John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 23:1

"The 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 Kittim it is revealed to them." — Isaiah 23:1 (ASV)

The burden of Tyre. Tyre was very wealthy and highly celebrated, both for the variety and extent of its trade relations with all nations, and for the flourishing colonies that arose from it: Carthage, the rival of the Roman Empire, Utica, Leptis, Cadiz, and other towns, which also sent a yearly present to Tyre, by which they acknowledged Tyre as their mother.

Isaiah threatens its destruction because it had been hostile to the people of God, as we may infer from what is said by Ezekiel; for we should pay close attention to the cause of the destruction, because it was the Prophet’s design to show that God testifies His fatherly care for His people by opposing all their enemies (Ezekiel 26:2).

Some think that this refers to the storming of Tyre by Alexander, who took it with great difficulty. But the argument on which they rely, that Isaiah mentions Chittim, has little force. By that name, the Hebrew writers unquestionably designate the Macedonians, but under this word, they also include other nations, such as the Greeks and the overseas countries.

Nebuchadnezzar employed in that siege not only his own soldiers but also foreigners, whom he brought from Greece and other places. It is for an entirely different reason, as we shall immediately see, that he mentions the Greeks: namely, that from that time forward they will not take their ships to Tyre for the sake of engaging in trade.

But from the conclusion of this chapter, I draw an argument for an opposing view, for Isaiah speaks of the restoration of Tyre, and it was never restored after having been stormed by Alexander. Besides, when I compare Ezekiel’s words with those of Isaiah, I think that I see the very same prediction.

Now, he does not speak of Alexander, but of Nebuchadnezzar; and I cannot doubt that it must be explained in that manner. Moreover, in the days of Ezekiel and Isaiah, that city was under the rule of a king, but historians relate that, when it was stormed by Alexander, it had become a republic.

And if we consider the purpose of the prophecy, we will be sufficiently confirmed in this opinion, for his aim is to comfort the Jews by threatening that the inhabitants of Tyre, who had oppressed them, will not go unpunished. It would have been highly inconsistent for the Lord to punish other nations while this nation, which had been no less hostile, escaped punishment entirely or was punished five hundred years later. Therefore, every conjecture leads us to the conclusion that we should interpret this passage as relating to Nebuchadnezzar.

Howl, ye ships of Tarshish. He employs various figures of speech, as is his custom, to illustrate the ruin of Tyre, to lend greater credibility to the prediction; for a plain narrative would have been ineffective or would not have powerfully influenced minds that are naturally dull and sluggish, and therefore he presents a vivid depiction to them.

This calamity, he declares, will be very severe, because it will be felt even in distant countries. He tells the “ships howl,” because, when Tyre has been destroyed, they will have no further business. The ships of the Cilicians are particularly mentioned by him because, being neighbors, they frequently and extensively traded with the inhabitants of Tyre; and Cilicia is called by the Hebrews “Tarshish.” Great inconvenience would inevitably arise for that country at the destruction of Tyre; not only because commerce ceased for a time, but also because goods were carried off, and there was a disruption of trade relations, as usually happens when wealthy individuals are ruined.

That there may be no entering in from the land of Chittim. What I have translated as “that there may be no entering in,” is explained by some to mean that there may be no house “into which you can enter,” but I think that I have accurately conveyed the Prophet’s meaning. However, he does not mean that the Cilicians or the Greeks will be prevented from entering, but that they will no longer trade with Tyre as they were formerly accustomed, because it will no longer be, as it once was, a marketplace for nations.

Those who think that the Prophet speaks of the defeat inflicted by Alexander separate this clause of the verse, “from the land of Chittim,” from what precedes it, and connect it as follows: “from the land of Chittim it was revealed to them.” But, on the contrary, I connect it differently, in this way: “From not going from the land of Chittim;” that is, that the Greeks may no longer enter as they were formerly accustomed. By the word “Chittim,” he means both the Greeks and the western nations; as if he had said, “An end will be put to commerce with the Greeks, so that they will no longer take their ships there.” Under this term, he also includes the inhabitants of Cyprus, Sicily, Italy, and other nations.

This was revealed to them. These words can be understood to refer to both the Greeks and the inhabitants of Tyre. If they refer to the inhabitants of Tyre, the meaning will be: “When the report of the city’s ruin reaches them, they will cease their usual voyages, for they will avoid that harbor as they would avoid a rock;” and this is the meaning I more readily adopt. Yet, I do not reject the other interpretation: that the Prophet confirms his prediction, as we commonly say of something certain, “Consider this addressed to you.”