Tyndale Open Study NotesIsaiah 23

Tyre was a wealthy seaport northwest of Israel. The connection between Judah and Tyre dates back to the time of David and Solomon (1 Kings 5:8–9).

Tyre was near large forests and the Mediterranean Sea. It was a major trade center in the ancient Near East. Its ships were famous, and its colonies gave it great prestige and wealth.

The city faced repeated attacks by the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Macedonians, and Alexander the Great conquered it in 332 BC. Isaiah not only predicted Tyre's downfall but also warned those whose wealth and security lead to pride instead of reliance on God (see Isaiah 2:12–16; Matthew 11:21).

• The 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.

• Sidon was a Phoenician port located to the north of Tyre.

• Tyre’s commercial network of traders was extensive.

• People harvested fish, crops, flax, and linen along the Nile (see Isaiah 19).

• Tyre was a global marketplace, similar to modern cities like New York, Hong Kong, or London.

• Part 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).

Egypt relied on ships from Tyre to export its products (see Isaiah 23:3).

• The Lord had brought this disaster on Tyre (Isaiah 23:9).

• Through trade, Tyre gained wealth for itself and its partners. In this way, Tyre helped create kingdoms.

Cultivate your land like the Nile: This difficult phrase means either:

1. that the sailors returning from Tarshish were invited to loot the ruined Tyre; or

2. that the people of Tarshish had to return to farming to earn a living, since Tyre was destroyed and trading was no longer possible.

Phoenicia was the region north of Israel. Tyre and Sidon were its main cities.

The Assyrians, led by Sennacherib, stripped and looted Babylonia in 689 BC. Eventually, Babylonia rose to become a mighty empire again.

There was hope for the city of Tyre.

Metaphorically, Tyre was like a prostitute because it was willing to sell anything to anyone without concern (see Revelation 17:2; 18:3, 12–13).

• Although Tyre earned money through dishonest trade, the profits will go to the Lord instead of being wasted.

• The Lord's priests will receive good food and fine clothing. The idea of nations bringing their wealth to the Lord in Jerusalem is further explored in Isaiah 60:5–11; 61:6.