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Isaiah 23:1
ESV The oracle concerning Tyre. Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, without house or harbor! From the land of Cyprus it is revealed to them.
NIV A prophecy against Tyre: Wail, you ships of Tarshish! For Tyre is destroyed and left without house or harbor. From the land of Cyprus word has come to them.
NASB The pronouncement concerning Tyre: Wail, you ships of Tarshish, For Tyre is destroyed, without house or harbor; It is reported to them from the land of Cyprus.
CSB A pronouncement concerning Tyre: Wail, ships of Tarshish, for your haven has been destroyed. Word has reached them from the land of Cyprus.
NLT This message came to me concerning Tyre: Wail, you trading ships of Tarshish, for the harbor and houses of Tyre are gone! The rumors you heard in Cyprus are all true.
KJV 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.

What does Isaiah 23:1 mean?

The final oracle Isaiah records in the segment is against the then-thriving port city of Tyre. The ancient city was located about 35 miles, or 56 kilometers, north of Mt. Carmel in what is called "Lebanon" today. The city's location on the Mediterranean and two natural harbors gave it a prime advantage as a center for sea trade. In addition, Tyre was partly built on two islands just a short distance off the shore, making it difficult to attack and conquer.

However, it was conquered and utterly decimated. Alexander the Great overtook the city in 332 BC during his campaign against Phoenicia. It is unknown if that is the defeat Isaiah's oracle is pointing to, or if it is another of the attacks when the city was defeated following Isaiah's time. Some scholars understand Isaiah's description to fit Alexander's attack best due to how thoroughly he succeeded in destroying the city and wiping out the population.

Tarshish was likely in modern-day Spain, though some researchers believe it was off the coast of Italy. The ships of Tarshish are mentioned several times throughout the Old Testament. Solomon had a fleet of these ships during his reign as king over Israel (1 Kings 10:22). The ships were built for the distinct purpose of being able to haul impressive loads of goods over great distances (Ezekiel 27:25). They were either manufactured in Tarshish, or were constructed to travel all the way to Tarshish and back.

Isaiah begins by calling for the sailors and merchants aboard the ships of Tarshish to mourn: Tyre has been destroyed. The imagery here is of a trading expedition returning home to Tyre after many months, weighed down with goods from across the sea. The city they find is different from the city they left behind.

The large island of Cyprus was northwest of Tyre and the natural final stop for a fleet of ships heading back to Phoenicia. Isaiah pictures the sailors getting the news in Cyprus that Tyre is gone. There are no houses remaining or even a harbor for them to dock in. The great city has simply ceased to be.
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