Isaiah 23:18
in Isaiah 23Yet her profits and wages will be set apart to the LORD; they will not be stored or saved, for her profit will go to those who live before the LORD, for abundant food and fine clothing.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to Jehovah: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before Jehovah, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.
KJV
And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.
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This verse in Isaiah 23
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And her merchandise - The prophecy here does not mean that this would take place immediately after her rebuilding, but that subsequent to the seventy years of desolation this would occur. Shall be holiness to the Lord - This undoubtedly means, that at some future period, after the rebuilding of Tyre, the true religion would prevail there, and her wealth would be devoted to his service. That the true religion prevailed at Tyre subsequently to its restoration and rebuilding there can be no doubt. The Christian religion was early established at Tyre.
This site's exposition
Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years
on Isaiah 23:15-18
"Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years", the span Jeremiah fixes for Babylon. The harlot's song is sung again, and she returns "to all the kingdoms". Her "profits and wages will be set apart", which Henry and Delitzsch set beside the wealth of the nations in chapter 60.
This site's exposition
Yet her profits and wages will be set apart to the LORD
Her profits and wages pass to the people who live before the LORD, and Wesley reads this as the conversion of Tyre. Acts 21:4 finds disciples living at Tyre, and Paul stayed with them seven days. The profit feeds and clothes others.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
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 wages. According to Aquila, "Its commerce and wages are consecrated to the Lord." Not its whole commerce or its whole wages, but a part of the commerce and a part of the wages are consecrated to the Lord. And this is what has been fulfilled in our day. For the church of God is established in the city of Tyre, as indeed in the rest of the nations, and many of the wages in it and what is stored up for business are offered to the church and consecrated to the Lord. The things that people bring, they offer in piety, not for themselves in order to enjoy the gifts offered to God but "for those who dwell before the Lord." (Namely, [these gifts are] for those who serve at the altar, "for the Lord had enjoined that those who preach the gospel should live by the gospel" and "those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings.")
(Verse 15 and following) And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years, Tyre shall sing as a harlot. Take a harp, go about the city, O harlot that has been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that you may be remembered. After seventy years, the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall return to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.
(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.
The Medieval Church1 voice
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).
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Holiness - This is a prophecy concerning the conversion of the Tyrians to the true religion. Laid up - Either out of covetousness, or for their pride and luxury, as they formerly did; but now they shall freely lay it out upon pious and charitable uses.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
8 Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth? 9 The L ORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth. 10 Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:97%@v8-10
And her merchandise, and her hire,....
When we abide with God in our particular callings, and do common actions after a godly sort--when we abound in works of piety and charity, are liberal in relieving the poor, and supporting the ministry, and encouraging the gospel--then our merchandise and our hire are holiness to the Lord, if we sincerely look at his glory in them.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
merchandise . . . holiness--Her traffic and gains shall at last (long after the restoration mentioned in Isa 23:17) be consecrated to Jehovah. Jesus Christ visited the neighborhood of Tyre (Mt 15:21);
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָיָ֨ה | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| סַחְרָ֜הּ | sachrah | profit its | H5504 → | 7 times |
| וְאֶתְנַנָּ֗הּ | veetnanah | and hire its | H868 → | |
| קֹ֚דֶשׁ | kodesh | a holy thing | H6944 → | 469 times |
| לַֽיהוָ֔ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יֵֽאָצֵ֖ר | yeatzer | it will be stored up | H686 → | |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יֵֽחָסֵ֑ן | yechasen | it will be hoarded | H2630 → | |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לַיֹּשְׁבִ֞ים | laiyoshevim | to <the> [those who] dwell | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| לִפְנֵ֤י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| יִֽהְיֶ֣ה | yihyeh | it will belong | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| סַחְרָ֔הּ | sachrah | profit its | H5504 → | 7 times |
| לֶאֱכֹ֥ל | leekhol | for eating | H398 → | 810 times |
| לְשָׂבְעָ֖ה | lesaveah | to satiety | H7654 → | 6 times |
| וְלִמְכַסֶּ֥ה | velimkhaseh | and for covering | H4374 → | |
| עָתִֽיק׃ פ | ʾatik | magnificent | H6266 → |
וְהָיָ֨הand it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
סַחְרָ֜הּprofit its
sachrahH5504 →7 times
וְאֶתְנַנָּ֗הּand hire its
veetnanahH868 →
קֹ֚דֶשׁa holy thing
kodeshH6944 →469 times
לַֽיהוָ֔הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יֵֽאָצֵ֖רit will be stored up
yeatzerH686 →
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יֵֽחָסֵ֑ןit will be hoarded
yechasenH2630 →
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לַיֹּשְׁבִ֞יםto <the> [those who] dwell
laiyoshevimH3427 →1079 times
לִפְנֵ֤י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
יִֽהְיֶ֣הit will belong
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
סַחְרָ֔הּprofit its
sachrahH5504 →7 times
לֶאֱכֹ֥לfor eating
leekholH398 →810 times
לְשָׂבְעָ֖הto satiety
lesaveahH7654 →6 times
וְלִמְכַסֶּ֥הand for covering
velimkhasehH4374 →
עָתִֽיק׃ פmagnificent
ʾatikH6266 →
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
Galatians 6:6Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word must share in all good things with his instructor.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 5:17–18
Elders who lead effectively are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
- Romans 15:27
They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to minister to them with material blessings.
- Deuteronomy 12:19
and be careful not to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.
- 1 Corinthians 9:9–14
For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned?
- Matthew 10:10
Take no bag for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff; for the worker is worthy of his provisions.
- 1 Timothy 5:17–18
Through
Psalms 72:10May the kings of Tarshish and distant shores bring tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
it leads to
- Isaiah 60:6
Caravans of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah, and all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and frankincense and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.
- Psalms 68:29
Because of Your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring You gifts.
- Isaiah 49:7
Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, to Him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings will see You and rise, and princes…
- Isaiah 60:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About Isaiah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Eusebius of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 152:23-153:2; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; 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.