Isaiah 23

Oracle Against Tyre

¹The 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 Kittim it is revealed to them.

²Be still, you inhabitants of the coast, you whom the merchants of Sidon that pass over the sea have replenished.

³On great waters, the seed of the Shihor, the harvest of the Nile, was her revenue. She was the market of nations.

⁴Be ashamed, Sidon; for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying, “I have not travailed, nor given birth, neither have I nourished young men, nor brought up virgins.”

⁵When the report comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report of Tyre.

⁶Pass over to Tarshish! Wail, you inhabitants of the coast!

⁷Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days, whose feet carried her far away to travel?

⁸Who has planned this against Tyre, the giver of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are the honorable of the earth?

⁹The LORD of Armies has planned it, to stain the pride of all glory, to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.

¹⁰Pass through your land like the Nile, daughter of Tarshish. There is no restraint any more.

¹¹He has stretched out his hand over the sea. He has shaken the kingdoms. The LORD has ordered the destruction of Canaan’s strongholds.

¹²He said, “You shall rejoice no more, you oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Kittim. Even there you will have no rest.”

¹³Behold, the land of the Chaldeans. This people didn’t exist. The Assyrians founded it for those who dwell in the wilderness. They set up their towers. They overthrew its palaces. They made it a ruin.

¹⁴Howl, you ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is laid waste!

¹⁵It will come to pass in that day that Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king. After the end of seventy years it will be to Tyre like in the song of the prostitute.

¹⁶Take a harp; go about the city, you prostitute that has been forgotten. Make sweet melody. Sing many songs, that you may be remembered.

¹⁷It will happen after the end of seventy years that the LORD will visit Tyre. She will return to her wages, and will play the prostitute with all the kingdoms of the world on the surface of the earth.

¹⁸Her merchandise and her wages will be holiness to the LORD. It will not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise will be for those who dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

Previous Isaiah 22

Next Isaiah 24

Isaiah delivers a prophetic oracle against Tyre, the wealthy Phoenician trading city, announcing its coming destruction and desolation. The LORD will humble Tyre's pride and bring down its merchants who were like princes among the nations, demonstrating His sovereignty over all earthly powers. After seventy years of judgment, Tyre will be restored but will ultimately serve the LORD's purposes, with its wealth dedicated to those who worship Him.

Context

This oracle continues Isaiah's series of judgments against foreign nations (chapters 13-23), demonstrating God's sovereignty over all earthly powers before turning to broader themes of judgment and salvation.

Key Themes

Outline

1-5
Announcement of Tyre's Destruction Ships and coastal inhabitants are called to mourn as Tyre, the great marketplace of nations, faces devastation.
6-9
The LORD's Purpose in Judgment God reveals His sovereign plan to humble the pride and glory of Tyre's wealthy merchants and princes.
10-14
Complete Devastation Declared The LORD extends His judgment over sea and land, destroying Canaan's strongholds and leaving Tyre in ruins.
15-18
Future Restoration and Consecration After seventy years, Tyre will be restored to trade but will ultimately dedicate its wealth to the LORD's service.

Oracle Against Tyre

23:1–23:18

prophecy wrathful

A prophetic oracle against the wealthy trading city of Tyre, declaring God's judgment on its pride and commercial power. The passage foretells Tyre's destruction and temporary desolation as part of God's sovereign plan to humble earthly glory.

theme_rarity

Isaiah uniquely transforms Tyre's maritime commercial network—spanning from Tarshish to Kittim to Sidon—into a prophetic geography where God's sovereignty dismantles human pride through economic collapse.

Insight Rare Theme