Isaiah 23:1
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Tyre's devastating fall is announced not by prophets to its citizens, but to distant trading ships returning home. This emphasizes how intertwined the world's economies were, and that even the most prosperous cities could be brought low, with news of their ruin spreading along the very trade routes they relied upon.
This chapter opens with a divine oracle, a pronouncement of judgment, directed at the prominent and wealthy Phoenician city of Tyre. The prophet Isaiah, channeling God's message, calls out to the ships of Tarshish—representing distant trading partners and merchants—to lament, because Tyre, their hub of commerce and prosperity, is being utterly destroyed, leaving no houses or safe harbors. The news of this devastating oracle will spread from the Mediterranean islands, likely Cyprus (Chittim), reaching those who depend on Tyre for their livelihood.
Imagine hearing news that your biggest trading partner's ports are completely destroyed. That's the immediate picture Isaiah paints for the ships of Tarshish.
The prophecy begins with a dramatic call to action: "Wail, O ships of Tarshish!" (Isaiah 23:1).
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How did news of Tyre's destruction reach the far-flung traders? The prophecy gives us a clue about the interconnectedness of the ancient world.
The verse concludes with a surprising detail: "From the land of Cyprus it is revealed to them" (Isaiah 23:1).
Understand the original words
massa' · Hebrew Noun
A divine proclamation or burden from God, typically declaring judgment against a nation or group, often weighing heavily on the prophet delivering it.
Tarshish · Hebrew Noun
A long-distance commercial vessel, often associated with the seafaring trade of ancient Phoenicia, representing wealth and global maritime reach.
shadad · Hebrew Verb
A state of being destroyed, ruined, or desolate, often used in prophetic literature to describe the consequences of divine judgment on prideful nations.
Tsor · Hebrew Noun
A Phoenician city-state known for its maritime dominance, wealth, and pride, serving in Scripture as a symbol of human commercial self-sufficiency that eventually faces divine judgment.
Kittim · Hebrew Noun
An island or coastal region often associated with trade and the Mediterranean world in the ancient Near Eastern context.
This prophecy against Tyre, delivered during a period of growing Assyrian dominance in the 8th century BC, paints a vivid picture of impending ruin for the great maritime power. The lament of the ships of Tarshish highlights how deeply interconnected global trade was, and how the fall of one major hub like Tyre would send shockwaves through the ancient world.
c. 874 BC
Tyre-Israelite Alliance Under Omri and Ahab
The prosperous city of Tyre, led by King Ethbaal I, forged a close alliance with the northern kingdom of Israel under Omri and Ahab, significantly boosting Tyre's trade and influence.
c. 732 BC
Assyrian Conquest of Neighboring Regions
The Neo-Assyrian Empire under Tiglath-Pileser III conquered significant territories around Tyre, including Damascus and Samaria, increasing pressure on Phoenician cities like Tyre to submit or face attack.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Dominance
Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, fell to the Assyrians. This marked a major shift in regional power, placing Tyre in a precarious position between the dominant Assyrian empire and its own commercial interests.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Assyrian Campaigns Against Phoenicia
Sennacherib of Assyria campaigned against Phoenician cities, forcing the king of Sidon to flee to Cyprus. While Tyre itself may not have fallen, these campaigns demonstrated Assyrian military might and threatened Tyre's maritime trade routes.
c. 660s BC
Assyrian Subjugation of Tyre
Under Assyrian kings like Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal, Tyre was eventually compelled to pay tribute, reflecting the overarching power of the Neo-Assyrian Empire over the region.
c. 586 BC
Nebuchadnezzar's Siege of Tyre
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon laid siege to Tyre for thirteen years. While the island city ultimately survived, the prolonged siege severely weakened its prominence and trade.
332 BC
Alexander the Great's Conquest of Tyre
Alexander the Great besieged and captured Tyre after a seven-month struggle, famously building a causeway to reach the island city. This event marked a dramatic end to Tyre's ancient independence and naval dominance.
This chapter provides a vivid, detailed lament over Tyre, similar to Isaiah's oracle, describing its extensive trade, wealth, and eventual destruction.
Jeremiah 25:22This verse also speaks of a 'burden' and judgment on maritime nations, including Tyre and Sidon, echoing the prophetic theme of divine reckoning against powerful cities.
Zechariah 9:3-4This passage describes Tyre's fortifications and wealth being overcome, leading to its downfall, which aligns with Isaiah's depiction of Tyre being 'laid waste'.
Luke 10:13-14Jesus uses Tyre and Sidon as examples of cities that, despite their prosperity and influence, would have repented if they had witnessed His miracles, highlighting their spiritual blindness and impending judgment.
bensonIsaiah 23:1: "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."
Isaiah 23:1 . The burden of Tyre — Tyre was an ancient and wealthy city, situated upon the Mediterranean sea, and for many ages one of the most celebrated cities in those parts of the world. The Greek geographer, Strabo, says, that after Sidon, it was the greatest and most ancient city of the Phenicians. Accordingly, Bis…
barnesIsaiah 23:1: "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."
The 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, an…
Tyre's devastating fall is announced not by prophets to its citizens, but to distant trading ships returning home. This emphasizes how intertwined the world's economies were, and that even the most prosperous cities could be brought low, with news of their ruin spreading along the very trade routes they relied upon.
This chapter opens with a divine oracle, a pronouncement of judgment, directed at the prominent and wealthy Phoenician city of Tyre. The prophet Isaiah, channeling God's message, calls out to the ships of Tarshish—representing distant trading partners and merchants—to lament, because Tyre, their hub of commerce and prosperity, is being utterly destroyed, leaving no houses or safe harbors. The news of this devastating oracle will spread from the Mediterranean islands, likely Cyprus (Chittim), reaching those who depend on Tyre for their livelihood.
This chapter opens with a divine oracle, a pronouncement of judgment, directed at the prominent and wealthy Phoenician city of Tyre. The prophet Isaiah, channeling God's message, calls out to the ships of Tarshish—representing distant trading partners and merchants—to lament, because Tyre, their hub of commerce and prosperity, is being utterly destroyed, leaving no houses or safe harbors. The news of this devastating oracle will spread from the Mediterranean islands, likely Cyprus (Chittim), reaching those who depend on Tyre for their livelihood.
"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." — Tyre's devastating fall is announced not by prophets to its citizens, but to distant trading ships returning home. This emphasizes how intertwined the world's economies were, and that even the most p…
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