Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 23:16
Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
16. The song of the harlot, celebrating the wiles by which a forgotten prostitute seeks to regain her influence. The song has a light, dancing rhythm, and consists of six lines of two words each.
make sweet melody ] Better: play skilfully.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Take an harp – This is a continuation of the figure commenced in the previous verse, a direct command to Tyre as an harlot, to go about the city with the usual expressions of rejoicing. Thus Donatus, in Terent. Eunuch., iii. 2, 4, says:
Fidicinam esse meretricum est;
And thus Horace:
Nec meretrix tibicina, cujus
Ad strepitum salias.
1 Epis. xiv. 25.
Thou harlot that hast been forgotten – For seventy years thou hast lain unknown, desolate, ruined.
Make sweet melody … – Still the prophet keeps up the idea of the harlot that had been forgotten, and that would now call her lovers again to her dwelling. The sense is, that Tyre would rise to her former splendor, and that the nations would be attracted by the proofs of returning prosperity to renew their commercial contact with her.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Take an harp, go about the city; as harlots use to do, to allure customers.
Thou harlot; so he calleth Tyre, partly because she enticed merchants to deal with her by various artifices, and even by dishonest practices, as harlots use; and partly because of the great and general uncleanness which was both committed and tolerated in it. That thou mayest be remembered by those who had forgotten thee, Isa 23:15.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. Same figure [Isa23:15] to express that Tyre would again prosper and attractcommercial intercourse of nations to her, and be the same joyous,self-indulging city as before.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Take a harp, go about the city,…. As harlots used to do, that by their music, both vocal and instrumental, they might allure men into their company to commit fornication with them; so Tyre is directed to, or rather this is a prophecy that she should take very artful and ensnaring methods to restore her commerce and merchandise:
thou harlot that hast been forgotten; [See comments on Isa 23:15]:
make sweet melody; or, “do well by striking” k; that is, the harp in her hand; strike it well with art and skill, so as to make melody, and give pleasure:
sing many songs; or, “multiply a song” l; sing one after another, till the point is carried aimed at:
that thou mayest be remembered; men may took at thee again, and trade with thee as formerly, who had been so long forgotten and neglected.
k “benefac pulsando”, Junius; “belle pulsa”, Piscator. l “multiplica cantum”, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
16. Take a harp. He compares Tyre to a harlot, who, after having spent the whole period of her youth in debauchery, has at length grown old, and on that account is forsaken and despised by all, and yet cannot forget her former gain and lewdness, but desires to grow young again and renew her loves, and, in order to attract men, goes about the city, delighting their ears by songs and musical instruments. Such prostitutes are seized with some kind of madness, when they perceive that they are disregarded on account of their old age; and we see that Horace mocks at Lydia on this account. (116) Thus Tyre, after having been ruined, and as it were buried in oblivion, will again put forth her efforts, and schemes, and contrivances, for recovering her former condition.
Make sweet melody. By the “harp” and “sweet melody,” he means the tricks, and frauds, and blandishments, and flatteries of merchants, by which they impose on men, and as it were drive them into their nets. In a word, he shews by what methods mercantile cities become rich, that is, by deceitful and unlawful methods; and therefore he says, that Tyre will regale their ears by pleasant melody.
Sing many songs. That is, Tyre will add fraud to fraud, and allurements to allurements, that at length she may attract all to her, may be again remembered by men, and recover her former celebrity. In short, as an old harlot contrives methods for regaining the favor of men, and allures them by painting, and ornaments, and dress, and songs, and musical instruments, so will Tyre recover her wealth and power by the same arts with which she formerly succeeded. And yet he does not on that account exhort Tyre to restore herself in this way, but proceeds with his prophecy.
(116) Bogus footnote
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(16) Take an harp, go about the city . . .In a tone half of irony and half of pity, the prophet tells the harlot that had been forgotten to return to her old arts of song (the singing women of the East were commonly of this class), and to go about once more with song and lyre, recalling her old lovers (i.e., her old allies) to the memory of their past love.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. Take a harp This verse indicates the continuance of the city, but so humbled, that, to make herself believe that she is something like her former self, she is told to put on extra simulations to sing, play the harp, and make a big show of happiness and prosperity.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 23:16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
Ver. 16. Take an harp. ] In bidding her do so, he foretelleth that she shall do so – sc., ad ingenium suum redire, fall to her former practices.
Make sweet melody, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Take an harp, &c. Figure of speech Apostrophe. Not a quotation.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 7:10-12, Jer 30:14
Reciprocal: Isa 24:8 – General Eze 16:35 – O harlot Eze 25:10 – may Eze 26:13 – General Eze 28:13 – emerald
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
23:16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; {x} make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
(x) She will labour by all means to recover her first credit, as a harlot when she is long forgotten, seeks by all means to entertain her lovers.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Isaiah’s comparison of Tyre’s recovery to the self-advertisements of a harlot illustrates two realities. Tyre would attract interest in herself again, and what she did was selfish and strictly for money (cf. Amo 1:9).