In my last post, we began to examine the last of the prophecies that Yesha’yahu had received from Adonai against the nations surrounding Isra’el and Y’hudah: A Prophecy Against Tzor (Tyre) ~ Part 1b in Yesha’yahu 23:1-10. In this post, we complete our examination of A Prophecy Against Tzor (Tyre) ~ Part 2 in Yesha’yahu 23:11-18.

¹¹ He has stretched out his hand against the sea, he has shaken kingdoms; Adonai has ordered that Kena‘an’s fortresses be destroyed.

The Hebrew text here actually reads Kena‘an. The choice to translate Phoenicia helps the reader stay focused on Tzor’s destruction. However, that destruction is (1) based on the Kena‘ani culture of the Phoenicians that is condemned by Adonai and (2) exemplified here by Adonai’s stretching out his hand over the sea to demonstrate that this friendly resource of the Phoenician traders will not save them.

¹² He has said, “Exult no more, oppressed virgin daughter of Tzidon. Arise, cross to Kittim; even there you will find no rest.”

Tzidon is compared to a rape victim, who must leave to seek refuge in Kittim (Cyprus).

¹³ Look at the land of the Kasdim! This was the people who did not exist when Ashur destined it for desert creatures. They erected their siege towers and tore down her palaces, so that it has been made a ruin.

An analogy is drawn between the fall of the Kasdim (Chaldeans) and the fall of Tzor. Since the verse goes on to imply the fall of Bavel at the hands of the Ashurim, it probably refers to the first of these, not the second in which Bavel was victorious.

Ashurim reliefs from the palace at Nineveh and the annals of several kings depict a number of different types of siege engines. One of the most common was the siege tower, which was rolled up as close as possible to a city’s walls. From its heights archers could target enemy soldiers, and assault bridges could be extended onto the ramparts. At the base of the tower, protected from the rain of stones, hot oil and arrows, engineers and sappers could work to undermine the walls or employ battering rams. [1]

¹⁴ Howl, you “Tarshish” ships, because your fortress is destroyed. ¹⁵ When that day comes, Tzor will be forgotten for seventy years, the lifetime of a king. After seventy years, its fate will be the same as that of the prostitute in this song:

Interestingly, 70 years is cited as the length of the exile and punishment of the people of God (Jeremiah 25:12; Daniel 9:2; Zecheriah 1:12). There have been some attempts to identify such a time period (from the death of Sennacherib to the time of Nebuchadnezzar), but this cannot be done with certainty.

¹⁶ “Take a lyre, walk the city, you poor, forgotten whore! Play sweetly, sing all your songs, so that they will remember you!”

The prostitute’s song in verse 15c and 16 may have been popular in ancient Isra’el. It speaks of an old prostitute forgotten by men who tried to attract attention by singing songs. The revived Tzor is like this prostitute. The image of the prostitute suggests Tzor itself, since it was a trading city.

¹⁷ After seventy years are over Adonai will remember Tzor. She will receive her wages again and prostitute herself to all the world’s kingdoms on the face of the earth. ¹⁸ But her merchandise and profits will be dedicated to Adonai; they will not be stored up or hoarded, because her profits will be for those living in Adonai’s presence, so that they can eat their fill and wear fine clothing. ~ Isaiah 23:11-18 (CJB)

Yesha’yahu prophesied that this proud, pompous city would be pushed into the sea and carried into captivity. Yet the time would come when her merchandise would be used to give honor to the Lord. In writing of the coming kingdom, the psalmist declared that Tzor would bring riches to the Lord (Psalm 45:12). This speaks to me of the incredible grace and mercy of our Father – always ready to give people another chance to come to Him.

In my next post, we will begin to explore The Lord’s Judgment of the Whole Earth in Yesha’yahu 24.

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[1] The IVP Bible Background Commentary – Old Testament.