Introduction to Isaiah 23

Structure and Formatting

This chapter presents an oracle about the city of Tyre. It was a great trading port and fortress city on an island just off the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Ships that sailed to ports all around that sea loaded and unloaded goods there. The people of Tyre became wealthy particularly by importing and exporting grain that was grown in Egypt. The oracle warns that the city will be destroyed and its trade will be ruined. Because it draws a comparison to the way the Assyrians destroyed Babylon (their emperor Sennacherib did that in 689 B.C.), it seems to come from the period of Assyrian ascendancy. The Assyrians did not completely destroy Tyre, but they did reduce it to a vassal state and take much of its revenue in taxes and tribute. The oracle had a further fulfillment when the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar besieged the city for 13 years. The total ruin that this oracle predicts occurred in 332 B.C. when Alexander the Great captured and destroyed the city by building a land bridge out to the island. The oracle ends on a hopeful note, however. Looking to the future[JB6.1], it predicts that Tyre will become prosperous again, and instead of hoarding its wealth, it will devote it to Yahweh’s temple and the support of his people. This is like the vision of future peace in 19:16–25. 1. Tyre will be ruined (1–14) 2. Tyre will be restored (15–18)

Translation Issues in This Chapter

Repeated phrases

Verse 14, “Wail, ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold has been destroyed,” is very similar to the opening of this oracle in verse 1. This gives the first section of the oracle a clear beginning and ending. So that your readers can recognize this, try to translate these phrases the same way in both verses.