Isaiah 23 15

Isaiah 23:15 kjv

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.

Isaiah 23:15 nkjv

Now it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king. At the end of seventy years it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot:

Isaiah 23:15 niv

At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the span of a king's life. But at the end of these seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute:

Isaiah 23:15 esv

In that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, like the days of one king. At the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute:

Isaiah 23:15 nlt

For seventy years, the length of a king's life, Tyre will be forgotten. But then the city will come back to life as in the song about the prostitute:

Isaiah 23 verses

Isaiah 23 15 Meaning

Isaiah 23:15 foretells a specific period of obscurity and subsequent re-emergence for Tyre. It states that Tyre, a renowned maritime and commercial city, would be "forgotten" for seventy years, a period metaphorically likened to "the days of one king." Following this desolation, Tyre's return to activity would resemble the proverbial "song of the harlot," implying a resumption of its worldly mercantile pursuits, even if initially from a diminished state. This signifies a temporary, yet significant, suspension of its bustling trade and influence, followed by a reassertion of its identity, albeit marked by its old ways.

Isaiah 23 15 Context

Isaiah chapter 23 contains a prophetic oracle concerning Tyre, a prominent Phoenician city known for its vast wealth, naval power, and global trade network. The chapter describes its devastating fall, leading to lamentation among maritime traders and cities reliant on Tyrian commerce. This verse (23:15) functions as a specific temporal detail within this prophecy. It signifies that Tyre's period of desolation will not be permanent. The historical context likely refers to a period of decline under successive imperial pressures, particularly the Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II, who laid siege to Tyre for thirteen years (c. 586-573 BC). While the siege did not result in the city's complete destruction, it severely curtailed its power and commercial dominance for an extended period, leading to a diminished state before a partial recovery. The prophecy is a declaration of God's sovereignty over even the most powerful and seemingly invincible human enterprises.

Isaiah 23 15 Word analysis

• In that day (בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא - bay-yōm ha-hūʾ): A common prophetic phrase signaling a future time when God's judgment or divine action will manifest. It does not necessarily refer to a single calendar day but to an appointed time.
• Tyre (צֹר - Tzōr): The island city-state, known for its strong fortifications, extensive trade, and wealth. The very name evokes strength and security.
• will be forgotten (תִּשָּׁכַח - tish-shā-ḵaḥ): From the root shakach (שָׁכַח), meaning "to forget" or "to be forgotten." In the Niphal (passive) stem, it denotes a state where it is set aside, neglected, or out of mind, particularly in the realm of international trade and influence. This implies a decline in prominence, not necessarily a complete physical obliteration or historical amnesia.
• for seventy years (שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה - shiv-ʿim shā-nāh): This precise duration is highly significant. In the Old Testament, "seventy years" often represents a complete period of divine judgment or a span associated with the Babylonian Empire's dominion or the exile of Judah (Jer. 25:11-12, Jer. 29:10, Zech. 1:12). It implies a divinely appointed, completed duration of punishment or dormancy, after which a new era would begin.
• like the days of one king (כְּימֵי מֶלֶךְ אֶחָד - ḵî-mê meleḵ ʾeḥāḏ): This phrase has been interpreted in various ways.
  • "A generation": Some ancient versions (like the Septuagint) translate this as "like a generation," suggesting a general long but finite period, not necessarily seventy years.
  • "One particular king/dynasty": This likely refers to the period of dominance of a single major empire, specifically the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Its influence or 'reign' over the region, which would include Tyre, would last about 70 years from the perspective of God's overarching plan for the region. It highlights the duration of imperial suzerainty.
• At the end of seventy years (מִקְּצֵה שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה - miq-qəṣēh shiv-ʿim shā-nāh): Explicitly states the end of the divinely determined period of obscurity.
• it will happen to Tyre (יִהְיֶה לְצֹר - yih-yeh lə-tzōr): Literally "there will be to Tyre" or "it shall come to Tyre." This signifies a future development or state for the city.
• as in the song of the harlot (כְּשִׁירַת הַזּוֹנָה - kə-shî-rat haz-zō-nāh): This is a powerful, perhaps proverbial, metaphor.
  • "Harlot" (זּוֹנָה - zōnāh): Not necessarily a literal prostitute here, but often used metaphorically in Scripture to describe a nation that has strayed from faithfulness (to God) by pursuing idolatry, foreign alliances, or, in Tyre's case, excessive material gain and worldly luxury through illicit or opportunistic means.
  • "Song of the harlot": This evokes an image of a forgotten or aging harlot who picks up her instrument (often a lyre or lute) and walks through the city, trying to rekindle her trade and attract customers by singing and playing to remind people of her presence and availability. It portrays Tyre's future return to commercial activity as opportunistic, persistent, and unashamed, despite its past humiliation. It suggests a pragmatic, self-serving, and perhaps ethically dubious re-engagement with global trade, rather than a spiritual restoration.

Isaiah 23 15 Bonus section

The "seventy years" in prophecy is a recurrent theme (e.g., in Daniel 9 and Zechariah 1 and 7) and generally signifies a completed period of God's dealings, often culminating in a turning point or restoration. For Tyre, this means the judgment is finite, and a subsequent era of activity is guaranteed, yet described in terms that critique its underlying character. The Zōnah (harlot) motif serves as a profound biblical indictment, frequently associating a city or nation's material prosperity and political alliances—achieved through ungodly means—with spiritual infidelity. This not only emphasizes Tyre's persistent worldly nature but also foreshadows the character of later commercial powers described similarly in the New Testament (Revelation 17-18). Some scholarly interpretations of "one king" suggest it refers to the duration of a typical long royal reign or the reign of one empire over an extended territory, thus implying a significant but measurable period of suppression.

Isaiah 23 15 Commentary

Isaiah 23:15 provides a crucial timeline and descriptive metaphor for Tyre's judgment and eventual re-emergence. The "seventy years" is a symbolic and historically resonant period, reflecting God's sovereignty over nations and their predetermined cycles of prosperity and desolation. This timeframe is often associated with the duration of Judah's Babylonian exile and Babylon's regional dominance, implying that Tyre's subjugation or commercial stagnation would align with or be linked to this overarching imperial power. The phrase "like the days of one king" underscores that this period is a fixed, definite duration under a specific ruling power. The concluding imagery of "the song of the harlot" vividly paints Tyre's post-judgment recovery not as a moral or spiritual awakening, but as a cunning and determined return to its primary identity: a global commercial hub willing to employ all its allure and craftiness to reclaim its trade and wealth, irrespective of divine judgment or moral standing. It suggests a superficial revival, not a true repentance.

For example, this could be seen in how nations, after facing economic crises or periods of international isolation, often re-engage with the global market using strategies that prioritize profit and influence above all else, reminiscent of an old trade skill being put to use once again.