Nazarene Commentary 2000©

21^st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures© –
21^st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures© [NCMM]

Locate verse: Type a verse reference like 'Romans 10:9' or abbreviated 'Rm 10:9'. By just typing the verse one can jump to the corresponding verse on the active page (only works if the current page displays a chapter). If a chapter and a verse is entered without a book, the current selected book is assumed. Providing only the name of a book will bring one to the chapter index of that book. Examples (without the quotes): '1 Tim 3:16', 'Rv 1:8', 'Matthew 5', '3:16', '8', 'Phm'.

THE PROPHET ISAIAH

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:
MESSAGE AGAINST TYRE

Isaiah 23:1-3 – Against Tyre

IS23:1 The weighty message against Tyre: 899 Howl, you ships of Tarshish, 900 for Tyre is ruined as a safe shelter 901 to enter. It all became known 902 to those from Kittim. 903
899 Tyre: The name means “rock.” It was a Phoenician port now called es-Sur. It is first mentioned at Joshua 19:29 with the name occurring about 60 times in the Bible. [Psalm 45:12; 83:7; 87:4] The name only occurs in Isaiah in chapter 23. [Isaiah 23:5, 8, 15, 17] The Nazarene mentions Tyre with regard to Judgment Day. [Matthew 11:21, 22] Compare Matthew 15:21] The area is also named in Acts 12:20; 21:3, 7. The area is found in modern Lebanon. See also Jeremiah 25:22; 47:4; Ezekiel 26:3; 27:2; Joel 3:4; Amos 1:9; Zechariah 9:4.
900 Tarshish: Or, LXX: Carthage. See notes on Isaiah 2:16. [Isaiah 23:6, 10, 14; 60:9; 66:19]
901 Ruined as a safe shelter: Or, LXX: perished; RHM: laid too waste to be a haven to enter; NJB: all has been destroyed. [Ezekiel 27:3]
902 Became known: Or, NJB: the news has reached; JPS: revealed to them; RHM: unveiled.
903 Kittim: Or, LXX: Citians [KITIAION]; RHM: Cyprus. The Hebrew word was also used for islands and coastlands. [Genesis 10:4; Numbers 24:24; 1 Chronicles 1:7; Isaiah 23:12; Jeremiah 2:10; Ezekiel 27:6. Compare Daniel 11:30.
IS23:2 Be silent, you inhabitants of the coast – those once replenished by the merchants of Sidon 904 sailing the sea.
904 Sidon: Or, LXX: Phoenicia. Another name for Tyre and mentioned only in Isaiah chapter 23. First mentioned at Genesis 10:15, 19; 49:13. Sidon is named by Jesus. [Matthew 11:21, 22]
IS23:3 Over mighty seas came the grain of Shihor, 905 the harvest of the Nile brought her income. Tyre became the market-place 906 of nations.
905 Shihor: Or, NJB: grain of the Canal. Meaning “Port of Horus” and usually associated with Egypt, like here the Nile delta. Identified as modern Wadi el-`Arish southwest of Gaza in Palestine. [Joshua 13:3; Jeremiah 2:18]
906 Market-place: Or, LXX: traders; RHM: mart. All the place names emphasize commercialism. [Ezekiel 27:33; 28:4]

