What does Isaiah 23:5 mean?
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.
Verse Commentary:
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.
Verse Context:
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.
Chapter Summary:
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.
Chapter Context:
Prior chapters included prophecies about the nations surrounding Israel. Most of these have been arranged to warn Israel not to assume those neighbors would make effective allies against God's judgment. Chapter 23 is the final of these "oracles." Tyre was a great center of shipping and trade on the Mediterranean coast north of Israel. When it is destroyed, it will be mourned all around the great sea. After this, the predictions expand to a worldwide focus, with implications for the end times.
Book Summary:
Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).
Accessed 5/4/2024 11:47:47 PM
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Text from ESV, NIV, NASB, CSB, NLT, KJV, NKJV © Copyright respective owners, used by permission.
