John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 23:7

"Is this your joyous [city], whose antiquity is of ancient days, whose feet carried her afar off to sojourn?" — Isaiah 23:7 (ASV)

Is this your exulting city? The Prophet mocks Tyre and ridicules her pride, because she boasted of the antiquity of her name. He also confirms what all would suppose incredible; for this prediction was undoubtedly laughed at, since the power of Tyre was unshaken, and her wealth was like a wall of brass. All the more confidently does Isaiah speak, and threaten that her ruin is certain. Even though she is more ancient than other cities and universally applauded for that reason, this will still not prevent her from being destroyed.

The origin of Tyre is traced in secular history from time immemorial and is so obscure and intricate that hardly anything can be ascertained. Although they allege that it was founded by the Phoenicians—as those who boast of the fame of antiquity call themselves natives of the soil—the Prophet contrasts this antiquity with banishment, implying that when God had determined to inflict punishment on that nation, her stability would end.

Her feet shall carry her, to travel into a distant country. To follow wherever the feet carry means nothing other than to wander extensively. Yet he also means that they will be deprived of their wealth and will be lacking everything during their banishment, so that they will not have any kind of transportation or an animal to carry them. Banishment is a very harsh condition when poverty is added to it; for it can be endured more easily when one has the means to support life. But when people must live in unknown countries in the deepest poverty, the misery is extreme. He adds the finishing stroke to their miseries by saying that they must travel into a distant country; for the greater the distance, the harder the banishment is.