Isaiah 2:16
in Isaiah 2against every ship of Tarshish, and against every stately vessel.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant imagery.
KJV
And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.
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This verse in Isaiah 2
Commentary
6 notes on this verse(Verse 16.) And over all the ships of Tarshish, and over everything that is beautiful to see. Regarding Tarshish, which all similarly transferred, only seventy interpreted the sea. The Hebrews believe that the sea of Tarshish is properly called () in their language, but when it is said Iam (), it is not called in the Hebrew language, but in the Syriac language. Josaphat also had ships that he would send to Tarshish (3 Kings 22:49), but they were broken in Asiongaber.
This site's exposition
For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty
on Isaiah 2:12-16
The day of the Lord of hosts falls upon every category of natural and human height in a single list, the cedars of Lebanon and oaks of Bashan for the tallest trees the ancient world knew, every high mountain and lifted hill for the land's own geography, every tower and fenced wall for the works of defense, and the ships of Tarshish, the ocean going merchant fleet, for wealth that could outrun any army. Pleasant pictures closing the list is read by the older commentators as decorated craft or carved imagery, one more thing prized for its own beauty rather than for the Lord's. The list's variety is the point, nothing that stands tall by nature or by human effort is exempt from the day named twice already in the refrain around it.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
As to things which pertain to abundance of provisions, and thus he says: "and upon all the ships," in which provisions are borne, "of Tharsis," that is, of the sea, below: "howl, you ships of the sea, for the house is destroyed, from whence they …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And upon all the ships of Tarshish,.... Upon all the merchants and merchandises of Rome. The Targum is, "and upon all that dwell in the islands of the sea.'' See Rev 16:20. Tarshish, as Vitringa observes, designs Tartessus or Gades in Spain, which must bring to mind the memorable destruction of the Spanish Armada in 1558, as he also notes. And upon all pleasant pictures; of Christ and the Virgin Mary, of angels, and of saints departed, the Papists make use of to help their devotion.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And upon all the ships of Tarshish - Ships of Tarshish are often mentioned in the Old Testament, but the meaning of the expression is not quite obvious; see 1Ki 10:22; 2Ch 9:21; 2Ch 20:36-37; Psa 48:7, ... It is evident that “Tarshish” was some distant land from which was imported silver, iron, lead, tin, etc. It is now generally agreed that “Tartessus” in Spain is referred to by the Tarshish of Scripture. Bruce, however, supposes that it was in Africa, south of Abyssinia; see the note at Isa 60:
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The name was also used in a wide sense for the farthest west, as our West Indies (Isa 66:19; "Ships of Tarshish" became a phrase for richly laden and far-voyaging vessels. The judgment shall be on all that minister to man's luxury (compare Re 18:17-19). pictures--ordered to be destroyed (Nu 33:52).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַ֖ל | veal | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֳנִיּ֣וֹת | ʾoniyot | [the] ships of | H591 → | 31 times |
| תַּרְשִׁ֑ישׁ | tarshish | Tarshish | H8659 → | 28 times |
| וְעַ֖ל | veal | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שְׂכִיּ֥וֹת | sekhiyot | [the] ships of | H7914 → | |
| הַחֶמְדָּֽה׃ | hachemdah | <the> desire | H2532 → |
וְעַ֖לand on
vealH5921 →5755 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֳנִיּ֣וֹת[the] ships of
ʾoniyotH591 →31 times
תַּרְשִׁ֑ישׁTarshish
tarshishH8659 →28 times
וְעַ֖לand on
vealH5921 →5755 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
שְׂכִיּ֥וֹת[the] ships of
sekhiyotH7914 →
הַחֶמְדָּֽה׃<the> desire
hachemdahH2532 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 47:7For God is King of all the earth; sing profound praises to Him.
it leads to
- Zechariah 14:9
On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone.
- Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to…
- Zechariah 14:9
Through
Isaiah 23:1This is the burden against Tyre: Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, without house or harbor. Word has reached them from the land of Cyprus.
it leads to
- Genesis 10:4
And the sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites, and the Rodanites.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joel 3:4–8
Now what do you have against Me, O Tyre, Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you rendering against Me a recompense? If you retaliate against Me, I will swiftly and speedily return…
- Amos 1:9–10
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Tyre, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they delivered up a whole congregation of exiles to Edom and broke a covenant…
- Jeremiah 25:22
all the kings of Tyre and Sidon; the kings of the coastlands across the sea;
- Genesis 10:4
Through
Isaiah 60:9Surely the islands will wait for Me, with the ships of Tarshish in the lead, to bring your children from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the LORD your God,…
it leads to
- Isaiah 55:5
Surely you will summon a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you will run to you. For the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, has bestowed glory…
- Isaiah 55:5
Through
1 Kings 10:22For the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 22:48
Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber.
- 1 Kings 22:48
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.