seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Isaiah 23:1 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.
For Tyre is destroyed
and left without house or harbor.
From the land of Cyprus
word has come to them.
2 Be silent, you people of the island
and you merchants of Sidon,
whom the seafarers have enriched.
3 On the great waters
came the grain of the Shihor;
the harvest of the Nile[a] was the revenue of Tyre,
and she became the marketplace of the nations.
and you merchants of Sidon,
whom the seafarers have enriched.
3 On the great waters
came the grain of the Shihor;
the harvest of the Nile[a] was the revenue of Tyre,
and she became the marketplace of the nations.
4 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.”
5 When word comes to Egypt,
they will be in anguish at the report from Tyre.
for the sea has spoken:
“I have neither been in labor nor given birth;
I have neither reared sons nor brought up daughters.”
5 When word comes to Egypt,
they will be in anguish at the report from Tyre.
6 Cross over to Tarshish;
wail, you people of the island.
7 Is this your city of revelry,
the old, old city,
whose feet have taken her
to settle in far-off lands?
8 Who planned this against Tyre,
the bestower of crowns,
whose merchants are princes,
whose traders are renowned in the earth?
9 The Lord Almighty planned it,
to bring down her pride in all her splendor
and to humble all who are renowned on the earth.
wail, you people of the island.
7 Is this your city of revelry,
the old, old city,
whose feet have taken her
to settle in far-off lands?
8 Who planned this against Tyre,
the bestower of crowns,
whose merchants are princes,
whose traders are renowned in the earth?
9 The Lord Almighty planned it,
to bring down her pride in all her splendor
and to humble all who are renowned on the earth.
10 Till[b] your land as they do along the Nile,
Daughter Tarshish,
for you no longer have a harbor.
11 The Lord has stretched out his hand over the sea
and made its kingdoms tremble.
He has given an order concerning Phoenicia
that her fortresses be destroyed.
12 He said, “No more of your reveling,
Virgin Daughter Sidon, now crushed!
Daughter Tarshish,
for you no longer have a harbor.
11 The Lord has stretched out his hand over the sea
and made its kingdoms tremble.
He has given an order concerning Phoenicia
that her fortresses be destroyed.
12 He said, “No more of your reveling,
Virgin Daughter Sidon, now crushed!
“Up, cross over to Cyprus;
even there you will find no rest.”
13 Look at the land of the Babylonians,[c]
this people that is now of no account!
The Assyrians have made it
a place for desert creatures;
they raised up their siege towers,
they stripped its fortresses bare
and turned it into a ruin.
even there you will find no rest.”
13 Look at the land of the Babylonians,[c]
this people that is now of no account!
The Assyrians have made it
a place for desert creatures;
they raised up their siege towers,
they stripped its fortresses bare
and turned it into a ruin.
14 Wail, you ships of Tarshish;
your fortress is destroyed!
your fortress is destroyed!
15 At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the span of a king’s life. But at the end of these seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute:
16 “Take up a harp, walk through the city,
you forgotten prostitute;
play the harp well, sing many a song,
so that you will be remembered.”
you forgotten prostitute;
play the harp well, sing many a song,
so that you will be remembered.”
17 At the end of seventy years, the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her lucrative prostitution and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. 18 Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the Lord; they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the Lord, for abundant food and fine clothes.
a. Isaiah 23:3 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls Sidon, / who cross over the sea; / your envoys 3 are on the great waters. / The grain of the Shihor, / the harvest of the Nile,b. Isaiah 23:10 Dead Sea Scrolls and some Septuagint manuscripts; Masoretic Text Go through
c. Isaiah 23:13 Or Chaldean
This is from bible-studys.org.
Verses 1-12: The burden of Tyre focuses the prophet’s message on the major coastal city of the Phoenicians to the north. The Greeks called them “purple folk” because of their famous purple dye. They were the shipping merchants of the Near East. Zidon (Sidon), was another prominent Phoenician coastal city. Isaiah foresees the coming destruction of this great commercial empire.
