Isaiah 23 4

Isaiah 23:4 kjv

Be 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.

Isaiah 23:4 nkjv

Be ashamed, O Sidon; For the sea has spoken, The strength of the sea, saying, "I do not labor, nor bring forth children; Neither do I rear young men, Nor bring up virgins."

Isaiah 23:4 niv

Be ashamed, Sidon, and you fortress of the sea, for the sea has spoken: "I have neither been in labor nor given birth; I have neither reared sons nor brought up daughters."

Isaiah 23:4 esv

Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying: "I have neither labored nor given birth, I have neither reared young men nor brought up young women."

Isaiah 23:4 nlt

But now you are put to shame, city of Sidon,
for Tyre, the fortress of the sea, says,
"Now I am childless;
I have no sons or daughters."

Isaiah 23 verses

Isaiah 23 4 meaning

Isaiah 23:4 portrays the coastal city of Sidon, often representative of Phoenician maritime power alongside Tyre, in a state of profound shame and desolation. The "sea" itself, the very source of Sidon's historical wealth, trade, and vibrant population, is personified and laments its barrenness. This barrenness signifies a complete cessation of maritime activity, trade, and the flourishing of its people (symbolized by "young men" and "virgins"), as if the sea can no longer give birth to the city's prosperity or sustain its future generations. It is a pronouncement of ultimate economic and demographic collapse, leading to humiliation for the proud trading city.

Isaiah 23 4 Context

Isaiah chapter 23 contains a prophetic burden, or oracle, against Tyre (which includes Sidon, its mother city and progenitor). Tyre, a major Phoenician city-state, was renowned as the leading commercial and maritime power of its time, a bustling hub of international trade that spanned the Mediterranean. It established colonies, accumulated vast wealth, and exerted significant political influence. The historical context for this prophecy likely involves the Assyrian expansion under Sargon II and Sennacherib (8th-7th centuries BCE), who brought pressure upon the region, or later the Neo-Babylonian conquests under Nebuchadnezzar (late 7th-6th centuries BCE). Tyre, in its pride and self-sufficiency, relied on its formidable defenses, naval power, and commercial networks, rather than on Yahweh. The chapter as a whole describes the shocking downfall of this seemingly impregnable and prosperous city, predicting its lament, the disruption of its trade, and the mourning of its trading partners. Verse 4 specifically zeros in on the ultimate humiliation and desolation experienced by the cities when their source of life and commerce—the sea—is rendered sterile, unable to produce what sustained them. This prophecy serves as a polemic against human pride, reliance on worldly wealth and power, and idolatry (implicitly, in worshipping prosperity), affirming the absolute sovereignty of the Lord over all nations and their economies.

