Isaiah 23:1-9
Isa 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.
The next burden of prophecy that Isaiah was to bring was
against the city of Tyre. Tyre was
located approximately 100 miles (161 KM) north of Jerusalem in Phoenicia on the
east coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
King David had a good relationship with Hiram King of Tyre as he sent
skilled craftsmen and materials for the building of Solomon’s temple.
Approximately 300 years have passed since that time and Tyre did not come
against Judah in a military way but they came against them in the Balaam way.
Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal II, the King of Sidon which was just
north of Tyre. Jezebel became the
wife of King Ahab and introduced Baal worship into the northern kingdom.
She had tried to remove the Lord from being worshipped and substituted
the worship of the Baal of Tyre. Tyre
was also a very wealthy city because of all the trading they did on the sea to
surrounding countries such as Tarshish which was probably Tartessus in Spain
which was a colony founded by Hiram of Tyre.
The ships or rather the traders who did business with Tyre have heard of
the downfall of Tyre which happened when Nebuchadnezzar besieged the city
between 586 and 573 B.C. and the city became subject to him.
In 332 B.C. Alexander the Great built a ramp of stone and earth called a
mole from the mainland to the island where Tyre was located turning it into a
peninsula and then he destroyed the city.
It was rebuilt and regained its prosperity and became a Greek speaking
city and during New Testament times a church was established there.
Chittim was the island of Cyprus and as soon as they heard that Tyre was
destroyed, they sent word to all the mariners and shipping companies.
Isa 23:2
Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the
merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.
The inhabitants of Tyre and those who actually saw the
ruins were to be dumb-struck in awe because it once a flourishing city.
What this means was they were to stop all trading with Tyre which was 22
miles (35 KM) south of Sidon. The
merchants of Zidon or Sidon were to take note of the devastation which took
place in Tyre. Tyre was originally
a colony planted by Sidon but she grew rapidly and strongly becoming larger than
Sidon. In Isaiah’s day, Tyre had
dominated Sidon. Tyre was also
called the metropolis of the Sidonians which replenished Tyre with working men
and industry.
And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art
situate at the entry of the sea, which
art a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O
Tyrus, thou hast said, I am of
perfect beauty. (Ezekiel 27:3)
Isa 23:3
And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the
river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations.
Sihor was in the delta of the Nile and from the fertile
valley of the Nile. Tyre did much
trading with Egypt and they became a very rich city because of it.
The mart was like an emporium where the Egyptians and other nations
brought their wares to trade and they sold them always having a market for them
thus enriching the merchants of Tyre.
Isa 23:4
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.
Sidon which was the mother city of Tyre was now to be
ashamed because of the cessation of business with Tyre.
Isaiah sees the waters of the Mediterranean Sea as being personified that
the sea had spoken in that it is no longer the livelihood of Tyre and the
strength of the Sea was their ability to trade and sell to other nations and buy
their wares. The sea now states
that it has not brought any children to Tyre which means no families or people
who were looking to marry and start families.
There was no nourishing of the young men which meant they were not being
brought up learning business or trading and no virgins came to Tyre for the
purpose of marrying those young men who would have good vocations in business.
In other words, both the prosperity of business and the prosperity of
families were now gone from Tyre.
Isa 23:5
As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they
be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.
Egypt will be sorely pained at the repost coming from
Tyre since it was their ships which brought all their products around the other
ports on the Mediterranean Sea.
Egypt was dominated by Ethiopia (Cush) who opposed Assyria and now with the
takeover of Tyre and Cyprus, this would affect their trading and have an impact
upon their economy.
Isa 23:6
Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the
isle.
Now that Tyre has been taken, the people of Tyre have now
become refugees. They were to make
their way to Tartessus in Spain and maybe Tarsus in Cilicia.
Since the ships of Tarshish were great traders with the those of Tyre,
maybe their refugees would find a place of solace there.
Those who could not escape had to go into captivity.
Isa 23:7
Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity
is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.
In the time of Isaiah, Tyre was about 2,000 years old and
was a joyous and exultant city because of its growth and wealth.
It was also strategic in colonizing many places around the Mediterranean.
In the time of Joshua which was about 600 years prior to Isaiah it was
considered a strong city.
And
then the coast turneth to
Ramah, and to the strong city Tyre; and the coast turneth to Hosah; and the
outgoings thereof are at the sea from the coast to Achzib: (Joshua 19:29)
Now with the Assyrian army destroying the city, the people of Tyre will
be made to walk on foot and no longer will there be horses or carriages to
accommodate them. They will have to
walk to whatever province the conquerors will direct them.
From pictures of World War 2, we have seen great lines of prisoners
walking and those of Tyrus will have to do the same thing.
Isa 23:8
Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning
city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the
honourable of the earth?
Tyre was a city where their people had founded colonies
which were eventually ruled by kings who were crowned.
Then the question is posed to them, who has taken such counsel against
Tyre since it was a city which made many very wealthy?
Who could possibly want to see Tyre destroyed when it was the great hub
of much business and family life?
Their traffickers or business men were honorable man in their business dealings
with each other so why would anyone want to see it destroyed?
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. (Isaiah 23:9)
The LORD himself was bringing this counsel against them because of their
arrogance and pride.
Isa 23:9
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.