Isaiah 23:15-17
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The prophecy isn't just about Tyre being forgotten, but that this forgetting will last "seventy years, like the days of one king." This specific phrasing points to a fixed, almost regal decree, possibly linked to the seventy-year Babylonian exile, signifying a divinely appointed period of dormancy before restoration.
In that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, like the days of one king. At the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute: “Take a harp; go about the city, O forgotten prostitute! Make sweet melody; sing many songs, that you may be remembered.” At the end of seventy years, the LORD will visit Tyre, and she will return to her wages and will prostitute herself with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet has been detailing a severe judgment against the proud and wealthy city of Tyre, a major trading hub. However, this passage marks a shift, announcing that the devastation will not be permanent, but will last for a specific, significant period. After this time of being "forgotten," Tyre will experience a renewal of its former commercial vibrancy.
Tyre's glory was to be interrupted, not erased. But for how long? This verse pinpoints a specific, significant period.
A Defined Season of Silence
The phrase "seventy years" is significant in Scripture, often marking a period of judgment and exile, as seen with Judah's captivity in Babylon (Jeremiah 25:11-12).
For Tyre, this "forgetting" meant a loss of international prominence and commercial activity. It wasn't annihilation, but a severe humbling.
The comparison to "the days of one king" highlights the perceived finality and totality of this judgment. It was meant to feel like an entire era defined by a single, unyielding power, likely referencing the span of the Babylonian empire.
Why Such a Long Period?
God's judgment, while severe, is not arbitrary. This extended period served to:
After seventy years, Tyre would "sing." But the song wasn't one of repentance or quiet rebuilding. It was the song of a harlot. What does this startling image reveal?
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Recovered Lustre, Familiar Flaws
The image of Tyre singing "as the song of the harlot" after its period of obscurity is striking.
What the Harlot Represents:
The Dual Nature of Restoration:
This imagery highlights a crucial aspect of God's interaction with nations and people. Restoration from judgment doesn't automatically mean moral transformation. Tyre would regain its economic life, but its core identity—driven by gain and worldly enticement—would remain, at least initially, the same.
Understand the original words
zonah · Hebrew Noun
A term often used in the Old Testament to describe one who is unfaithful, particularly in a spiritual sense. It implies selling oneself to idols, foreign alliances, or worldly gains rather than remaining faithful to the Lord.
kinnor · Hebrew Noun
A stringed musical instrument frequently used in the Bible for worship, praise, and in this context, to attract attention or accompany singing. It symbolizes joy, celebration, and spiritual expression.
zonah · Hebrew Noun/Participle
A person who engages in illicit sexual activity for payment; metaphorically used in the prophetic books to describe nations or individuals who are unfaithful to God, pursuing worldly gain, or engaging in idolatry.
paqad · Hebrew Verb
The act of God intervening in human history, often for the purpose of judgment or restoration. It implies God's active presence and careful attention to the affairs of nations.
ethnan · Hebrew Noun
A term denoting wealth, profit, or reward earned through labor or trade; in this context, it represents the worldly gain and economic power acquired by Tyre.
This prophecy points to a specific period of 70 years, likely coinciding with the Babylonian exile, during which the mighty city of Tyre would fall into obscurity before re-emerging as a commercial hub.
c. 605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar begins Babylonian conquest
Nebuchadnezzar II begins his reign and military campaigns, marking the start of Babylonian dominance over the region and initiating the 70-year period of subjugation for many nations, including Tyre.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Nebuchadnezzar besieges and takes Tyre
After a long siege, Nebuchadnezzar conquers the island city of Tyre, a pivotal event that leads to Tyre's subjugation and its 'forgetting' as a major political and commercial power.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon
Cyrus conquers the Babylonian Empire, effectively ending the 70-year period of Babylonian dominance predicted by Jeremiah. This event marks a turning point for subjugated nations.
Post-539 BC
Tyre begins to recover influence
Following the fall of Babylon and the rise of the Persian Empire, Tyre gradually regains its commercial importance and prominence over the subsequent decades, fulfilling the prophecy of its eventual return.
This passage directly parallels the seventy-year period mentioned in Isaiah, linking it to the Babylonian exile and subsequent liberation of nations, which helps contextualize Tyre's 'forgetting' within a larger historical and prophetic framework.
Ezekiel 26:1-14Ezekiel provides a detailed prophecy against Tyre, focusing on its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar and the subsequent desolation of the city, offering a complementary perspective to Isaiah's focus on the period of decline and eventual restoration.
Revelation 18:1-24This New Testament passage uses imagery of a great commercial city, often interpreted as a symbolic representation of Tyre or similar entities, to describe judgment and downfall, drawing a conceptual parallel to Tyre's 'song as a harlot' and its eventual judgment.
Nahum 3:4Nahum's prophecy against Nineveh also uses the imagery of a seductive and powerful city likened to a harlot who enthralls nations with her 'witchcrafts and enchantments,' which strongly resonates with Tyre's description as singing 'as an harlot'.
barnesIsaiah 23:15: "And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot."
Tyre shall be forgotten - Shall cease to be a place of importance in commerce; shall be unheard of in those distant places to which ships formerly sailed. Seventy years, according to the days of one king - 'That is, of one kingdom (see Daniel 7:17; Daniel 8:20).' (Lowth) The word 'king' may denote dynas…
bensonIsaiah 23:15: "And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot."
Isaiah 23:15-17 . And it shall come to pass, &c. — Here begins the second part of this discourse, which contains an alleviation of the judgment decreed against Tyre. The prophet foretels, 1st, “That God would circumscribe within certain bounds his severity to Tyre, and within seventy years restore it to…
The prophecy isn't just about Tyre being forgotten, but that this forgetting will last "seventy years, like the days of one king." This specific phrasing points to a fixed, almost regal decree, possibly linked to the seventy-year Babylonian exile, signifying a divinely appointed period of dormancy before restoration.
The prophet has been detailing a severe judgment against the proud and wealthy city of Tyre, a major trading hub. However, this passage marks a shift, announcing that the devastation will not be permanent, but will last for a specific, significant period. After this time of being "forgotten," Tyre will experience a renewal of its former commercial vibrancy.
The prophet has been detailing a severe judgment against the proud and wealthy city of Tyre, a major trading hub. However, this passage marks a shift, announcing that the devastation will not be permanent, but will last for a specific, significant period. After this time of being "forgotten," Tyre will experience a renewal of its former commercial vibrancy.
"In that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, like the days of one king. At the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute: “Take a harp; go about the city, O forgotten prostitute!…" — The prophecy isn't just about Tyre being forgotten, but that this forgetting will last "seventy years, like the days of one king." This specific phrasing points to a fixed, almost regal decree, possi…
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Last reviewed October 2026
