2<\/strong>. The prophet next apostrophises the inhabitants of the<\/em> coast<\/strong> (render so, as in ch. Isa 20:6<\/span>), i.e. Phnicia, calling them to be still<\/em>, or rather dumb<\/strong>, with bewilderment.<\/p>\n the merchants<\/em> (in Heb. collective sing.) of Zidon<\/em> ] Zidon is generally interpreted throughout this prophecy as standing for Phnicia as a whole. This is perhaps unnecessary, although it can easily be justified by usage (see Deu 3:9<\/span>; Jdg 3:3 ; 1Ki 11:1<\/span>, &c.). Zidon is said to have been the most ancient of the Phnician settlements, and its merchants might naturally be spoken of as having founded the commercial prosperity of the country.<\/p>\n Be still – <\/B>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.<\/P> Ye inhabitants of the isle – <\/B>(of Tyre). The word isle (<\/span> ‘iy<\/I>) is sometimes used to denote a coast or maritime region (see the note at Isa 20:6<\/span>), 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.<\/P> Thou whom the merchants of Zidon – <\/B>Tyre was a colony from Sidon; and the merchants of Sidon would trade to Tyre as well as to Sidon.<\/P> Have replenished – <\/B>Hebrew, have filled, that is, with merchandise, and with wealth. Thus, in Eze 27:8<\/span>, 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<\/span>, 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.<\/P><\/p>\n Verse 2<\/span>. Be still <\/B><\/I>– “Be silent”] Silence is a mark of grief and consternation. See Isa 47:5<\/span>. Jeremiah has finely expressed this image: – <\/P> “The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the<\/P> ground, they are silent:<\/P> They have cast up dust on their heads, they<\/P> have girded themselves with sackcloth.<\/P> The virgins of Jerusalem hang down their<\/P> heads to the ground.”<\/P> La 2:10<\/span>. <\/P> <\/p>\n Be still, <\/B>Heb. Be silent<\/I>, as one confounded, and not knowing what to say, or as mourners use to be, Job 2 8<\/span>,13<\/span>; Isa 47:5<\/span>; boast no more of thy wealth and power, as thou usedst to do. <\/P> Of the isle, <\/B>Heb. of Tyrus<\/I>, which now was an island, Eze 27:3<\/span>; 28:2<\/span>, till Alexander joined it to the continent, as Pithy reports. Although the title of islands<\/I> is oft given by the Hebrews to places bordering upon the sea. <\/P> Zidon; <\/B>an eminent city of Palestine, nigh unto Tyre, much concerned with her and for her. <\/P> That pass over the sea; <\/B>that are a seafaring people. Have replenished; with mariners, Eze 27:8<\/span>, and commodities. <\/P> <\/p>\n 2. Be still<\/B>“struck dumbwith awe.” Addressed to those already in the country,eye-witnesses of its ruin (La2:10<\/span>); or, in contrast to the busy din<\/I> of commerce onceheard in Tyre; now all is hushed and still.<\/I> <\/P> isle<\/B>strictlyapplicable to New Tyre: in the sense coast,<\/I> to the mainlandcity, Old Tyre (compare Isa 23:6<\/span>;Isa 20:6<\/span>). <\/P> Zidon<\/B>of which Tyre wasa colony, planted when Zidon was conquered by the Philistines ofAscalon. Zidon means a “fishing station”; this was itsbeginning. <\/P> replenished<\/B>with wealthand an industrious population (Eze 27:3<\/span>;Eze 27:8<\/span>; Eze 27:23<\/span>).Here “Zidon,” as the oldest city of Phoelignicia, includesall the Phoelignician towns on the strip of “coast.” Thus,Eth-baal, king of Tyre [JOSEPHUS,Antiquities,<\/I> 8.3,2], is called king of the Sidonians (1Ki16:31<\/span>); and on coins Tyre is called the metropolis of theSidonians.<\/P><\/p>\n Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle<\/strong>,…. Either the isles of Chittim, or other islands that traded with Tyre, the singular being put for the plural, called upon to grieve and mourn, because the city of their merchandise was destroyed, as Kimchi; or of Tyre itself, which being situated at some distance from the shore, was an island itself, until it was joined to the continent by Alexander q; and even old Tyre might be so called, it being usual in Scripture to call places by the seashore isles; and besides, old Tyre included in it new Tyre, the island, as Pliny r suggests; who are instructed to be silent as mourners, and to cease from the hurries of business, which they would be obliged to, and not boast of their power and wealth, as they had formerly done, or attempt to defend themselves, which would be in vain:<\/p>\n thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished<\/strong>; Zidon was a very ancient city of Phoenicia, more ancient than Tyre; for Tyre was a colony of the Zidonians, and built by them, and so might be said to be replenished by them with men from the first, as it also was with mariners, Eze 27:8<\/span> and likewise with merchants and wares, they being a trading and seafaring people; wherefore they are spoken of as merchants, and as passing over the sea: or this may be understood of the isles replenished with goods by the merchants of Tyre and Zidon, but now no more, and therefore called to mourning.<\/p>\n q Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 19. r Ibid.