The Burden against Tyre 1 An oracle of Tyre. Wail, ships of Tarshish, for it is devastated — no house, no entering. From the land of Kittim it was revealed to them.
Jerome · AD 420 (Chapter 23, Verse 1) The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of the sea; for the house is laid waste, from whence they come: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them. Be silent, ye inhabitants of the island; thou merchants of Sidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished thee.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 The burden of Tyre. In this part he threatens against the Tyrians, who were joined to the people of God by association in trade. And this is divided into two parts: first, he threatens the destruction which was carried out by Nabuchodonosor; in the second part, he promises liberation: and it shall come to pass after seventy years (Isa 23:17).
2 Be silent, inhabitants of the coastland — merchant of Sidon, crossing the sea, they filled you.
Athanasius of Alexandria · AD 373 Still, it was when humanity was in this state that the Word—the Son—came to seek and to find that which was lost. Even before he came, he tried to restrain us from such foolishness, crying out, "Don't be like the horse and the mule which have no understanding and whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle." And because his own people were careless and acted as the wicked d…
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Second, he sets out their stupor: be silent, adding three things in which they gloried, namely, in the fortification of their position: you that dwell in the island; in the abundance of their merchandise: trade, that is, in which they trade; have filled you, with riches; in abundance of grain: the seed of the river Nile, that is, her harvest, and revenue, namely of Tyre, for mu…
3 And on many waters the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile, was her revenue; and she was the trade of nations.
Jerome · AD 420 (Vers. 3.) Those crossing the sea fill you, in many waters, with the seed of the Nile, and the harvest of its river. Tyre rejoices in trade, and is the market of the whole world, and the present times prove it, as described by Ezekiel in his lengthy discourse.
4 Be ashamed, Sidon, for the sea has spoken — the stronghold of the sea — saying: I have not writhed and I have not given birth, and I have not raised young men or brought up virgins.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 Therefore, after being so often ploughed by returning merchants, "Be ashamed, O Sidon, has said the sea." This is the voice of the fatigued element, as it were, saying, "Be ashamed, Sidon"; that is: Merchant, you accuse my waves although you yourself are more restless than they. Blush indeed for shame since you are not disturbed by peril.
Theodoret of Cyrus · AD 458 To convince you of this, return again to the sea, and observe its depths, its extent, its division into bays, its shores, its port, the islands in its midst, the kinds of fishes in it and their species, shapes, variety and fondness for the shore.…Since journeying by land is fraught with difficulty and the satisfaction of all our needs on such journeys is not only difficult but…
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Third, he sets out the confusion of their neighbors. And first, of the Sidonians, whose colony Tyre was: the sea, that is, traders of the sea, speaks: be you ashamed, O Sidon, for you did not defend Tyre; for my strength, that is, Tyre, is saying: I have not been in labor, that is: it profited me not to have been in labor, for I was captured.
5 As at the report about Egypt, they will writhe at the report of Tyre.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 5) When it is heard in Egypt, they will grieve when they hear about Tyre. This is clear, that after the Egyptians hear about the most powerful and neighboring nation being destroyed by a long siege, they will also know that their own destruction is approaching.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Second, of the Egyptians: when it shall be heard in Egypt: behold I do a thing in Israel: and whosoever shall hear it, both his ears shall tingle (1 Sam 3:11).
6 Cross over to Tarshish; wail, inhabitants of the coastland!
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 6.) Cross over, O sea! Cry out, you who dwell on the island! Once again, they have carried Carthage across the sea and to Tharsis, seventy ships. We read in the histories of the Assyrians that the besieged Tyrians, seeing no hope of escape, fled to Carthage, either to other islands of the Ionian and Aegean seas.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Pass over the seas. Here he foretells the flight of the fearful, as to those who, when Nabuchodonosor was attacking the city, fled into Egypt with their ships. And first, he exhorts them to flight, second, to constancy or haste of flight: pass your land (Isa 23:10). Concerning the first, he does three things.
