Focused Passage

Isaiah 23:8-14

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

8 Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose traders are princes, whose merchants are renowned on the earth?

9 The LORD of Hosts planned it, to defile all its glorious beauty, to disgrace all the renowned of the earth.

10 Cultivate your land like the Nile, O Daughter of Tarshish; there is no longer a harbor.

11 The LORD has stretched out His hand over the sea; He has made kingdoms tremble. He has given a command that the strongholds of Canaan be destroyed.

12 He said, “You shall rejoice no more, O oppressed Virgin Daughter of Sidon. Get up and cross over to Cyprus—even there you will find no rest.”

13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans—a people now of no account. The Assyrians destined it for the desert creatures; they set up their siege towers and stripped its palaces. They brought it to ruin.

14 Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for your harbor has been destroyed!

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 8

Original words

Who מִ֚י H4310 Interrogative planned יָעַ֣ץ H3289 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular this זֹ֔את H2063 Pronoun - feminine singular against עַל־ H5921 Preposition Tyre צֹ֖ר H6865 Noun - proper - feminine singular the bestower of crowns הַמַּֽעֲטִירָ֑ה H5849 Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - feminine singular whose אֲשֶׁ֤ר H834 Pronoun - relative traders סֹחֲרֶ֙יה֙ H5503 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular are princes שָׂרִ֔ים H8269 Noun - masculine plural whose merchants כִּנְעָנֶ֖יהָ H3667 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular are renowned נִכְבַּדֵּי־ H3513 Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural construct on the earth אָֽרֶץ׃ H776 Noun - feminine singular
Verse 9

Original words

The LORD יְהוָ֥ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular of Hosts צְבָא֖וֹת H6635 Noun - common plural planned it יְעָצָ֑הּ H3289 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular to defile לְחַלֵּל֙ H2490 Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct its glorious גְּא֣וֹן H1347 Noun - masculine singular construct beauty צְבִ֔י H6643 Noun - masculine singular to disgrace לְהָקֵ֖ל H7043 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the renowned נִכְבַּדֵּי־ H3513 Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural construct of the earth אָֽרֶץ׃ H776 Noun - feminine singular
Verse 10

Original words

Cultivate עִבְרִ֥י H5674 Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular your land אַרְצֵ֖ךְ H776 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular like the Nile כַּיְאֹ֑ר H2975 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular O Daughter בַּת־ H1323 Noun - feminine singular construct of Tarshish תַּרְשִׁ֕ישׁ H8659 Noun - proper - masculine singular there is no אֵ֖ין H369 Adverb longer עֽוֹד׃ H5750 Adverb a harbor מֵ֥זַח H4206 Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • DSS and some LXX manuscripts; MT Overflow
Verse 11

Original words

[The LORD] has stretched out נָטָ֣ה H5186 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular His hand יָדוֹ֙ H3027 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular over עַל־ H5921 Preposition the sea הַיָּ֔ם H3220 Article | Noun - masculine singular He has made kingdoms מַמְלָכ֑וֹת H4467 Noun - feminine plural tremble הִרְגִּ֖יז H7264 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular [He] יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular has given a command צִוָּ֣ה H6680 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular that אֶל־ H413 Preposition the strongholds מָעֻזְנֶֽיהָ׃ H4581 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular of Canaan כְּנַ֔עַן H3667 Noun - proper - masculine singular be destroyed לַשְׁמִ֖ד H8045 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Verse 12

Original words

He said וַיֹּ֕אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular You shall rejoice לַעְל֑וֹז H5937 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct no לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle more תוֹסִ֥יפִי H3254 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person feminine singular . . . ע֖וֹד H5750 Adverb O oppressed הַֽמְעֻשָּׁקָ֞ה H6231 Article | Verb - Pual - Participle - feminine singular Virgin בְּתוּלַ֣ת H1330 Noun - feminine singular construct Daughter בַּת־ H1323 Noun - feminine singular construct of Sidon צִיד֗וֹן H6721 Noun - proper - feminine singular Get up ק֣וּמִי H6965 Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular and cross over עֲבֹ֔רִי H5674 Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular to Cyprus כִּתִּיִּים H3794 Noun - proper - feminine singular even גַּם־ H1571 Conjunction there שָׁ֖ם H8033 Adverb you will find no לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle rest יָנ֥וּחַֽ H5117 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 13

Original words

Look at הֵ֣ן׀ H2005 Interjection the land אֶ֣רֶץ H776 Noun - feminine singular construct of the זֶ֤ה H2088 Pronoun - masculine singular Chaldeans כַּשְׂדִּ֗ים H3778 Noun - proper - masculine plural a people הָעָם֙ H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular now לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle of no account הָיָ֔ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular The Assyrians אַשּׁ֖וּר H804 Noun - proper - feminine singular destined it יְסָדָ֣הּ H3245 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular for the desert creatures לְצִיִּ֑ים H6728 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural they set up הֵקִ֣ימוּ H6965 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural their siege towers בְחִינָיו H971 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular and stripped עֹרְרוּ֙ H6209 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural its palaces אַרְמְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ H759 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular They brought it שָׂמָ֖הּ H7760 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular to ruin לְמַפֵּלָֽה׃ H4654 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • That is, the Babylonians
Verse 14

Original words

Wail הֵילִ֖ילוּ H3213 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural O ships אֳנִיּ֣וֹת H591 Noun - feminine plural construct of Tarshish תַּרְשִׁ֑ישׁ H8659 Noun - proper - masculine singular for כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction your harbor מָעֻזְּכֶֽן׃ס H4581 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine plural has been destroyed שֻׁדַּ֖ד H7703 Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person 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.