Isaiah 23:5
ESV
When the report comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish over the report about Tyre.
NIV
When word comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report from Tyre.
NASB
When the report reaches Egypt, They will be in anguish over the report of Tyre.
CSB
When the news reaches Egypt, they will be in anguish over the news about Tyre.
NLT
When Egypt hears the news about Tyre, there will be great sorrow.
KJV
As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.
NKJV
When the report reaches Egypt, They also will be in agony at the report of Tyre.
What does Isaiah 23:5 mean?
The oracle against Tyre began by measuring the loss of the great city as felt by all who depended on it. This deep loss will be felt from the sailors who worked on the sea to those who grew rich from the industry the city provided. Even the sea itself, in a symbolic sense, will feel the loss (Isaiah 23:1–4). Now Isaiah adds that there will be anguish in Egypt when the news reaches them that Tyre is destroyed.Isaiah has already mentioned the revenue that flowed into Phoenicia from the grain of Shihor (Isaiah 23:3). This area was likely a branch of the Nile in Egypt where the grain was grown. Egypt had a long history of trading grain with the Phoenicians. With that trade cut off, Egypt's own economy would collapse. It's possible that Egypt would also grieve because the destruction of Tyre may mean that the Assyrians, if that's the attacker Isaiah has in mind, may soon turn its sights on them.
Chapter 23:1–12 describes the aftermath of the Lord's judgment against Tyre. The passage makes it clear that God is bringing this doom because the city's pride. The command which the Lord gives is absolute and cannot be avoided. Upcoming passages will compare this ruin to a then-extinct civilization, the Chaldeans. Tyre will become a trading hub once again, but with much less glory and her wealth will be used to provide for the Lord's people.
Isaiah's final oracle against the nations describes the aftermath of God's judgment on the port city of Tyre. This city was a great center of trade and shipping in the world. The sailors returning will mourn when they get the news the city and its port is wiped out. The mourning will extend to the Phoenician people, the sea itself, the Egyptian grain industry, and the people of Tarshish. The prophet is clear that the Lord has done this in judgment against Tyre's pride. After 70 years of being forgotten, Tyre will thrive again as a prostitute to the nations. The Lord's people will receive her wages.