Isaiah 23:4-9 – A Purpose against Tyre

IS23:4 Shame, 907 O Sidon, for the sea – the fortress of the sea 908 – says: “I have had no birth pangs or given birth. 909 I have never raised young men or virgins.” 910
907 Shame: Or, blush, turn pale.
908 Fortress of the sea: Or, LXX: strength of; JPS: stronghold of; NJB: citadel of.
909 No birth pangs or given birth: Or, NJB: never given birth; JPS: never labored; LXX: not travailed nor brought forth.
910 Virgins: The LXX uses PARTHENOUS. [Isaiah 7:14] Note the separation between young men and virgins.
IS23:5 Just like the report about Egypt, 911 they will be in great pain 912 over the report about Tyre.
911 Report about Egypt: Compare 19:1, 16.
912 Great pain: Or, LXX: sorrow; RHM: pangs.
IS23:6 Cross over 913 to Tarshish! Howl, you inhabitants of the coast.
913 Cross over: Or, LXX: depart ye to Carthrage; RHM: pass ye over to; JPS: pass on; NJB: cross to.
IS23:7 Is this causing you to rejoice? Though Tyre’s antiquity is ancient, 914 even so her own feet will take her on a journey to a dwelling far away. 915
914 Antiquity is ancient: Or, NJB: founded far back in the past; JPS: in former times, of yore; RHM: though from ancient days is her antiquity; LXX: from the beginning. See notes above on Tyre.
915 Journey to a dwelling far away: Or, RHM: far off to dwell; JPS: sojourn far away; NJB: whose steps led her far afield to found her colonies. That is as refugees escaping disaster.
IS23:8 Who has purposed all of this 916 against Tyre – the crown-bestower 917 – whose merchants were royalty, 918 and whose traders were honored earth-wide?
916 Who has purposed all of this: Or, NJB: this decision; JPS: planned; LXX: devised.
917 Crown-bestower: Or, RHM: bestower of crowns; JPS: crown-wearing; NJB: who used to hand out crowns; KJV: crowning city. Where there is great wealth there is political power.
918 Merchants were royalty: Or, KJV: princes; NJB: traders; JPS: nobles; LXX: glorious princes of the earth. [Ezekiel 28:2] Wealth and materialism can make people feel like royalty.
IS23:9 Y^eH^oW^aH of [angelic] armies has purposed 919 it – in order to humiliate such arrogant beauty 920 – to shame the one so honored 921 throughout the earth.
919 Purposed: Or, planned, decision.
920 Humiliate such arrogant beauty: Or, NJB: wither the pride of all beauty; JPS: defile all glorious beauty; RHM: humble the pride of all beauty; LXX: pride of the glorious ones. Generally great wealth and materialism create haughty arrogance and a feeling of superiority. [James 4:6]
921 Shame the one so honored: Or, LXX: to disgrace every glorious thing on earth; RHM: to make of little esteem all the honourable; JPS: to shame all the honored; NJB: humiliate those honoured in the city. Though speaking of Tyre the lesson is something for the world’s wealthy merchants to note. Compare “traveling merchants” in Revelation chapter 18.

Isaiah 23:10-12 – Tyre’s Port Gone

IS23:10 Transverse your land like the Nile, 922 O daughter of Tarshish, for the harbor is gone! 923
922 Transverse your land like the Nile: Or, KJV: pass though thy land as a river; NJB: cultivate your country like the Delta; LXX: till thy land. Perhaps a suggestion to make an honest living by farming toil rather than commercial deals.
923 Harbor is gone: Or, LXX: ships no longer come out; NJB: your marine docks are no more. Note the “ships” in Revelation chapter 18. It is predicted at Ezekiel 26:14, 17 that the once luxurious city of Tyre wold become just a place for fishermen to dry their nets. Such came true by the hand of Alexander the Great.
IS23:11 [Y^eH^oW^aH] has reached out across the sea! 924 He has caused kingdoms to become agitated. 925 Y^eH^oW^aH has given the command against the coast of Phoenician 926 in order to destroy her fortresses.
924 Reached out across the sea: Or, KJV: stretched out his hand; NJB: raised his hand against the sea; JPS: poised His arm.
925 Kingdoms to become agitated: Or, LXX: troubled kings; RHM: shaken kingdoms; JPS: kingdoms quaked. [Psalm 46:6; Ezekiel 27:34]
926 Command against the coast of Phoenician: Or, NJB: ordained the destruction… of Canaan; JPS: Phoenicia’s strongholds.
IS23:12 And so He has said: “You will never rejoice again, you violated virgin 927 daughter of Sidon. Arise and cross over to Cyprus 928 – even there you will find no rest.”
927 Violated virgin: Or, LXX: insult and injure; JPS: plundered one, Fair Maiden; NJB: ill-treated virgin; KJV: oppressed virgin.
928 Cyprus: Or, Kittim

