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)
The verse doesn't just announce Tyre's destruction; it reveals how news travels in a connected world, with the disaster being "revealed" to distant traders not through direct observation but from intermediaries like those in Cyprus. This highlights how information, and the impact of distant events, ripple through global networks even in ancient times.
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)
This prophecy begins as a "burden" concerning the mighty Phoenician city of Tyre, a global trade hub. The prophet cries out to the ships of Tarshish (likely in Spain), a major trading partner, to lament because Tyre has been destroyed, leaving no houses or safe harbors. News of this devastation reaches them from the lands surrounding the Mediterranean, like Cyprus (Chittim).
Why would ships be told to 'howl' when a city falls? This isn't just about a port being destroyed; it's about the shockwaves hitting the global economy of the ancient world.
The Ships of Tarshish Mourn
The opening words of this prophecy, 'Howl, O ships of Tarshish,' immediately establish the international scope of Tyre's impending doom. Tyre was a powerhouse of ancient commerce, and its destruction wasn't just a local tragedy.
Tyre was more than just a wealthy city; it was a symbol of human achievement and self-sufficiency. But God’s word declares a different destiny.
The Undoing of a 'Crowning City'
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Isaiah doesn't just describe Tyre's destruction; he reveals its cause: divine judgment against pride. The city saw itself as self-made and supremely powerful.
How does news of a city's destruction travel? This verse points to the far-reaching nature of divine revelation, even in the ancient world.
Tidings from Chittim
The prophecy states that news of Tyre's desolation is 'revealed' from 'the land of Chittim' (often associated with Cyprus or the broader Mediterranean islands/coasts).
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, a major commercial hub, speaks to a future desolation. While the full realization of this prophecy unfolds over centuries, with devastating sieges by Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the Great, the initial oracle from Isaiah reflects the geopolitical anxieties and Assyrian military presence of his time.
Late 8th century BC— this verse
Isaiah prophesies against Tyre
Isaiah delivers his prophecy concerning Tyre, a prosperous Phoenician city known for its extensive trade and naval power. The prophecy foretells a future desolation.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian campaigns in the region
Assyrian kings like Sargon II and Sennacherib conduct campaigns that impact the Phoenician cities, including Tyre and Sidon, and extend their influence to Cyprus.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon conquers Jerusalem and destroys the Temple, a significant event that marks a shift in regional power and affects surrounding nations, including Tyre.
c. 573 BC
Siege and fall of Tyre
Nebuchadnezzar II lays siege to Tyre for thirteen years. The city's inhabitants eventually evacuate to an island fortress, marking a significant devastation of the mainland city.
c. 332 BC
Alexander the Great conquers Tyre
Alexander the Great lays siege to the island city of Tyre for seven months, ultimately conquering it by building a causeway to the island. This leads to another period of destruction for the city.
This chapter provides a detailed lament over Tyre, describing its vast trade, wealth, and the luxurious goods it imported and exported, mirroring Isaiah's prophecy of its downfall.
Jeremiah 25:22This verse also mentions Tyre in a list of nations that will drink from God's cup of wrath, indicating that divine judgment extends to even the most prosperous trading centers.
Zechariah 9:3-4This passage speaks of the downfall of Tyre and its wealth, describing how its fortifications will be consumed and its ships destroyed, echoing Isaiah's imagery of ruin.
Matthew 11:21-22Jesus pronounces a similar judgment on Chorazin and Bethsaida, highlighting that cities that reject divine truth, despite experiencing miracles, will face a greater condemnation than even ancient, wicked cities like Tyre.
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…
The verse doesn't just announce Tyre's destruction; it reveals how news travels in a connected world, with the disaster being "revealed" to distant traders not through direct observation but from intermediaries like those in Cyprus. This highlights how information, and the impact of distant events, ripple through global networks even in ancient times.
This prophecy begins as a "burden" concerning the mighty Phoenician city of Tyre, a global trade hub. The prophet cries out to the ships of Tarshish (likely in Spain), a major trading partner, to lament because Tyre has been destroyed, leaving no houses or safe harbors. News of this devastation reaches them from the lands surrounding the Mediterranean, like Cyprus (Chittim).
This prophecy begins as a "burden" concerning the mighty Phoenician city of Tyre, a global trade hub. The prophet cries out to the ships of Tarshish (likely in Spain), a major trading partner, to lament because Tyre has been destroyed, leaving no houses or safe harbors. News of this devastation reaches them from the lands surrounding the Mediterranean, like Cyprus (Chittim).
"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." — The verse doesn't just announce Tyre's destruction; it reveals how news travels in a connected world, with the disaster being "revealed" to distant traders not through direct observation but from int…
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Last reviewed October 2026