<\/p>\n “Be alarmed, ye inhabitants of the coast! Sidonian merchants, sailing over the sea, filled thee once. And the sowing of Sichor came upon great waters, the harvest of the Nile, her store; and she became gain for nations.”<\/em> The suffixes of (to fill with wares and riches) and (the bringing in, viz., into barns and granaries) refer to the word <\/em>, which is used here as a feminine for the name of a country, and denotes the Phoenician coast, including the insular Tyre. “ Sidonian merchants<\/em> ” are the Phoenicians generally, as in Homer; for the “great Sidon” of antiquity ( Zidon <\/em> rabbah <\/em>, Jos 11:8<\/span>; Jos 19:28<\/span>) was the mother-city of Phoenicia, which so thoroughly stamped its name upon the whole nation, that Tyre is called upon Phoenician coins. The meaning of Isa 23:3<\/span><\/em> is not that the revenue of Tyre which accrued to it on the great unfruitful sea, was like a Nile-sowing, or an Egyptian harvest (Hitzig, Knobel). Such a simile would be a very beautiful one, but it is a very unlikely one, since the Phoenicians actually did buy up the corn-stores of Egypt, that granary of the ancient world, and housed the cargoes that were brought to them “upon great waters,” i.e., on the great Mediterranean. Sichor<\/em> is a Hebraic form of Siris<\/em> (the native name of the upper Nile, according to Dionysius Perieg. and Pliny). It signifies the black river ( Meals<\/em>, Eust. on Dion. Per. 222), the black slime of which gave such fertility to the land. “ The harvest of the Nile<\/em> ” is not so much an explanation as an amplification. The valley of the Nile was the field for sowing and reaping, and the Phoenician coast was the barn for this valuable corn; and inasmuch as corn and other articles of trade were purchased and bartered there, it thereby became gain (constr. of sachar <\/em>, Ewald, 213, a, used in the same sense as in Isa 18:1-7<\/span>, Isa 45:14<\/span>, and Pro 3:14<\/span>), i.e., the means of gain, the source of profit or provision, to whole nations, and even to many such. Others render the word “emporium;” but sachar <\/em> cannot have this meaning. Moreover, foreigners did not come to Phoenicia, but the Phoenicians went to them (Luzzatto).<\/p>\n 2. Be silent, ye inhabitants of the islands. This is intended to place in a more striking light the ruin of Tyre. There is a change of number in the word island; for although he uses the singular number, yet he means the islands of the Mediterranean sea, and the countries beyond the sea, especially the neighbors who frequently performed voyages to Tyre, and traded with it. He enjoins on them silence and stillness, because they will perform no more voyages to Tyre. He bids them “be silent” like persons who are stunned, on account of the grievous calamity which has befallen them, so that they do not even venture to open their mouth; for it was impossible that the nations who traded there should not feel it to be a heavy stroke, when a mercantile city like this was ruined, just as at the present day Venice or Antwerp could not be destroyed without inflicting great injury on many nations. <\/p>\n The merchants of Sidon. He mentions the inhabitants of Sidon in an especial manner, not only on account of their vicinity, but because they had a common origin. Sidon was highly celebrated, but greatly inferior to Tyre. Situated on the sea-shore, it was two hundred furlongs (104) distant from Tyre, and appeared both to be so near it, and to be so closely connected with it by trade, that the poets frequently took Tyre for Sidon, and Sidon for Tyre. The Sidonians, therefore, were unquestionably greater gainers than others by imports and exports, and also by sales and merchandise, in consequence of being so near, and trading with it continually; for the wealth of Tyre overflowed on them, and, as the saying is, they flew under its wings. The result was, that they suffered more severely than others by the destruction of Tyre, and therefore the Prophet afterwards says, (Isa 23:4<\/span>,) Be ashamed, O Sidon. <\/p>\n Who replenished thee. He adds this general expression, either because it was filled with crowds and multitudes of men, when strangers flocked to it from various and distant countries, or because they who performed voyages to it for the sake of gain did, in their turn, enrich the city. <\/p>\n (104) Bogus footnote <\/p>\n (2) Inhabitants of the isle . . .<\/strong>Better, coast.<\/em> <\/em><\/strong>The word was specially appropriate to the narrow seaboard strip of land occupied by the PhniciansZidon, the older city, the great Zidon of Jos. 11:8<\/span>; Jos. 19:28<\/span>, appearing as the representative of Phnicia generally. It was her commerce that had filled Tyre and the other daughter cities. The dumbness to which the prophet calls the people is that of stupefied terror.<\/p>\n 2<\/strong>. <\/strong> Be still <\/strong> Or, dumb with astonishment. <\/p>\n Isle <\/strong> In Hebrew, this word applies to the coast, whether of island or mainland. Therefore, the inhabitants of the towns on the Mediterranean are here addressed, who were enriched by commerce with Phoenicia. Zidon was a city of honour, not because greater, but because more ancient, than Tyre.