The miserable overthrow of Tyre, 1-14. Her restoration and lewdness, 15-18.
1 [The burden of Tyre.]
Howl, you 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.
2 Be still, you inhabitants of the coastland,/
you whom the merchants of Zidon, who pass over the sea, have replenished.
3 And by great waters the seed of Sihor,/
the harvest of the river, is her revenue,/
and she is a market of nations.
4 Be ashamed, O Zidon, for the sea has spoken,/
even the strength of the sea, saying,/
"I do not travail, nor bring forth children,/
neither do I nourish young men, nor bring up virgins."
5 As at the report concerning Egypt,/
so they shall be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.
6 Pass over to Tarshish./
Howl, you inhabitants of the coast.
7 Is this your joyous city,/
whose antiquity is of ancient days?/
Her own feet shall carry her far off to sojourn.
8 Who has taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city,/
whose merchants are princes,/
whose traders are the honorable of the earth?
9 The LORD of hosts has purposed it/
to stain the pride of all glory/
and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.
10 Pass through your land as a river,/
O daughter of Tarshish. There is no more strength.
11 He stretched his hand over the sea./
He shook the kingdoms./
The LORD has given a commandment against the merchant city/
to destroy its strongholds.
12 And he said, "You shall no longer rejoice,/
O oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon./
Arise, pass over to Chittim./
You shall have no rest there also."
13 Behold the land of the Chaldeans. This people was not, until the Assyrian founded it for those who dwell in the wilderness. They set up its towers, they raised up its palaces, and they brought it to ruin.
14 Howl, you ships of Tarshish,/
for your strength is laid waste.
15 And 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 Tyre shall sing as a harlot.
16 Take a harp,/
go throughout the city,/
you harlot who has been forgotten./
Make sweet melody/
and sing many songs/
so that you may be remembered.
17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her wages and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. 18 And her merchandise and her wages shall be holiness to the LORD. It shall not be treasured nor laid up, for her merchandise shall be for those who dwell before the LORD, for sufficient food, and for durable clothing.
Matthew Henry Commentary - Isaiah, Chapter 23[➚]