The big picture
Isaiah 23 opens in verse 1 with “The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 9 with “The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into…”, and closes in verse 18 with “And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD : it shall not be…” Repeated or prominent terms include Tyre, LORD, city, Tarshish, earth. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Isaiah · King James Version · 18Isaiah 23:1-6
1–6: The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so…
Isaiah 23:1–6 opens with “The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house…” and reaches “Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Isaiah 23 develops its own movement around Tyre, LORD, city, Tarshish, earth, with particular weight carried by howl, inhabitants, isle.
Context that brings the passage to life
“The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from…” Naming Chittim and Howl keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Isaiah 23:1-6
King James Version1The 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.
2Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.
3And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations.
4Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins.
5As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.
6Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.
Isaiah 23:7-12
7–12: Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own…
Isaiah 23:7–12 opens with “Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar…” and reaches “And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Isaiah 23 develops its own movement around Tyre, LORD, city, Tarshish, earth, with particular weight carried by city, daughter, earth.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
Isaiah 23:7-12
King James Version7Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.
8Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?
9The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.
10Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength.
11He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the LORD hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strong holds thereof.
12And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.
Isaiah 23:13-18
13–18: Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian…
Isaiah 23:13–18 opens with “Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them…” and reaches “And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD : it shall not be treasured nor…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Isaiah 23 develops its own movement around Tyre, LORD, city, Tarshish, earth, with particular weight carried by LORD, seventy, Tyre.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the…” Naming Assyrian and Chaldeans keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.” Naming Howl and Tarshish keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Isaiah 23:13-18
King James Version13Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin.
14Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.
15And 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.
16Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
17And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.
18And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD : it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD , to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Isaiah 23:1 begins with “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…”
Where the chapter turns
Isaiah 23:8 forms a natural hinge: “Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?”
The final note
Isaiah 23:18 leaves the reader with “And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD : it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words Tyre, LORD, city, Tarshish, earth, Howl help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Why repeat the details of the property?
The description establishes a recognized, witnessed holding for the family.
How do grief and promise coexist?
Abraham mourns fully while securing a burial place in the land associated with the promise.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
- sojourn
- live somewhere as a resident outsider
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.
