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Isaiah 23

1.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 them. 2. Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished. 3. And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations. 4. Be 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. 5. As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre. 6. Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle. 7. Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn. 8. Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth? 9. The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth. 10. Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength. 11. He 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. 12. And 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. 13. Behold 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. 14. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.

15.And 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. 16. Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

17.And 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. 18. 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 before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

Asked of Guide

Why does Isaiah say Tyre will be "forgotten seventy years" and then return to "sing as an harlot" afterward?

Isaiah predicts a period of humiliation for Tyre—“forgotten seventy years”—framed like the exile of a city that loses her power and commerce. The seventy years mark a full season of judgment and loss, after which Isaiah says Tyre will resume her old trade and alliances, described as “sing as an harlot,” meaning she will again pursue wealth through worldly partners and profiteering.

This pattern matches how Isaiah treats other nations: punishment produces loss, then restoration leads to the same moral character returning in a new form. Compare Jeremiah, who uses seventy years for Babylonian judgment, and Ezekiel, who also shows restored cities resuming former behaviors; Isaiah expects divine visitation that changes Tyre’s fortunes without changing Tyre’s fundamental ways.

Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.