Tarshish is the common designation for the westernmost part of the Mediterranean, as far as Spain. Chittim refers to western lands, especially the island of Cyprus. Thus, the prophet announces that trade with these distant places will cease because of Tyre’s destruction. Both Isaiah and Ezekiel, predicted the fall of Tyre. Ezekiel prophesied that the entire city would be thrown into the sea.
Verses 13-18: The Chaldeans refers to the founders of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, including Nebuchadnezzar who besieged and destroyed Tyre. The Assyrian people thought of themselves as being an older people than the Chaldeans, but the Assyrians were conquered by them (in 612 B.C.).
The prophet predicts that Tyre will be laid waste, yet will survive, being forced to sing as a harlot, meaning she would no longer enjoy her independence but would have to pander to the desires of her conquerors.
This is from the easy English site.
Tyre and Sidon were two busy ports. They were north of Israel in what is today part of Lebanon. When David and Solomon ruled Israel, they both enjoyed good relations with the people in Tyre (see 1 Kings 5:1-12). Then Solomon began to marry many foreign wives. And they introduced Solomon and his people to the worship of idols (see 1 Kings 11:1-8).
- God sent a series of prophets to warn his special people against their wicked behaviour. But it was in vain. The people would not change their behaviour. Now severe punishment would follow. It would begin with Tyre and Sidon. This was because their people had some responsibility for Israel’s failure to obey the Lord.
- Tarshish was a major port on the north coast of Spain. It was famous for its huge ships that carried heavy loads of goods for long distances across the seas.
The sea was the means by which ships carried huge quantities of goods. The trade gave the merchants of Tyre and Sidon their great wealth. It was as if the sea was now acting like a person to refuse to help any more.
Society was cruel to a married woman who had no children. Such a woman felt great shame.
The people in Egypt could not sell their crops when the merchants from Tyre and Sidon were unable to trade.
But their success had not impressed God. Such people felt that they had no need of God.
Farmers soon learn to depend on God. He provides in nature (in weather and in soil) the means to produce crops.
People in Tyre depended on the sea for their trade. God’s ‘power over the sea’ means that God also controls the use of the sea by Tyre’s merchants.
It is hopeless for people who live in Tyre to sail away to Cyprus to avoid the enemy’s attack. Wherever they go, they cannot avoid God’s judgement.
Although the words refer to the fate of Tyre, the warning about Babylon is for the people of God. They will suffer a similar fate unless they turn back to their Lord.
- We must remember that God’s messages are usually for his own people. We would not expect foreign nations even to hear about such messages. Except, that is, for a special reason (see Jonah 1:2). But even in Jonah’s case, the lesson is really for him!
After 70 years, nobody of the earlier times would still be alive. But in every century, women who live in the ports have offered sex for money to sailors. It will be easy to bring back this bad tradition when people are able to live in Tyre again.
God is not against commercial activity. But he does direct his judgement against human pride and self-interest. And against behaviour that does not include the desire to trust God.
So.... this is about the Babylonian expansion.... the same one that got Israel.... the people of theses port cities were murdered, raped, castrated, and/or enslaved by the Babylonians.... just like the people in Judah. It said.... God had them held for 70 years..... that way all the worship of "man made idols crap" will be gone when these current humans were gone..... the new humans could start fresh. This isn't the first time God has put humans on hold.When the descendants of Jacob [Israel] were right at the border of Canaan.... the promised land..... they were afraid to go in because scouts reported giants in the area. So God let them wander around in the desert until all the people who questioned God's ability to handle the giants for them died off. Then when the naysayers were gone.... he went on with his plan.
Now..... the same families.... have split the kingdom God gave them, Israel, in two.... there was now Judah and Israel.... the humans are worshiping all kinds of idols and they are ignoring God..... so God has arranged for them to wander around Babylon until all the people who questioned that God is the only living God died off.... that way the new crop of humans could start fresh in a new land.
So now I see the ports slowing down, the merchants having a hard time getting stock, the farmers having a hard time getting their food to market.... people will starve.... people will die....
After 70 years.... a new crop of humans will fix things up with God's help.