7 Is this your exulting one, whose antiquity is from days of old, whose feet carry her far off to sojourn?
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 7) Is this not yours, which boasted in its ancient days? Tyre, pride, has been rebuked because it boasted in its ancient state and did not look to God. Instead, it remembered the names of its ancestors, thinking itself eternal. He led her two hundred feet away for a pilgrimage. He says this to those who remained in the city, and the captives were led to Babylon.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Second, the ignominy of those who remain: is this not; and concerning this, he does two things. First, he foretells their ignominy, recalling first their former glory: is not this yours, namely, your city? Her feet shall carry her afar off, as to those taken captive: my delicate ones have walked rough ways (Bar 4:26).
8 Who has counseled this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth?
Jerome · AD 420 (Vers. 8, 9.) Who has conceived these things against Tyre? Is it not the smaller one, or does it not prevail? Its merchants are the princes of Canaan, the famous ones of the land. The Lord of hosts has conceived to dissolve every insult of the proud, and to dishonor everything that is famous on the earth.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Third, wonder, setting out first the question of the wonderer: who knew this one crowned, as though queen of other cities; whose merchants were princes, because of their excessive luxuries: how are you fallen, that dwell in the sea, renowned city that was strong in the sea, with your inhabitants? (Ezek 26:17).
9 The LORD of hosts has counseled it, to profane the pride of all splendor, to make light of all the honored of the earth.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 9.) The Lord of hosts has thought of this, to take away the pride of all glory: and to bring into contempt all the glorious ones of the earth. For as he had said above: Who hath thought the former Tyre, crowned by the ancients, that such a thing should be done?
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 And he adds the response: the Lord of hosts has designed it, to pull down the pride of all glory: scatter the proud in your indignation, and behold every arrogant man, and humble him (Job 40:6).
10 Cross over your land like the Nile, daughter of Tarshish; there is no restraint any longer.
Jerome · AD 420 (Vers. 10, 11.) Work your land: for the ships do not come from Carthage at all, and your hand does not prevail, which provokes the kings in the sea. There is much disagreement among other interpreters, and the Septuagint edition diverges from the Hebrew itself in this place, but let us continue with the proposed argument.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Pass your land. Here he exhorts them to flee quickly. And first, he sets out the exhortation: pass your land as a river, which is crossed quickly by boat: furnish yourself to go into exile, you daughter inhabitant of Egypt (Jer 46:19).
11 He has stretched out his hand over the sea, he has made kingdoms shake. The LORD has commanded concerning Canaan, to destroy her strongholds.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 11.) He stretched out his hand over the sea, he troubled the kingdoms. Who stretched out his hand? Without a doubt, based on the context of the words themselves, it is God, about whom he said above: the Lord of hosts has planned this, to take away the pride of all glory.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 The Lord has given a charge. Here he threatens destruction. And first, the scourge of persecution; second, he foretells the mourning of compassion: howl (Isa 23:14); third, he designates the time of destruction: and it shall come to pass in that day (Isa 23:15). Concerning the first, he does three things.
12 And he said: You will not go on exulting, oppressed one, virgin daughter of Sidon. Rise, cross over to Kittim — even there you will have no rest.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 12) The Lord of hosts commanded to destroy its strength from Canaan, and they will say: 'You shall not add to do harm and injustice to the virgin daughter of Sidon.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 And the intended end: and he said: you shall glory no more, O virgin daughter of Sidon, who sustain calumny, accused of pride: let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, and let not the rich man glory in his riches (Jer 9:23); and he excludes any remedy: arise and sail over to Cethim, there also you shall have no rest: neither shall you be quiet, even in those nations, nor shall…
13 See, the land of the Chaldeans — this is the people that was not; Assyria founded it for desert creatures. They set up their siege towers, they stripped her palaces bare, they made her a ruin.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 13, 14.) Behold the land of the Chaldeans, such a people has never existed: Assyria laid it waste, they led away its strong men, they dug up its houses, they reduced it to ruins. Wail, O ships of the sea, for your strength is destroyed.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Second, he sets out the strength of the enemy: behold the land of the Chaldeans, there was not such a people, before them; the Assyrians, or Nabuchodonosor, founded it: is not this Babylon, which I have built? (Dan 4:27).
