Chapter 23

1 The miserable overthrow of Tyre. 17 Their unhappy return.

1. The burden of Tyre. See on ch. 13:1. Tyre and Sidon were the chief cities of the great maritime nation of Phoenicia (see Vol. II, pp. 67–69), and this message is, therefore, one of divine judgment against Phoenicia. Tyre and Sidon were frequently the target of attack by great nations of the Near East, including Assyria and Babylon, and later by Alexander the Great. To which of these attacks does Isaiah refer? Probably all of them. Certainly the Lord had a message for Phoenicia in Isaiah’s time, and the prophecy, or “burden,” would thus include measures taken by Tiglath-pileser III, Sargon II, and Sennacherib against Tyre. But the prophecy is doubtless of a more comprehensive nature, and refers also to later times, when the judgment predicted became even more extensive, as in the days of Nebuchadnezzar and of Alexander the Great. For Ezekiel’s parallel prophecy, see Eze. 26 to 28. For parallel imagery in the book of Revelation, compare Isa. 23:2, 8, 11, 15, 17 with Rev. 17:2, 5; 18:2, 3, 5, 11, 23. See also on Isa. 47:1; Jer. 25:12; 50:1; Eze. 26:13.

Ships of Tarshish. Tarshish is generally believed to have been a Phoenician colony in Spain (see on Gen. 10:4). “Ships of Tarshish,” several times mentioned in connection with Tyre, were probably refinery ships carrying metals (see on Isa. 2:16) and other goods of trade (Eze. 27:12). Here, ships on their return voyage from Tarshish are meant. Isaiah’s prophecy pictures the great ships of Tarshish laden with wealth, making their way around the Mediterranean to their home port of Tyre, and just before arriving there, finding that the city had been taken.

No entering in. The ships now had no home port to which they might go.

Chittim. Probably Cyprus. See on Num. 24:24. Here would be the last port of call on the voyage from Spain to Tyre, and here the crews of the homeward-bound ships would learn of the disaster that had befallen their home port.

2. Be still. Or, “be dumb,” in astonishment, grief, and terror.

The isle. Or, “the coast” of Phoenicia.

Zidon. The term Sidon frequently represents all Phoenicia. In earlier times the city of Sidon was more prominent than Tyre (see Vol. II, p. 68). The Homeric Greeks and the Assyrians at times used the term Sidon in this sense. Tyre was known as the metropolis of the Sidonians, and the Tyrian king, the “king of the Sidonians” (see on 1 Kings 16:31).

3. Sihor. Either (1) a part of the Nile, (2) an unidentified body of water on Egypt’s eastern border, or (3) the WaЖdйµ elРФArish (the “River of Egypt”), commonly regarded as the southwestern limit of Palestine (see on 1 Chron. 13:5). The “seed of Sihor” evidently means the grain of Egypt. Phoenician imported grain from Egypt, and Phoenician vessels undoubtedly carried it in an extensive trade.

The river. That is, the Nile (see on ch. 19:5, 6).

4. Be thou ashamed. To be without offspring was regarded as a disgrace (see on Gen. 16:4; 20:18; 30:23; 38:25). Sidon is here pictured as bemoaning the fact that she is without children. She sits alone, desolate and forsaken, weeping over her forlorn and helpless condition (see Isa. 47:7–9; Rev. 18:7).

Strength. Heb. maФoz, “stronghold.”

5. As at the report. The first clause reads literally, “when the report is heard in Egypt.” Upon receiving the report of the doom of Phoenicia, Egypt would be stricken with anguish. When the Assyrians wreaked their vengeance on Tyre and Sidon they were in a position to attack Egypt. In the days of Nebuchadnezzar and of Alexander the Great the capture of Tyre was preliminary to an invasion of Egypt (see Eze. 29:18–20).

6. Howl. The doom of Tyre was to bring distress to all the coast line of Phoenicia (see on v. 2) and to other areas that depended upon Phoenician commerce. Those inhabitants of Tyre who were able to escape from the city would flee to such distant places as Tarshish.

7. Your joyous city. The prophet taunts Tyre because of her coming doom. Compare this with his taunting song against Babylon (ch. 14:4–23). Phoenician colonies dotted the shores of the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, and the Atlantic coast of Europe.

8. Who hath taken? Who is responsible for the doom that will lay Tyre low? Tyre stands in her might and glory, but a power far greater than she has pronounced judgment against her.

Whose merchants. Compare Rev. 18:23.

