Isaiah 23
23
A Prophecy concerning Tyre and Sidon
1A prophecy for Tyre and Sidon:
Wail, you cargo ships of Tarshish! # 23:1 Tarshish refers most likely to the city of Tartessus, Spain, on the Guadalquivir River. Archaeological evidence suggests it may have been near present-day Seville.
For Tyre, # 23:1 Tyre means “rock,” “compressed,” or “pressed together.” Tyre, a Phoenician port on the Mediterranean, was once a symbol of power on the sea and a capital of world commerce. It was known as wealthy, influential, and evil. Now it is a small village known as Sur. Isaiah used it as a metaphor for commerce and trafficking. your port city, has fallen without a house or a harbor!
Word has come to them from the land of Cyprus.
2Be silent, you inhabitants of the coast
and you merchants of Sidon, # 23:2 Sidon is a coastal town in Lebanon. Sidon means “one who lies in wait,” “to hunt,” or “to trap.” once thronged by seafarers.
3On the great waters your revenue
was the grain from the Nile basin. # 23:3 Or “Sihor,” a tributary of the Nile. Sihor means “to wipe out” or “to uproot.”
The harvest of the Nile was your revenue.
You were merchants who traded with the nations.
4Sidon, be ashamed,
for the sea, the stronghold of the sea, declares,
“I have never gone into labor to give birth to children,
nor have I raised up sons or daughters.” # 23:4 In this cryptic verse, it appears that Tyre is given the name “sea, the stronghold of the sea.” With poetic impact, the sea is personified and speaks of being childless. There are churches today that are “childless” (without evangelistic outreach) and don’t “raise up sons and daughters” (training and equipping them for ministry).
5When the Egyptians hear it, they will be stunned
over the destruction of Tyre.
6Cross over to Tarshish.
Wail, you inhabitants of the coast.
7Is this your once boisterous city, founded so long ago?
Is this the city that once sent settlers over the sea?
8Who has planned this for imperial Tyre, who once wore her crown?
Your merchants were nobles,
and your traders were honored by the world.
9Yahweh, the Commander of Angel Armies, has planned it!
His plan is to eliminate # 23:9 Or “pollute” or “defile.” the pride of your presumed splendor
and to humiliate the honored of the world.
10Daughter Tarshish, cross over your land # 23:10 Or “farm your land.”
as one crosses the Nile,
for there is no more harbor marketplace. # 23:10 Or “waistband.” The Hebrew of this verse is uncertain.
11Yahweh has stretched out his hand over the sea of humanity
and has shaken the kingdoms of this world.
He has given his command to destroy Phoenicia’s fortresses. # 23:11 Or “He has given his command to Canaan to destroy its fortresses.”
12He said, “Fair Sidon, the oppressed one,
your celebrating is over.
Rise and cross over to Cyprus;
even there you will find no rest.”
13Behold the land of the Babylonians.
They are a people who have lost their identity.
The Assyrians have made her a home for wild animals.
They erected siege towers against her,
demolished her palaces,
and made her a heap of ruins.
14Wail, you merchant ships of Tarshish,
for your fortress is destroyed.
15In that day, Tyre will remain forgotten for seventy years, equal to the life span of a king. After seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song about the prostitute:
16Take a harp and go about the city,
you prostitute long forgotten.
Make your sweet melody and sing many songs
so that you will be remembered again.
17At the end of seventy years, the Lord Yahweh will restore Tyre, but she will return to her trade. She will prostitute herself again with every kingdom of the world. 18But her merchandise and earnings will be set apart as holy to the Lord Yahweh. They will neither be stored nor hoarded, but they will supply abundant # 23:18 See John 10:10; 3 John 2. food and splendid garments for those who live in the presence of the Lord Yahweh! # 23:18 Or “for those on whom Yahweh’s face shines.” Or “for those who live before Yahweh’s face.”
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Isaiah 23: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationIsaiah 23
23
The City of Tyre Will Be Punished
1 #
Ez 26.1—28.19; Jl 3.4-8; Am 1.9,10; Zec 9.1-4; Mt 11.21,22; Lk 10.13,14. This is a message from distant islands about the city of Tyre:#23.1 Tyre: A fortress city built on an island in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of what is now Lebanon.
Cry, you seagoing ships!#23.1 seagoing ships: See the note at 2.16.
Tyre and its houses
lie in ruins.#23.1 Tyre … ruins: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
2Mourn in silence,
you shop owners of Sidon,#23.2 Sidon: A coastal city just north of Tyre.
you people on the coast.
Your sailors crossed oceans,
making your city rich.
3Your merchants sailed the seas,
making you wealthy by trading
with nation after nation.
They brought back grain
that grew along the Nile.#23.3 along the Nile: The Hebrew text has “grain of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile,” but Shihor is probably a name for a region near the lower part of the Nile.
4Sidon, you are a mighty fortress
built along the sea.
But you will be disgraced
like a married woman
who never had children.#23.4 children: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
5When Egypt hears about Tyre,
it will tremble.
6All of you along the coast
had better cry and sail
far across the ocean.#23.6 far across the ocean: The Hebrew text has “to Tarshish,” probably meaning a long distance.
7Can this be the happy city
that has stood for centuries?
Its people have spread
to distant lands;
8its merchants were kings
honored all over the world.
Who planned to destroy Tyre?
9The Lord All-Powerful planned it
to bring shame and disgrace
to those who are honored
by everyone on earth.
10People of Tyre,#23.10 People of Tyre: The Hebrew text has “the people of Tarshish,” which stands for the colonies of Tyre.
your harbor is destroyed!
You will have to become farmers
just like the Egyptians.#23.10 Egyptians: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.
Tyre Will Be Forgotten
11The Lord's hand has reached
across the sea,
upsetting the nations.
He has given a command
to destroy fortresses
in the land of Canaan.
12The Lord has said
to the people of Sidon,
“Your celebrating is over—
you are crushed.
Even if you escape to Cyprus,
you won't find peace.”
13Look what the Assyrians have done to Babylonia! They have attacked, destroying every palace in the land. Now wild animals live among the ruins.#23.13 ruins: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 13. 14Not a fortress will be left standing, so tell all the seagoing ships#23.14 seagoing ships: See the note at 2.16. to mourn.
15The city of Tyre will be forgotten for 70 years, which is the lifetime of a king. Then Tyre will be like that evil woman in the song:
16You're gone and forgotten,
you evil woman!
So strut through the town,
singing and playing
your favorite tune
to be remembered again.
17At the end of those 70 years, the Lord will let Tyre get back into business. The city will be like a woman who sells her body to everyone of every nation on earth, 18but none of what is earned will be kept in the city. That money will belong to the Lord, and it will be used to buy more than enough food and good clothes for those who worship the Lord.
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