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Read Isaiah Chapter 23

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1The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.

2Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.

3And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations.

4Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins.

5As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.

6Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.

7Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.

8Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?

9The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.

10Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength.

11He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the LORD hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strong holds thereof.

12And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.

13Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin.

14Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.

15And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.

16Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

17And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.

18And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

You are readingKing James Version

Explanation

Isaiah 23

In short

God announces through Isaiah that Tyre, a great merchant city, will be destroyed and forgotten for seventy years. After that time, the city will return to trading, but everything it produces will belong to God and serve his people instead of making the city rich.

What the text says

Verses 1-4: Ships and traders cry out because Tyre's lands are ruined with no buildings left. The city was built up by merchants from Sidon who crossed the sea, and it grew wealthy from grain shipped down the river. Now even the sea itself refuses to nourish it.

Verses 5-9: Like Egypt's shock at bad news, people will be shocked by what happens to Tyre. God himself has decided to destroy this proud city whose merchants and traders were the most honored people on earth.

Verses 10-12: God stretches his hand over the sea and shakes the kingdoms. He has commanded the merchant city destroyed. Tyre will flee but find no rest anywhere.

Verses 13-14: The text compares Tyre's fall to how the Assyrian destroyed places where people lived in the wilderness, building towers and palaces only to see them ruined.

Verses 15-18: After seventy years, Tyre will be remembered again and return to trading "as a harlot," meaning it will earn money through commerce. But everything it produces will belong to God and feed and clothe his people, not enrich the city itself.

Takeaways

  • Even the mightiest trading powers cannot stand against God's judgment.
  • Destruction and forgetting are not permanent; restoration can come, but on God's terms.
  • What the world values for wealth can be redirected to serve God's purposes.

Explanation written with the help of AI. The Bible text above is not changed. Context and interpretation are flagged as such; always come back to the text itself.