Isaiah 23

Isaiah · Chapter 23

Isaiah 23:16

1The 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.2Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.3And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations.4Be 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.5As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.6Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.7Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.8Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?9The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.10Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength.11He 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.12And 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.13Behold 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.14Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.15And 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.16Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.17And 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.18And 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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
16Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.“Take up your harp, stroll through the city, O forgotten harlot. Make sweet melody, sing many a song, so you will be remembered.”Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
takeקְחִ֥יke-CHIH3947G
to take: take

לָקַח (la.qach) : take 1) to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to take, take in the hand 1a2) to take and carry along 1a3) to take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away 1a4) to take to or for a person, procure, get, take possession of, select, choose, take in marriage, receive, accept 1a5) to take up or upon, put upon 1a6) to fetch 1a7) to take, lead, conduct 1a8) to take, capture, seize 1a9) to take, carry off 1a10) to take (vengeance) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be captured 1b2) to be taken away, be removed …

a harpכִנּ֛וֹרkhi-NORH3658
lyre

כִּנּוֹר (kin.nor) lyre, harp

go aroundסֹ֥בִּיSO-biH5437G
to turn: turn

סָבַב (sa.vav) : turn/bring_around 1) to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or around, surround, encircle, change direction 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn, turn about, be brought round, change 1a2) to march or walk around, go partly around, circle about, skirt, make a round, make a circuit, go about to, surround, encompass 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to turn oneself, close round, turn round 1b2) to be turned over to 1c) (Piel) to turn about, change, transform 1d) (Poel) 1d1) to encompass, surround 1d2) to come about, assemble round 1d3) to march, go about 1d4) to enclose, envelop 1e) (Hiphil) …

[the] cityעִ֖יר'irH5892B
city

עִיר (ir) 1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded) 1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded) 1a) city, town

O prostituteזוֹנָ֣הzo-NAHH2181
to fornicate

זָנָה (za.nah) 1) to commit fornication, be a harlot, play the harlot 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be a harlot, act as a harlot, commit fornication 1a2) to commit adultery 1a3) to be a cult prostitute 1a4) to be unfaithful (to God) (fig.) 1b) (Pual) to play the harlot 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to cause to commit adultery 1c2) to force into prostitution 1c3) to commit fornication

forgottenנִשְׁכָּחָ֑הnish-ka-CHAHH7911
to forget

שָׁכַח (sha.khach) 1) to forget, ignore, wither 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to forget 1a2) to cease to care 1b) (Niphal) to be forgotten 1c) (Piel) to cause to forget 1d) (Hiphil) to make or cause to forget 1e) (Hithpael) to be forgotten Aramaic equivalent: she.khach (שְׁכַח "to find" H7912)

do wellהֵיטִ֤יבִיhei-TI-viH3190
be good

טְאֵב (te.ev) (P'al) to be glad, be good Aramaic of ya.tav (יָטַב "be good" H3190)

to playנַגֵּן֙na-GENH5059
to play

נָגַן (na.gan) 1) to play or strike strings, play a stringed instrument 1a) (Qal) 1a1) player (participle) 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to play 1b1a) player, minstrel (participle)

multiplyהַרְבִּי־har-bi-H7235A
to multiply

רָבָה (ra.vah) 1) be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to become many, become numerous, multiply (of people, animals, things) 1a2) to be or grow great 1b) (Piel) to make large, enlarge, increase, become many 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to make much, make many, have many 1c1a) to multiply, increase 1c1b) to make much to do, do much in respect of, transgress greatly 1c1c) to increase greatly or exceedingly 1c2) to make great, enlarge, do much Aramaic equivalent: re.vah (רְבָה "to grow great" H7236)

songשִׁ֔ירShirH7892A
song

שִׁיר (shir) 1) song 1a) lyric song 1b) religious song 1c) song of Levitical choirs Also means: shi.rah (שִׁירָה "song" H7892B)

so thatלְמַ֖עַןle-MA-'anH4616
because

מַ֫עַן (ma.an) 1) purpose, intent prep 1a) for the sake of 1b) in view of, on account of 1c) for the purpose of, to the intent that, in order to conj 1d) to the end that

you may be rememberedתִּזָּכֵֽרִי׃ti-za-KHE-riH2142
to remember

זָכַר (za.khar) 1) to remember, recall, call to mind 1a) (Qal) to remember, recall 1b) (Niphal) to be brought to remembrance, be remembered, be thought of, be brought to mind 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to cause to remember, remind 1c2) to cause to be remembered, keep in remembrance 1c3) to mention 1c4) to record 1c5) to make a memorial, make remembrance

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.