Isaiah 23:2
in Isaiah 23Be silent, O dwellers of the coastland, you merchants of Sidon, whose traders have crossed the sea.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Be still, ye inhabitants of the coast, thou whom the merchants of Sidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.
KJV
Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.
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This verse in Isaiah 23
Commentary
11 notes on this verseBe still “Be silent” - Silence is a mark of grief and consternation. See Isa 47:5. Jeremiah has finely expressed this image: - “The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground, they are silent: They have cast up dust on their heads, they have girded themselves with sackcloth. The virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground.” Lam 2:10.
This site's exposition
the burden against Tyre
on Isaiah 23:1-5
The last burden falls on Tyre, and the "ships of Tarshish" wail, for Tyre is "without house or harbor". Barnes and Delitzsch map the trade: "the harvest of the Nile was the revenue of Tyre". The sea itself speaks as a bereaved mother: "I have not been in labor".
This site's exposition
Be silent, O dwellers of the coastland
The coastland is Tyre, a city on an island in the sea until Alexander joined it to the land in 332 BC, as Wesley notes. Its merchants and traders are told to be silent. Grief replaces the noise of the harbor.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
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 did, Isaiah, praying in the Spirit said, "You are to me like merchants of Phoenicia."
The Medieval Church1 voice
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 …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Be still - Hebrew. be silent, boast no more of thy wealth and power. The isle - Of Tyre, which was an island, 'till Alexander joined it to the continent. The title of islands is often given by the Hebrew to places bordering upon the sea.
Be still; for God will do his work ( Ps. xlvi. 13 ), and you cannot resist him. (3.) The neighbours are amazed, blush, and are in pain for them: Zidon is ashamed (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Zidon was the more ancient city, situated upon the same sea-cost, a few leagues more to the north, and Tyre was at first only a colony of that; but the daughter had outgrown the mother, and become much more considerable.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Zidon--of which Tyre was a colony, planted when Zidon was conquered by the Philistines of Ascalon. Zidon means a "fishing station"; this was its beginning. replenished--with wealth and an industrious population (Eze 27:3, 8, 23).
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Be still - This is the description of a city which is destroyed, where the din of commerce, and the sound of revelry is no longer heard. It is an address of the prophet to Tyre, indicating that it would be soon still, and destroyed. Ye inhabitants of the isle - (of Tyre). The word ‘isle’ (אי 'iy) is sometimes used to denote a “coast or maritime region” (see the note at Isa 20:6), but there seems no reason to doubt that here it means the island on which New Tyre was erected. This may have been occupied even before Old Tyre was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, though the main city was on the crest. Thou whom the merchants of Zidon - Tyre was a colony from Sidon; and the merchants of Sidon would trade to Tyre as well as to Sidon. Have replenished - Hebrew, ‘have filled,’ that is, with merchandise, and with wealth. Thus, in Eze 27:8, Tyre is represented as having derived its seamen from Sidon: ‘Theinhabitants of Sidon and of Arvad were thy mariners.’ And in Eze 27:9-23, Tyre is represented as having been filled with shipbuilders, merchants, mariners, soldiers, etc., from Gebal, Persia, Lud, Phut, Tarshish, Jayvan, Tubal, Mesheck, Dedan, Syria, Damascus, Arabia, etc.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Wail, ye ships of Tarshish who became wealthy through the merchants of Tyre, for the ships of Tarshish would bring merchandise to Tyre. Tarshish is the name of the sea.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
The Burden Of The Cup Of Cursing, To Give Tyre To Drink. Howl, O ye that are embarking! in ships of the sea, because their havens are spoiled, so that none can enter in. From the land of Chittim it is coming upon them.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| דֹּ֖מּוּ | domu | be silent | H1826 → | |
| יֹ֣שְׁבֵי | yoshevei | O inhabitants of | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| אִ֑י | 'I | [the] coastland | H339 → | 36 times |
| סֹחֵ֥ר | socher | [the] trader of | H5503 → | 21 times |
| צִיד֛וֹן | tzidon | Sidon | H6721 → | 22 times |
| עֹבֵ֥ר | ʾover | [who] passed over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| יָ֖ם | yam | [the] sea | H3220 → | 396 times |
| מִלְאֽוּךְ׃ | milukh | they have filled you | H4390 → | 249 times |
דֹּ֖מּוּbe silent
domuH1826 →
יֹ֣שְׁבֵיO inhabitants of
yosheveiH3427 →1079 times
אִ֑י[the] coastland
'IH339 →36 times
סֹחֵ֥ר[the] trader of
socherH5503 →21 times
צִיד֛וֹןSidon
tzidonH6721 →22 times
עֹבֵ֥ר[who] passed over
ʾoverH5674 →556 times
יָ֖ם[the] sea
yamH3220 →396 times
מִלְאֽוּךְ׃they have filled you
milukhH4390 →249 times
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 46:10“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.”
it leads to
- Habakkuk 2:20
But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Zechariah 2:13
Be silent before the LORD, all people, for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 100:3
Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
- Ezekiel 38:23
I will magnify and sanctify Myself, and will reveal Myself in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
- Psalms 83:18
May they know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, are Most High over all the earth.
- Habakkuk 2:20
Through
Habakkuk 2:20But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.
it leads to
- Zephaniah 1:7
Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD, for the Day of the LORD is near. Indeed, the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated His guests.
- Psalms 46:10
“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.”
- Psalms 11:4
The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men.
- Zephaniah 1:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About Isaiah
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Athanasius of Alexandria, Letter 2.3; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.