Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular construct of the harlot הַזּוֹנָֽה׃ H2181 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 16

Original words

Take up קְחִ֥י H3947 Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular your harp כִנּ֛וֹר H3658 Noun - masculine singular stroll through סֹ֥בִּי H5437 Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular the city עִ֖יר H5892 Noun - feminine singular O forgotten נִשְׁכָּחָ֑ה H7911 Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine singular harlot זוֹנָ֣ה H2181 Noun - feminine singular Make sweet הֵיטִ֤יבִי H3190 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - feminine singular melody נַגֵּן֙ H5059 Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct sing many הַרְבִּי־ H7235 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - feminine singular a song שִׁ֔יר H7892 Noun - masculine singular . . . לְמַ֖עַן H4616 Conjunction so you will be remembered תִּזָּכֵֽרִי׃ H2142 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular
Verse 17

Original words

And at וְהָיָ֞ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular the end מִקֵּ֣ץ׀ H7093 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of seventy שִׁבְעִ֣ים H7657 Number - common plural years שָׁנָ֗ה H8141 Noun - feminine singular the LORD יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker will restore יִפְקֹ֤ד H6485 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Tyre צֹ֔ר H6865 Noun - proper - feminine singular Then she will return וְשָׁבָ֖ה H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular to hire לְאֶתְנַנָּ֑ה H868 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular as a prostitute וְזָֽנְתָ֛ה H2181 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular and sell herself אֶת־ H854 Preposition to all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the kingdoms מַמְלְכ֥וֹת H4467 Noun - feminine plural construct - הָאָ֖רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular on עַל־ H5921 Preposition the face פְּנֵ֥י H6440 Noun - common plural construct of the earth הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ H127 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 18

Original words

Yet her profits סַחְרָ֜הּ H5504 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular and wages וְאֶתְנַנָּ֗הּ H868 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular will be וְהָיָ֨ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular set apart קֹ֚דֶשׁ H6944 Noun - masculine singular to the LORD לַֽיהוָ֔ה H3068 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular they will not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle be stored יֵֽאָצֵ֖ר H686 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle or saved יֵֽחָסֵ֑ן H2630 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular for כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction her יִֽהְיֶ֣ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular profit סַחְרָ֔הּ H5504 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular will go to those who live לַיֹּשְׁבִ֞ים H3427 Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural before לִפְנֵ֤י H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct the LORD יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular for abundant לְשָׂבְעָ֖ה H7654 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular food לֶאֱכֹ֥ל H398 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct and fine עָתִֽיק׃פ H6266 Adjective - masculine singular clothing וְלִמְכַסֶּ֥ה H4374 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - 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.