14 Wail, ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is devastated.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 "Howl," he says—he repeats it—"O you ships of Carthage, for your strength is laid waste. And it shall come to pass in that day, Tyre shall be abandoned;" and below, "but after seventy years, Tyre shall be as the song of a harlot." Behold what words the prophet employs, and how he does not avoid the baseness of words of this kind.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 14.) Howl, O ships of Carthage: for your strength is gone. The ships of Carthage, that is to say Tharsis, are commanded to howl: for they have not perished, as mentioned above, or will not come; but their strength has perished. Tharsis, according to another interpretation, is translated into our language as completion of six, or joy.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Howl. Here he sets out the mourning (Ezek 27:14).
15 And it will be, in that day, that Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, like the days of one king. At the end of seventy years it will be for Tyre as in the song of the whore:
Aphrahat the Persian Sage · AD 345 This Tyre also lay waste seventy years like Jerusalem, which sat in desolation seventy years.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 15.) And it shall come to pass on that day, Tyre, you shall be forgotten for seventy years, like the days of one king.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 And it shall come to pass. Here he designates the time: seventy years, according to the days of one king, who rarely even lives so long, below: the Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me (Isa 49:14). But after seventy years. Here he promises liberation.
16 “Take a lyre, go about the town, forgotten whore! Play well, sing many songs, so that you may be remembered.”
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 16.) After seventy years, Tyre will be like the song of a prostitute. Take up the lyre, go around the city, forgotten prostitute, sing well, sing often, so that there will be a memory of you. Because you have prostituted yourself with many nations, and you have been left desolate, naked, and filthy with the filth of captivity, your former lovers have despised you.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 And he sets out the song as to the instrument: take a harp; as to the place: about the city; as to the manner: sing well; as to the number, sing many a song. He also sets out the fruit: that you mayst be remembered: it is commonly said: if a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and marry another man, shall he return to her any more? (Jer 3:1).
17 And it will be, at the end of seventy years, that the LORD will attend to Tyre, and she will go back to her hire, and will whore with all the kingdoms of the earth on the face of the ground.
Aphrahat the Persian Sage · AD 345 Now we see that Tyre was inhabited and was opulent after it had "wandered seventy years," and after it had received the reward of its prostitutions.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 17) And it will be, after seventy years, the Lord will visit Tyre, and He will restore it to its merchandise, and again it will commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the earth on the face of the earth.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Second, he promises the benefit of a liberator: and it shall come to pass after seventy years; that the Lord will visit Tyre, and will bring her back again to her traffic: and she shall commit fornication again, that is, she shall trade: I will glorify them (Jer 30:19).
18 And her trade and her hire will be holy to the LORD; it will not be stored up and will not be hoarded, for her trade will be for those who dwell before the LORD, to eat their fill and for fine clothing.
Eusebius of Caesarea · AD 339 To seek out the exact form of the reading, I gave my attention to the translation of Aquila, which says, "And it will happen that its commerce and wages are consecrated to the Lord." Thus the Hebrew has, precisely, "commerce and wages" without the articles, not, according to the Septuagint, "the commerce and the wages," by which it appears to mean all the commerce and all the w…
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 18) And his business shall be holy to the Lord, and his wages shall be set apart for the Lord; they shall not be stored up or hoarded away. For those who dwell before the Lord, his business shall be to eat in plenty and be clothed until old age.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Third, he sets out the fruit of liberation: and her merchandise and her hire shall be, below: for brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver (Isa 60:17).