Isaiah 23 4 Word analysis

• Be ashamed: The Hebrew word is būš (בּוּשׁ), meaning to be ashamed, disgraced, confounded, or put to shame. It conveys a deep sense of humiliation and exposure, particularly for a city as proud and self-assured as Sidon. For a nation that gloried in its wealth and influence, being ashamed denotes the complete stripping away of its honor and the public demonstration of its weakness and ultimate downfall. This isn't just an internal feeling but an externally perceived disgrace.
• O Sidon: ṣîḏôn (צִידוֹן) refers to Sidon, an ancient Phoenician city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It was historically older than Tyre and often mentioned as a mother-city to Tyre, representing the broader Phoenician maritime trading culture. Its mention here underlines the comprehensive nature of the judgment against the Phoenician trading empire. Sidon’s identity was inseparable from the sea and its commerce.
• for the sea: yām (יָם) literally means "sea." Here, it is profoundly personified as a character that "speaks." The sea was the lifeblood of Sidon and Tyre, bringing their wealth, enabling their commerce, and facilitating their power. In prophetic literature, the "sea" can also symbolize chaotic forces or the nations themselves. Its speaking a lament indicates a reversal of fortune—what once brought life now pronounces death and desolation.
• has spoken: 'āmar (אָמַר), meaning to say, speak, declare, or command. The sea's speech is a solemn pronouncement, a decree of fate, emphasizing the inevitability and authoritative nature of the judgment against Sidon. It is an almost poetic justice, as the very entity that made them powerful now testifies against their state.
• the stronghold of the sea: The Hebrew is māʿôz yām (מָעוֹז יָם). Māʿôz means fortress, stronghold, refuge, or defense. Yām is sea. This phrase could mean Sidon (or Tyre) itself, as the "stronghold of the sea"—its fortified outpost or main power center, or a city protected by the sea. It highlights the city's self-perception of invulnerability due to its maritime power and coastal defenses, directly contrasting with its imminent humiliation.
• saying, 'I have not labored, nor given birth, nor reared young men, nor brought up virgins.': This entire phrase is a powerful metaphor portraying the sea as a barren mother.
  • I have not labored: ḥīl (חִיל) signifies to writhe, tremble, be in labor (childbirth). The imagery evokes the pangs and effort of bringing forth life. The sea, here, denies experiencing the travail of generation.
  • nor given birth: yālaḏ (יָלַד), to bear, bring forth, beget. This confirms the complete absence of any "offspring" from the sea.
  • nor reared young men, nor brought up virgins: baḥûr (בַּחוּר) refers to young men, chosen youth, often representing the strength, vitality, and future of a community (sailors, warriors, merchants). Bĕṯûlāh (בְּתוּלָה) denotes a maiden or virgin, symbolizing purity, marriageability, future generations, and the perpetuation of the community.
  • Combined words/phrase analysis: This segment is the core of the lament. The sea's denial of laboring and giving birth to "young men" and "virgins" is deeply symbolic. The "children" of the sea for Sidon/Tyre were not literal offspring, but its vast trade, maritime activities, sailors, merchants, colonists, and ultimately, its entire population that prospered from and utilized the sea. By declaring its barrenness, the sea declares that it will no longer produce ships, cargo, wealth, or people who would embark on commercial ventures, thereby ending Sidon's livelihood and future. This stark image of a barren sea directly counters the fertility and abundance it historically represented for Phoenicia, demonstrating the absolute reversal of fortune and the utter destruction of its source of prosperity and life.

Isaiah 23 4 Bonus section

The "barren woman" motif, inverted here to the "barren sea" (which symbolically sustained a 'city-mother'), is a powerful biblical image typically associated with both personal distress and divine judgment or intervention. In the case of Sidon, it highlights a profound curse—the cessation of all life-giving functions for the city's foundation. Historically, while Isaiah's immediate prophecy might have pointed to Assyrian or Babylonian conquests that impacted Phoenician trade, the city of Tyre (Sidon's descendant and often interchangeable in prophecy for the broader Phoenician power) faced significant and prolonged sieges, notably by Nebuchadnezzar for 13 years and later completely destroyed in its mainland form by Alexander the Great. These events effectively led to periods of desolation and drastically altered their global dominance, making the "sea's barrenness" a stark reality. The theological implication extends to New Testament teachings where dependence on worldly riches and power is consistently warned against, aligning with the spirit of this Old Testament condemnation of Tyre's pride (e.g., in Revelation's fall of Babylon).

Isaiah 23 4 Commentary

Isaiah 23:4 paints a vivid picture of judgment against the arrogant maritime city of Sidon, encapsulating the theme of the inevitable fall of proud human achievements before divine sovereignty. The core message is the stripping away of a nation's identity and means of sustenance. The personification of the sea, the very source of Sidon’s wealth and life, lamenting its barrenness is a striking prophetic image. It means the economic and demographic engine of the city has been utterly crippled. No longer will the sea teem with Sidonian vessels or bring in prosperity, nor will the city flourish with new generations nurtured by maritime success. This prophecy underscores that all worldly power and self-reliant pride are ultimately temporary and vulnerable to God’s overarching plan and judgment, reducing a mighty nation to a state of shame and desolation.