= Isaiah 23 * Please see [[nsv:license|License]] for Copyright notice and Licensing information. * [ [[Isaiah_22|Previous]] | [[Isaiah_24|Next]] ] == Isaiah 23 1 The 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. 2 Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that 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 mart of nations. 4 Be 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. 5 As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre. 6 Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle. 7 Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn. 8 Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth? 9 The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth. 10 Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength. 11 He 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. 12 And 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. 13 Behold 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. 14 Howl, ye 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 shall Tyre sing as an harlot. 16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest 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 hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. 18 And 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. == Notes == Cross Reference == Commentary == Rashi ==== Verse 1 Wail, ye ships of Tarshish who became wealthy through the merchants of Tyre, for the ships of Tarshish would bring merchandise to Tyre. Tarshish is the name of the sea. for it has been pillaged from within For it has been pillaged from within, the place you were wont to lodge, from coming anymore into his midst, and you will no longer have a place in Tyre to lodge there. from the land of Kittim They are the Romans. he appeared to them The marauder appeared to the people of Tyre. Another explanation is that from the land of Kittim, the plunder of Tyre was revealed to the people of Tarshish, for the people of Tyre fled to Kittim and from there the news was heard. ==== Verse 2 Be silent, ye island dwellers Mourn and sit silently, you dwellers of the island of the sea. Why? The seafaring merchants of Zidon were wont to replenish you with all merchandise. Now, when Tyre falls, Zidon will fall with it, for they were within a day’s journey from one another. ==== Verse 3 And on great waters the seed would come from Egypt, that is situated on the river Shihor, to Tyre. the harvest of the Nile Egypt was the revenue of Tyre. Shihor This is the Nile, as it is said (Jos. 13: 3): “From the Shihor, which is before Egypt.” And they would bring the produce to Tyre in Egyptian ships. and she became (I.e.,) Tyre. the mart of the nations from the multitude of people that were therein. All the nations brought merchandise to her. ([Some editions read:] All the strangers.) ==== Verse 4 Be ashamed, Zidon which was secondary to Tyre. for the sea said For Tyre, that was situated in the stronghold of the sea, who was the main head of the kingdom, said, “I am as though I have not travailed, nor have I borne young men, for they all were slain, and I am as though I have not raised virgins.” And so did Jonathan render it. And our Sages said in the Aggadah: Be ashamed, Zidon, for the sea has spoken, “If I, who have no sons and daughters about whom to worry that they not be seized for my iniquity, do not deviate from the commandment of my Maker, by crossing the boundary of sand which He placed for me, how much more should you be ashamed, Zidon, since you have to worry about all these!” ==== Verse 5 Like the report concerning Egypt which they heard about the Egyptians, that I had brought ten plagues upon them, and that they finally drowned in the sea. shall they quake They shall be frightened. at the report When the listeners hear that the report concerning Tyre has been announced, for also the plagues of Tyre shall be in the same pattern as those plagues: “Blood and fire” (Joel 3:3); (Isaiah 66:6) “A voice of tumult from the city,” like the croaking of the frogs, (Infra 34:9) “And its brooks shall be turned to pitch and its dust into sulphur,” on the pattern of the plague of lice. (Ibid. 11) “But the pelican and hedgehog shall take possession of it,” after the pattern of the plague of a mixture of noxious beasts. (Ezekiel 38:22) “And I will hold judgment over him with pestilence and with blood,” a pattern of the plague of murrain. (Zechariah 14:12) “His flesh shall consume away,” after the pattern of the plague of boils. (Supra 18:5) “And he shall cut off the tendrils,” after the pattern of the hail and locusts; (infra 34:6) “And a great massacre in the land of Edom,” corresponding to the plague of the first born. This system is true if his צוֹר is another city (Edom, Rome[Parshandatha]). If