New English Translation
Isaiah 23:4
4Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea says this, O fortress of the sea: “I have not gone into labor or given birth; I have not raised young men or brought up young women.”
Isaiah 23:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Be ashamed, Sidon, and you fortress of the sea, for the sea has spoken: “I have neither been in labor nor given birth; I have neither reared sons nor brought up daughters.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying: "I have neither labored nor given birth, I have neither reared young men nor brought up young women."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Be ashamed, O Sidon; For the sea has spoken, The strength of the sea, saying, “I do not labor, nor bring forth children; Neither do I rear young men, Nor bring up virgins.”
Context of Isaiah 23:4
2Lament, you residents of the coast, you merchants of Sidon who travel over the sea, whose agents sail over 3the deep waters! Grain from the Shihor region, crops grown near the Nile she receives; she is the trade center of the nations. Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea says this, O fortress of the sea: “I have not gone into labor or given birth; I have not raised young men or brought up young women.” 5When the news reaches Egypt, they will be shaken by what has happened to Tyre. 6Travel to Tarshish! Wail, you residents of the coast!
Read all of Isaiah 23Isaiah 23:4 word by word
בּ֣וֹשִׁי צִיד֔וֹן כִּֽי־אָמַ֣ר יָ֔ם מָע֥וֹז הַיָּ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹֽא־חַ֣לְתִּי וְלֹֽא־יָלַ֗דְתִּי וְלֹ֥א גִדַּ֛לְתִּי בַּחוּרִ֖ים רוֹמַ֥מְתִּי בְתוּלֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Be thou ashamedבּוֹשׁbûsh · be ashamedH954
- O Zidonצִידוֹןtsîydôn tsîydôn · SidonH6721
- for the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
- hath spokenאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the strengthמָעוֹזmâ‛ôz mâ‛ûz mâ‛ôz mâ‛ûz · securityH4581
- I travailחוּלchûl chîyl · to twist: writh in painH2342
- not, nor bring forth childrenיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
- neither do I nourish upגָּדַלgâdal · to magnifyH1431
- young menבָּחוּרbâchûr bâchûr · youthH970
- bring upרוּםrûm · to exaltH7311
- virginsבְּתוּלָהbethûlâh · virginH1330
Cross-references for Isaiah 23:4
- Jeremiah 47:3Fathers will hear the hoofbeats of the enemies’ horses, the clatter of their chariots and the rumbling of their wheels. They will not turn back to save their children because they will be paralyzed with fear.
- Ezekiel 26:3therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am against you, O Tyre! I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves.
- Hosea 9:11Ephraim will be like a bird; what they value will fly away. They will not bear children – they will not enjoy pregnancy – they will not even conceive!
- Revelation 18:23Even the light from a lamp will never shine in you again! The voices of the bridegroom and his bride will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the tycoons of the world, because all the nations were deceived by your magic spells!
Commentaries on Isaiah 23:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Be thou ashamed, O Zidon - Tyre is called Isaiah 23:12, the daughter of Sidon. "The Sidonians," says Justin, 18:3, "when their city was taken by the king of Ascalon, betook themselves to their ships, and landed, and built by Tyre." Sidon, as the mother city is supposed to be deeply affected with the calamity of her daughter. Nor bring up virgins "Nor educated virgins" - ורוממתי veromamti ; so an ancient MS. Of Dr. Kennicott's prefixing the ו vau, which…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Be thou ashamed, O Zidon - Tyre was a colony of Sidon. Sidon is here addressed as the mother of Tyre, and is called on to lament over her daughter that was destroyed. In Isaiah 23:12, Tyre is called the daughter of Sidon;‘ and such appellations were commonly given to cities (see the note at Isaiah 1:8). Sidon is here represented as ashamed, or grieved - as a mother is who is bereft of all her children. The sea hath spoken - New Tyre was on a rock at some…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Part of the great port city of Tyre was on an island. The island city was a sea fortress, but it fell in 332 BC. I have not been in labor or given birth. I have not raised young men or brought up young women: This metaphor was a judgment on Tyre’s colonial ports around the Mediterranean Sea. In the ancient world, reaching old age without children was considered a terrible fate (see Isaiah 49:21; 54:1).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Zidon--called on, as being the parent country of Tyre (Is 23:12), and here equivalent to Phoenicia in general, to feel the shame (as it was esteemed in the East) of being now as childless as if she never had any. "I (no more now) travail, nor bring forth," &c. "Strength of the sea," that is, stronghold, namely, New Tyre, on a rock (as "Tyre" means) surrounded by the sea (Eze 26:4, 14-17; so Venice was called "Bride of the sea"; Zec 9:3).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 23:4
In the dictionaries
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
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