Isaiah 23:13-16 – Tyre Forgotten for Seventy Years

IS23:13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans 929 – a people non-existent 930 – Assyria established it for the nomads of the desert. 931 They put up its siege-towers. 932 They smashed its palaces and devastated it. 933
929 Look at the land of the Chaldeans: Or, Behold. That is, Babylon. [Genesis 11:28; Jeremiah 50:10; 51:24; Ezekiel 11:24; 23:16] That is, as an example to Tyre and others.
930 A people non-existent: Or, NJB: a people who used not to exist; JPS: this is the people that has ceased to exist; RHM: that was not; LXX: also laid waste. The ultimate outcome for Babylon.
931 Assyria established it for the nomads of the desert: Or, LXX: this is also laid waste by the Assyrians; RHM: Assyria founded it for the inhabitants of the desert; JPS: founded it for ships; NJB: assigned it to the creatures of the wilds. Possibly also referring to those creatures mentioned at Isaiah 13:21.
932 They put up its siege-towers: Or, NJB: they raised their siege-towers against it; JPS: raised its watchtowers; LXX: for her wall is fallen. [Ezekiel 26:8]
933 Smashed its palaces and devastated it: Or, RHM: demolished its palaces, made it a ruin; JPS: erected its ramparts, has turned it into a ruin; NJB: demolished its bastions, reduced it to ruin [footnote: (Hebrew) uncertain]. [Ezekiel 29:9, 12]
IS23:14 Howl, you ships of Tarshish, for your own fortress is devastated. IS23:15 So it will happen in that day that Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, 934 equal the days of one king. 935 At the end of seventy years it will happen to Tyre like the song of a prostitute: 936
934 Forgotten for seventy years: Or, LXX: left seventy years. Some believe this period of seventy years parallels that of Jeremiah 25:11, 12; 27:3, 6.
935 Equal the days of one king: Or, LXX: as the time of a man, as the time of a king; RHM: days of a certain king; JPS: lifetime of one king; NJB: the length of one king’s life. The solution may lie in Psalm 90:10.
936 Song of a prostitute: Or, whore, harlot. The LXX Greek uses PORNES. Compare 1 Corinthians 5:1.
IS23:16 “Take a harp. Go around the city, O forgotten whore. Stroke the strings pleasantly. 937 Lengthen the song so you will be remembered.” 938
937 Stroke the strings pleasantly: Or, LXX: play well on the harp; RHM: sweetly touch the strings; JPS: sweetly play; NJB: play sweetly; KJV: make sweet melody.
938 Lengthen the song so you will be remembered: Or, KJV: sing many songs; NJB: song after song, to make them remember; JPS: make much music, to bring you back to mind. Only in whore-houses and bars will Tyre be remember by sea ditties.

Isaiah 23:17, 18 – Tyre Restored

IS23:17 And so it will happen at the end of seventy years 939 that Y^eH^oW^aH turn His attention to 940 Tyre. She will resume her trading. 941 Yes, she will play the whore 942 again with all the kingdoms of the earth [Revelation 18:3] which are upon the face of the ground.
939 End of seventy years: See notes above.
940 Turn His attention to: Or, LXX: visit [EPISCOPEN]; JPS: take note. The Hebrew is PAQAD [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #6485, attend, reckon, look after, pay attention to, observe]. The Greek means “a visit to inspect.” YHWH is an historical God who intervenes in the march of nations.
941 Resume her trading: Or, NJB: receive her pay again; JPS: resume her fee-taking; RHM: return to her hire; LXX: restore her to her primitive state. That is, as a whore.
942 Play the whore: Or, LXX: she shall be a mart for all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. There may be a strong echo of this verse at Revelation 18:3. God’s attitude toward corrupt materialism is clear.
IS23:18 But her profit and her whore’s price will be sanctified 943 by Y^eH^oW^aH. It will not be saved nor hoarded, 944 for her profit will belong to those who dwell before Y^eH^oW^aH. 945 So they may eat their fill and dress like royalty. 946
943 Her profit and her whore’s price will be sanctified: Or, LXX: her trade and her gain shall be holiness to the Lord; JPS: profits and hire shall be consecrated; RHM: merchandize… hallowed; NJB: dedicated to.
944 Not be saved nor hoarded: Or, NJB: stored or hoarded; JPS: treasured or stored; LXX: not gathered for them. See notes on Matthew 6:19.
945 Belong to those who dwell before YeHoWaH: Or, JPS: go to those who abide before; NJB: live in Yahweh’s presence. Ultimately the wealth of the lawless will become an inheritance to the righteous. [Job 27:17; Ecclesiastes 2:26] Compare the language of Revelation 21:26. The materialistic will lose all in the end, so all the expenditure of energy, greedy dealings, and emotional exhaustion will turn out to be a complete waste. [James 5:5]
946 Eat their fill and dress like royalty: Or, NJB: have as much food as they want and splendid clothes; RHM: stately apparel; JPS: clothe themselves elegantly. [Isaiah 60:5; 61:6; Revelation 7:9]

Mark Heber Miller