it is actually Tyre, because the sea inundated it, the prophet says about it, “Like the report concerning Egypt,” and I say that the entire section, indeed, is talking about Tyre, because Zidon is near it. ([Other editions read:] And I say that the entire section is, indeed, talking about Tyre. Because Zidon is near it, he juxtaposes Zidon to it [Parshandatha].) ==== Verse 6 Proceed you inhabitants of Tyre, to flee to Tarshish. ==== Verse 7 Is this your joyful [city] It has fallen before you, and he will say to you, “Is this the city that was joyful in your eyes, that from ancient times was joyful; whose feet now carry her afar to seek for herself a resting place?” ==== Verse 8 whose traffickers (כִּנְעָנֶיהָ) traffickers. Comp. (Hosea 12:8) “As for the trafficker (כְּנַעַן) in his hand are the balances of deceit”; (Zech. 14:21) “And there shall no longer be a trafficker (כְּנַעֲנִי).” ==== Verse 9 every position every strong position. ==== Verse 10 Cross your land into exile. like a river Like this river that rises and spreads out. O daughter of Tarshish Tyre, which is situated on the Sea of Tarshish. there is no more strength (אֵין מֵזַח עוֹד). You have no more strength or girdle to gird your loins. מֵזַח is an expression of a girdle. Comp. (Psalms 109: 19) “And for a girdle (וּלְמֵֵזַח) he shall always gird himself with it.” And every ‘girdle’ is an expression of strength. ==== Verse 11 He stretched His hand He Who stretched out. the Lord commanded upon Canaan He commanded His summoned ones upon Canaan. to destroy (לַשְׁמִד), like לְהַשְׁמִיד. Comp. (II Kings 9: 15) “To go and tell (לַגִּיד) in Jezreel,” like לְהַגִּיד. And so (Psalms 26:7), “To make heard (לַשְׁמִיעַ) with a voice of thanksgiving,” like לְהַשְׁמִיעַ. its strongholds Tyre and Zidon were of Canaan, as it is stated (Gen. 10:15): “Zidon his first born.” ==== Verse 12 to Kittim to the land of Kittim, arise and cross; even there you shall have no rest. Why do I say, “Arise and cross over?” ([According to our reading, that of the printed editions, we find no answer to this question. According to some manuscripts, however, the reading is as follows:] to Kittim to the land of Kittim, arise and cross, even there you shall have no rest. Why? Behold the land of the Chaldees They shall exile you from there. ==== Verse 13 Behold the land of the Chaldees, this people has never been It was not to be a people, for they are called, (Habakkuk 1:6) “bitter, impetuous nation.” They are a foolish nation, of the creatures that the Holy One, blessed be He, (so to speak,) regrets (creating) them. [Tractate Sukkah (52b)]. Assyria established it to station his fleets therein, his ships, huge battle ships, as (infra 33:21): “A mighty fleet (צִי).” they erected its towers They shall erect their fortifications (var., their siege towers) upon Tyre. (Heb.) בַּחוּנָיו, an expression similar to (infra 32:14): “tower and bastion (בֹּחַן),” bajjpred in O.F., which they erect for a siege against walled cities. destroyed its palaces (עוֹרְרוּ). They shall destroy. (This is) an expression like (Psalms 137:7): “Raze it, raze it (עָרוּ עָרוּ),” an expression of demolition until the very foundation. ==== Verse 15 that Tyre shall be forgotten Since the prophet refers to her with an expression of degradation, with an expression comparing her to a harlot, he says, “shall be forgotten,” like a harlot whose lovers have forgotten her. She, too, shall be forgotten for want of merchants and traffickers turning to her, because she shall be destroyed. like the days of one king The days of David were seventy years, but I do not know why this sign is given here. it shall fare with Tyre a slight remembrance, that she shall shake herself from her humble state and appeal to those who were wont to trade with her, to return to her so that she return to her original state. like the song of the harlot who sees that no one turns to her and raises a sweet and melodious voice in song, perhaps she will please her lovers. ==== Verse 16 sing many songs That is to say, also make many supplications and humble your haughtiness. ==== Verse 17 to her hire To her original state and to her wealth through her commerce. He denigrates her with a degrading expression. and she shall have commerce (Lit., and she shall prostitute.) She shall supply merchandise. But he denigrates her with a shameful expression. ==== Verse 18 holy to the Lord The righteous are destined to plunder her when the king Messiah comes. it shall not be stored to be a treasure for her kings. and it shall not be inherited They will not leave it over as an inheritance to their children. and for stately clothing (וְלִמְכַסֶּה עָתִיק) for beautiful clothing means laudable, as (Psalms 94:4): “They speak with haughtiness (עָתָק).”