John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 23:16

"Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered." — Isaiah 23:16 (ASV)

Take a harp. He compares Tyre to a harlot who, after spending her entire youth in debauchery, has finally grown old. Consequently, she is forsaken and despised by all. Yet, she cannot forget her former gain and lewdness but desires to grow young again and renew her loves. To attract men, she goes around the city, delighting their ears with songs and musical instruments.

Such prostitutes are seized with a kind of madness when they perceive that they are disregarded because of their old age; we see that Horace mocks Lydia on this account. Thus Tyre, after being ruined and, so to speak, buried in oblivion, will again make efforts and use schemes and devices to recover her former condition.

Make sweet melody. By the “harp” and “sweet melody,” he means the tricks, frauds, enticements, and flatteries of merchants, by which they impose on men and, so to speak, drive them into their nets. In short, he shows by what methods trading cities become rich—that is, by deceitful and unlawful methods. Therefore, he says that Tyre will regale their ears with pleasant melody.

Sing many songs. That is, Tyre will add fraud to fraud, and allurements to allurements, so that eventually she may attract all to herself, be remembered again by men, and recover her former renown. In short, just as an old harlot devises methods to regain the favor of men, alluring them by painting, and ornaments, and dress, and songs, and musical instruments, so Tyre will recover her wealth and power by the same methods with which she formerly succeeded. Yet, he does not for that reason urge Tyre to restore herself in this way, but proceeds with his prophecy.