Isaiah 23

Isaiah 23:1

Isaiah: God controls the nations God controls the future An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on Isaiah chapters 21 to 30 www.easyenglish.info Norman Hillyer This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.

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Chapter 23 All the verses in this chapter refer to both Tyre and Sidon. This is so even if only one or other of these names appears. The two ports were only 25 miles apart and they worked closely together. The fate of Tyre and Sidon v1 (God gave to Isaiah this special message about Tyre.) It is very sad for you sailors, as you return from Tarshish. An enemy has ruined the cities at Tyre. No houses remain. Nor does the harbour remain. The sailors heard the news when they reached Cyprus on their way home. v2 The shock of the news has made the merchants from Sidon dumb. Those merchants crossed the seas to provide the city called Tyre with goods to sell.

v3 The harvest of grain in the Nile valley meant profit for the people in Tyre. In fact, Tyre had become an international market. v4 Be in despair, you citizens of Sidon. It is as if even the sea has forgotten you. You will be like a married woman who has never had any children. v5 When the news about Tyre reaches the people in Egypt, they also will receive a severe shock. v6 Cry bitterly, you people who live on the coast. Get away to distant Tarshish. v7 Sidon is the same ancient city whose happy inhabitants have been there for centuries. Its people have spread to distant countries. v8 Tyre’s merchants were as powerful as princes.

People all over the world gave the merchants great honour. So who arranged to destroy Tyre? v9 It was the *Lord (commander of heaven’s armies) who arranged to destroy Tyre. It was his plan to end the extreme pride of the merchants. They were much too proud of themselves. v10 Now they will have to become farmers. So, people in Tyre, cultivate your land like the Egyptians have to cultivate their land. Tyre’s harbour no longer exists.

So your rich trade has ended.

Verses 1-2

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.

Verse 4

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.

Verse 5

The people in Egypt could not sell their crops when the merchants from Tyre and Sidon were unable to trade.

Verse 8

Everywhere people gave great honour to the merchants from Tyre and Sidon because they were so successful.

Verse 9

But their success had not impressed God. Such people felt that they had no need of God.

Verse 10

Farmers soon learn to depend on God. He provides in nature (in weather and in soil) the means to produce crops. The *Lord’s power over nature and over nations v11 The *Lord has shown his power over the sea. His action made nations to tremble. The *Lord caused the merchants in Tyre’s markets to stop their trade. v12 Inhabitants of Sidon, your happiness is over. You will no longer have any cause for joy. And even if you travel to Cyprus, you will not find any relief. There is no place where you can hide yourselves. v13 But the real enemy was not Assyria but Babylon. It was Babylon’s king who plotted to ruin Tyre. The *Babylonian army built structures to help the soldiers to attack the city. They destroyed Tyre’s great houses. They ruined Tyre. v14 Weep bitterly, you sailors who are returning from Tarshish. Enemies have destroyed your harbour.

Verse 11

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.

Verse 12

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.

Verses 13-14

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! New life for Tyre v15 Everyone will forget Tyre for 70 years. At the end of 70 years the situation will change for the people in Tyre. Then, it will be as in the popular song about a bad woman. v16 ‘Now, you bad woman, take your musical instrument. Walk about the city. Play your instrument well. Sing many songs. Remind people about yourself.’

Verses 15-16

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.

v17 At the end of 70 years, the *Lord will deal favourably with Tyre. Once again all of the world will be Tyre’s customers. v18 But now all of Tyre’s profits will go to the *Lord. All of the money that the merchants earn from their commerce will go to the *Lord’s service. The money will supply food and clothes for the *Lord’s workers.

Verse 17

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.

Verse 18

 When Solomon was king, Tyre assisted with the construction of the *Temple in *Jerusalem. But this was merely a commercial arrangement (see 1 Kings 5:1-8).

 A poor widow who lived in Zarephath had provided for God’s servant Elijah (see 1 Kings 17:8-16). (Zarephath was on the coast between Tyre and Sidon.)

These personal examples of provision for other people will now become the general practice of the people in Tyre and Sidon.

 The permanent lesson of Tyre’s experience is that God’s people should not collect money just to become wealthy (see 1 Timothy 6:7-10). Money is for us to spend as the *Lord directs. Chapters 24 –27 These chapters form a new section of the Book of Isaiah. But they do not include any references to actual events about particular nations.

 Chapter 24 repeats the general message about God’s plan to destroy all the nations on the earth. This chapter describes events that are still in the future. It describes God’s judgement against people who have not obeyed his laws. And the result is great trouble across the whole world.

 Chapters 25 to 27 describe events after God achieves his purpose.

© 2007, Wycliffe Associates (UK)

This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words).

February 2007

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var w4 = new Array;w4[0]=’<b%3ELord</b%3E ~ God’s name in the Bible. In the original language, it means ‘head over all’ and ‘God always’.’;w4[1]=’<b%3Eworship</b%3E ~ to praise God and to pray to him.’;w4[2]=’<b%3Eidol</b%3E ~ home-made image of a god.’;w4[3]=’<b%3Eprophet</b%3E ~ a person who speaks on behalf of God.’;w4[4]=’<b%3EBabylonian</b%3E ~ a person from the land called Babylon; or anything that has a relationship with the country called Babylon.’;w4[5]=’<b%3ETemple</b%3E ~ special building in Jerusalem where Jews praised God and offered him prayers and gifts.