<\/p>\n Isa 23:2-3<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>Be still, <\/em><\/strong>&c.<\/strong> The second apostrophe is addressed to the islands of the Mediterranean sea, which are here collectively called the isle, <\/em>and which are summoned to silence and wonder. That this is the true interpretation appears from Eze 26:16-17<\/span>; Eze 26:19<\/span>. The order of the apostrophes is observable. The first <\/em>is directed to the sailors of Tarshish, the inhabitants of the Farthest Spain, the most remote of all; the second <\/em>to the islands of the Mediterranean sea, which were nearer to Tyre; the third <\/em>to the Sidonians, who were allied to the Tyrians; and the fourth <\/em>to Tyre itself. That the Tyrians are called; Isa 23:6<\/span>, the inhabitants of the isle, <\/em>can be no objection to this interpretation, as they had this attribute in common with other insular people: (The merchants of Sidon, <\/em>comprehend those of Tyre <\/em>also) accordingly the 2nd verse may be rendered, Be dumb, ye inhabitants of the isle, thou whom the Sidonian; <\/em>or, Tyrian merchants, passing over the sea, replenished. <\/em>The cause is subjoined in the next verse; the meaning whereof is, that the merchandises of Egypt and Arabia, which were esteemed the most excellent, as also of other nations, were carried to Tyre and Sidon, and by their care and industry conveyed to the inhabitants of the islands in the Mediterranean sea. By Sihor, <\/em>which is its proper name, and the river, <\/em>is meant the Nile. See Jer 2:18<\/span>. The 3rd verse might be rendered, And whose produce, <\/em>namely, Sidon’s, was by great waters, the seed of Sihor, the<\/em> harvest of the river of Egypt; and who became the mart of nations. <\/em>The phrase is metaphorical, and is taken from the produce of well-cultivated lands. See Eze 27:12<\/span>; Eze 27:36<\/span>. Bishop Newton and Vitringa. <\/p>\n Isa 23:2 Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.<\/p>\n Ver. 2. Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle.<\/strong> ] A nundinatorio strepitu quiescite, et plorate,<\/em> Be quiet, and mourn.<\/p>\n isle. Here, Tyre itself. <\/p>\n thou whom = which. <\/p>\n pass over = cross, in trading. In verses: Isa 23:2, Isa 23:3, Isa 23:6, Isa 23:10, Isa 23:12, imperative, implying flight. <\/p>\n still: Heb. silent, Isa 41:1, Isa 47:5, Psa 46:10, Hab 2:20 <\/p>\n the isle: Eze 27:3, Eze 27:4, Eze 28:2 <\/p>\n the merchants: Eze 27:8-36 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Jos 19:28 – great Isa 23:6 – howl Isa 23:12 – daughter Eze 28:21 – Zidon Act 27:3 – Sidon<\/p>\n Isa 23:2-3. Be still, ye inhabitants of the isles Hebrew, , be silent; as persons confounded, and not knowing what to say, or as mourners use to be. Silence is a mark of grief and consternation: see Isa 47:5; Lamentations 11:10. The prophet here addresses the people of Tyre now fled to the island. The title of island, however, is often given by the Hebrews to places not surrounded by the sea, but only bordering upon it; whom the merchants of Zidon have replenished With mariners and commodities. Tyre and Sidon, being cities near each other, and both famous for merchandise and navigation, helped to enrich each other. And by great waters the seed of Sihor, &c. Sihor here means the river Nile, so called, as it is also Jer 2:18, and 1Ch 13:5, from the blackness of its waters charged with the mud, which it brings down from Ethiopia, when it overflows; as it was called by the Greeks Melas, and by the Latins Melo, for the same reason. The English translation, says Lowth, published under Queen Elizabeth, gives us a clearer sense of this verse thus: The seed of Nilus, growing by the abundance of waters, and the harvest of the river was her revenues. Egypt, by its extraordinary fertility, caused by the overflowing of the Nile, supplied the neighbouring nations with corn, by which branch of trade the Tyrians gained great wealth.<\/p>\n 23:2 Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have {f} replenished.<\/p>\n (f) Have hunted and enriched you.<\/p>\n Isaiah also directed the residents of the Phoenician coast, including Sidon, another important port, to be silent and motionless, since Tyre had collapsed. Tyre had been the marketplace for the large wheat crops that came from Egypt and were distributed to other Mediterranean lands.<\/p>\n Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished. 2. The prophet next apostrophises the inhabitants of the coast (render so, as in ch. Isa 20:6), i.e. Phnicia, calling them to be still, or rather dumb, with bewilderment. the merchants (in Heb. collective sing.) … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 23:2”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18090","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18090"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18090\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"