Isaiah 23:1

Isaiah 23:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)A prophecy against Tyre: Wail, you ships of Tarshish! For Tyre is destroyed and left without house or harbor. From the land of Cyprus word has come to them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The oracle concerning Tyre. Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, without house or harbor! From the land of Cyprus it is revealed to them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The burden against Tyre. Wail, you ships of Tarshish! For it is laid waste, So that there is no house, no harbor; From the land of Cyprus it is revealed to them.

Context of Isaiah 23:1

This is the divine revelation about Tyre. Cry loudly, you ships of Tarshish! Your port at Tyre is destroyed. Word has come to the ships from Cyprus. 2Be silent, you inhabitants of the coastland, you merchants from Sidon. Your messengers have crossed the sea. 3The grain of Shihor is on the Mediterranean. The harvest of the Nile River is brought to Tyre. Tyre became the marketplace for the nations.

Isaiah 23:1 word by word

מַשָּׂ֖א צֹ֑ר הֵילִ֣ילוּ׀ אֳנִיּ֣וֹת תַּרְשִׁ֗ישׁ כִּֽי־שֻׁדַּ֤ד מִבַּ֙יִת֙ מִבּ֔וֹא מֵאֶ֥רֶץ כִּתִּ֖ים נִגְלָה־לָֽמוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The burdenמַשָּׂאmaώώâ' · oracleH4853
• of Tyreצֹרtsôr tsôr · TyreH6865
• Howlיָלַלyâlal · to wailH3213
• ye shipsאֳנִיָּה'onîyâh · a shipH591
• of Tarshishתַּרְשִׁישׁtarshîysh · TarshishH8659
• for it is laid wasteשָׁדַדshâdad · to ruinH7703
• so that there is no houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• no entering inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): towardsH935
• from the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of Chittimכִּתִּיkittîy kittîyîy · CyprusH3794
• it is revealedגָּלָהgâlâh · to reveal: revealH1540

Cross-references for Isaiah 23:1

• Jeremiah 25:15This is what the Lord God of Israel said to me: Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my fury, and make all the nations to whom I’m sending you drink from it.
• Jeremiah 47:4The time has come to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon any Philistine who might have escaped to get help. The Lord will destroy the Philistines and anyone who is left from the island of Crete.
• Ezekiel 26:1On the first day of the month in the eleventh year, the Lord spoke his word to me. He said,
• Ezekiel 27:1The Lord spoke his word to me. He said,
• Ezekiel 28:1The Lord spoke his word to me. He said,
• Joel 3:4“Now what do you have against me, Tyre and Sidon and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will quickly pay you back for what you have done.
• Amos 1:9This is what the Lord says: Because Tyre has committed three crimes, and now a fourth crime, I will not change my plans. The Tyrians have handed all the people over to the Edomites. The Tyrians didn’t remember their treaty with their relatives.
• Zechariah 9:2and also Hamath, which borders on it, and Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise. (The eyes of humanity and of all the tribes of Israel are on the Lord.)
• Isaiah 15:2The people of Dibon go to the temple, to the worship sites, to cry. Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba. Every head is shaved bald, and every beard is cut off.
• Revelation 18:17In one moment all this wealth has been destroyed!’ Every ship’s captain, everyone who traveled by ship, sailors, and everyone who made their living from the sea stood far away.
• Isaiah 2:16against all the large ships of Tarshish and all the beautiful boats.
• Isaiah 60:9Certainly, the coastlands wait with hope for me. The ships from Tarshish are the first to bring your children from far away. Their silver and their gold comes with them to honor the name of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, because he has honored you.
• 1 Kings 22:48Jehoshaphat made Tarshish-style ships to go to Ophir for gold. But they didn’t go because the ships were wrecked at Ezion Geber.
• 2 Chronicles 9:21The king had ships going to Tarshish with Huram’s sailors. Once every three years the Tarshish ships would bring gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.
• Psalms 48:7With the east wind you smash the ships of Tarshish.
• Ezekiel 27:25“ ‘Ships from Tarshish carried your goods. You were like a ship filled with heavy cargo in the sea.

Commentaries on Isaiah 23:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1The burden of Tyre - Tyre, a city on the coast of Syria, about lat. 32 N. was built two thousand seven hundred and sixty years before Christ. There were two cities of this name; one on the continent, and the other on an island, about half a mile from the shore; the city on the island was about four miles in circumference. Old Tyre resisted Nebuchadnezzar for thirteen years; then the inhabitants carried, so to speak, the city to the forementioned island…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1The burden of Tyre - (see the note at Isaiah 13:1) Howl - This is a highly poetic description of the destruction that was coming on Tyre. The ships of Tarshish traded there; and the prophet now addresses the ships, and calls upon them to lament because the commerce by which they had been enriched was to be destroyed, and they were to be thrown out of employ. Ye ships of Tarshish - (see the note at Isaiah 2:16). The Tarshish‘ here referred to, was…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The overthrow of Tyre. (Is. 23:1-14) It is established again. (Is. 23:15-18) Verses 1-14 Tyre was the mart of the nations. She was noted for mirth and diversions; and this made her loth to consider the warnings God gave by his servants. Her merchants were princes, and lived like princes. Tyre being destroyed and laid waste, the merchants should abandon her. Flee to shift for thine own safety; but those that are uneasy in one place, will be so in another…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1The ships of Tarshish traveled the sea between the Phoenician coast and the port of Tarshish in Spain (see Isaiah 2:16; 23:6). Word has reached them from the land of Cyprus: Cyprus was the last stop for sailors returning from Spain before their final journey to Tyre.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-18Menander, the historian, notices a siege of Tyre by Shalmaneser, about the time of the siege of Samaria. Sidon, Acco, and Old Tyre, on the mainland, were soon reduced; but New Tyre, on an island half a mile from the shore, held out for five years. Sargon probably finished the siege. Sennacherib does not, however, mention it among the cities which the Assyrian kings conquered (thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh chapters). The expression, "Chaldeans" (Is…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 23:1

• Chittim
• Tarshish

In the dictionaries

• Tarshish
• Tyre
• Tyre, Tyrians
• Chittim
• Commerce
• Evil
• Isaiah
• Island; Isle
• Kittim
• Perseus

Commentaries on Isaiah 23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings