Isaiah 23

Isaiah 23:1

HOwle] for the losse of your voyages and commerce Tarshish] namely, of the great Sea It is] namely, Tyre. Is laid waste] that is to say, it shall be destroyed first byNebuchadnezzar, Ezech. 26. and afterwards utterly by Alexander the great. Now Isaiah joyneth together in one these two calamities, as the beginning and the ending of one and the same desolation Of Chittim] namely, from the Macedonians, see Gen. 10 4. Numb. 24. 24. Daniel 11:30. It is revealed] that is to say, It is come upon them suddenly.

Isaiah 23:2

Be still] the Italian, be silent; through horrour and confusion Of the Isle] namely, of Tyre, which stands in a little Iland encompassed round about with the sea.

Isaiah 23:3

Her revenue] that is to say, Tyre had all her provision of victuals out of Egypt, where the river Nilus, with its overflowing, did cause great plenty in the Countrey.

Isaiah 23:4

Zidon] a great Citie neer to Tyre, and joyned with it as it were one ste, see Ezech. 28. 21. The Sea] that is to say, There shall no more Colonies be sent into other Ilands and places from Tyre and Zidor, Queenes of the Mediterranean Sea, as there hath been heretofore by reason of the number and wealth of that people, to the great increase of their power and glory.The stngth] that is to say, Tyre, a very strong City, as well by reason of her strong walls, as by reason of her being encompassed with the Sea.

Isaiah 23:5

Sorely pained] fearing to be in the same manner assaulted by the Chaldeans, whereunto the taking of Tyre gave an occasion, and made the way eahe, see Ezekiel 29:18.

Isaiah 23:6

Posse ye over] that is to say, O ye Tyrians and Zidonians, goe your wayes wandring by Sea into strange Countries, flying from your enemies, or being carried captives into far Countries.

Isaiah 23:8

The crowning] the Italian, the crowned; namely, the royall City, which hath the title of a Kingdom, Ezekiel 21:2; Ezekiel 21:12.

Isaiah 23:10

Passe] that is to say, O you Tyrians, that are as children of the Sea, goe your wayes into captivity As a river] whose water neve stay: which seems contrary to the Sea, which doth not un into any other place, as their former estate was, namely, firme and constant Strength] the Italian, girdle; that is to say, thou art no more begirt with walls and rampires, Ezekiel 26:4. Or figuratively, thy strength, power, and dominion is gone.

Isaiah 23:11

Over the sea] over the Ilands and Provinces upon the Sea coasts Against the merchant city] the Italian, against the Canaaneans; from whene the Tyrians and Zidonians had their originall, Genesis 10:15; Genesis 10:19.

Isaiah 23:12

Virgin] that is to say, ye people of Tyre, that were never subdued, and whose slate hth remained still untouched under the government of your own naturall Lords Daughter] some do understand ths particularly of Tyre, which was founded by the Zdonians.

Isaiah 23:13

Behod] if any one judge this fall of Tyre to be impossible and incredible, let him consider what hath hapned to more ancient and mightier States, as the Chaldeans, who were formerly subdued and swallowed up by the Assyriars, Genesis 10:11. and shall hereafter be destroyed by the Persians, for an example of that which shall be done to the Tyrians by the Macedonians, see Amos 6:2. This people] namely, the Tyrians had not yet any forme of State or Common wealth The Assyrian] namely, Ashur the sonne of Sem, who certainly did not found the Babylonian nor Chaldean Empire, but the Assyrian, of which Ninevch was the head, Genesis 10:11. but because that in the ensuing times Babylon encreased greatly by the conquest of Assyria; the founda ion of all Chada is attributed to Ashur. For them] namely, to bring those people that were dispersed afer the ruines of the flood into Cities and Communalt es, see Job 3:14; Job 15:28 The towers thereof] or the Forts, that is to say, The Cities fiting to inhabit and to bee places of defence.

Isaiah 23:15

In tatday] namely, at that time as the Chaldeans thall bring these things to passe Be forgotten] be desolate and forsaken by God and men Seventy] namely, from the time that Tyrewas taken by Nebuchadnezzar, untill the ruine of the Babylonian Empire by the Persians, under whom Tyre did ise againe into her former state untill the dayes of Alexandr the great.According to] namely, so long as the Empire of Babylon shall last Shall Tyre, &c.] the Italian, Tyre shall have in her mouth as the song of an harlot; that is to say, she shall fall to her old traffick, whereby she shall draw strange nations unto her.

Isaiah 23:16

Take an harp] he alludes to the great delight the Tyrians tooke in the at of Musicke, to which they were addicted, Ezech. 26. 13. and 28. 13.

Isaiah 23:17

To her ire] the Italian, to her gain; the Hebrew word properly signifieth the infamous gain of a whore Shall commit fornication] the Scripture useth this terme onely to shew the concourse and mixture of strange Nations; upon occasion onely of prophane commerce, and of gain obtained by cunning and deceit, see Ezekiel 16:17. Revel. 17. 2. and 18. 3 Upon the]namely, with great pride and ostentation.

Isaiah 23:18

And her] the Italian, but in the end her; that is to say, God by the Gospell sha call the Tyrians also unto him, Psal. 87 4. Acts 21:3. and then their tading, which before was defiled with avarice, shall be sanctified by chartie towards those which are of the houshold of faith, see Zechariah 14:20.