9. The Lord of hosts. Isaiah answers the question of v. 8. Tyre proudly vaunts herself against the Lord of heaven, setting herself up as greater than God (Eze. 28:2–8), but the Lord will reduce her to humiliation and shame (see Isa. 13:11; 14:24, 26, 27). The destruction of Tyre will be a demonstration to all of how the Lord humbles the pride and the haughtiness of men.

10. Pass through thy land. Dead Sea scroll 1QIs reads, “serve thy land,” and the LXX reflects this reading. The exact meaning of this verse is not clear, and various interpretations have been given to it. The one addressed is the “daughter of Tarshish,” that is, Tarshish itself, or its inhabitants. They are to leave their city like a river overflowing its banks, and go wherever they can.

No more strength. That is, “restraint.” They are now free to do as they please, and Tyre can no longer restrain them. After the fall of Tyre the Phoenician colonies carried on for themselves. Some (such as Carthage) became even more powerful than Tyre itself had been.

11. He shook the kingdoms. The Lord’s hand was “stretched out” over many nations, and they were shaken to their very foundations. Figuratively, God was shaking the entire world in order to carry out His will (see Isa. 2:19; cf. Haggai 2:6, 7; Heb. 12:26, 27). In this process many nations would be removed and others set up in their places.

Merchant city. Heb. kenaФan, Canaan, the name by which the Phoenicians referred to themselves.

12. No more rejoice. The final doom of the Phoenicians is here pictured. Whatever they might choose to do, they would not succeed. Heretofore Sidon had been undefiled—she had been able to protect herself against invasion. Now, however, she was to be stripped of her robe of virginity and would be reduced to shame and reproach before all the world. Should the Phoenicians flee to Chittim (Cyprus; see on v. >1) they would find no rest, for there, too, the hand of the enemy would lay hold of them. There would be no escape.

13. This people was not. The Hebrew of v. 13 is obscure and difficult. In Isaiah’s time Assyria moved against Tyre, but without conquering it. Nebuchadnezzar later besieged it for 13 terrible years (see Eze. 28:18). Perhaps this campaign of Nebuchadnezzar is here foretold.

14. Howl. See on v. 1. The prophecy of doom for Tyre concludes as it began. The Phoenician “ships of Tarshish” are to wail because Tyre, their stronghold, has been brought to ruin.

15. Seventy years. It is difficult to give a literal application of this prophecy, for the history of Tyre is not sufficiently well known. At the present it is not possible to give any specific year when the 70 years here referred to began and when they came to an end. Some think this period was roughly parallel with the 70 years of Jewish captivity in Babylon (2 Chron. 36:21; Jer. 25:11; 29:10; Dan. 9:2; Zech. 1:12; 7:5), which began with Nebuchadnezzar’s first capture of Jerusalem and ended with the restoration and return under Cyrus and Darius of Persia. Nebuchadnezzar began his 13-year siege of Tyre shortly after his capture and destruction of Jerusalem in 586 b.c. Tyre was again an important city during the Persian period, and was again captured by Alexander in 332 b.c.

The days of one king. The word “king” is probably used here for “kingdom,” as in Dan. 2:44; 7:17; 8:21. This expression may therefore denote the period of Babylonian occupation.

Shall Tyre sing as an harlot. Literally, “it will be to Tyre according to the song of the harlot.” Tyre desired commercial supremacy. She would do anything for the sake of profit. In this respect she was like the prostitute Babylon, who sold herself for gain (Isa. 47:15; Rev. 17:2; 18:3).

16. Take an harp. A lyre. Tyre was to resort to her successful wiles, enticing merchants to trade with her in order to profit at their expense. She is compared to a lewd woman singing and playing, using these arts to seduce unwary men (see Prov. 7:7–21). Babylon also made use of “enchantments” to extend her influence (Isa. 47:9, 12; Rev. 17:4; 18:3).

17. Fornication. That is, the illicit relations into which Tyre entered with the other nations of earth for the sake of gain. Honor, right, justice, and decency were all forgotten for the sake of profit. The same expression is used concerning Babylon (Rev. 17:2; 18:3). The world was no different then from what it is today. The curse of Babylon and Tyre is the curse of our modern age.

18. Holiness. That is, “a consecrated thing.” The doom of Tyre and the ultimate triumph of Zion are foretold. In spite of her wiles Tyre would not continue forever, deceiving and defrauding men. She would fall, but Jerusalem would triumph. The harlot Babylon would suffer the same fate (Jer. 51:7, 8; Rev. 17:1, 5, 16; 18:2, 7–23).

Ellen G. White comments

18  TM 335