
Text -- Isaiah 23:11 (NET)




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collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)
The Lord.

Wesley: Isa 23:11 - -- Heb. he made the kingdoms to tremble; the neighbouring and confederate kingdoms, who might justly quake at her fall, for the dreadfulness and unexpect...
Heb. he made the kingdoms to tremble; the neighbouring and confederate kingdoms, who might justly quake at her fall, for the dreadfulness and unexpectedness of the thing; and because Tyre was a bulwark, and a refuge to them.

Wesley: Isa 23:11 - -- Hath put this design into the hearts of her enemies, and given them courage to attempt, and strength to execute it.
Hath put this design into the hearts of her enemies, and given them courage to attempt, and strength to execute it.
Jehovah.

JFB: Isa 23:11 - -- Rather, Canaan, meaning the north of it, namely, Phœnicia. On their coins, they call their country Canaan.
Rather, Canaan, meaning the north of it, namely, Phœnicia. On their coins, they call their country Canaan.
Calvin -> Isa 23:11
Calvin: Isa 23:11 - -- 11.He stretched out his hand over the sea It is thought that the prediction which the Prophet uttered, about the destruction of Tyre, is here confirm...
11.He stretched out his hand over the sea It is thought that the prediction which the Prophet uttered, about the destruction of Tyre, is here confirmed by examples; namely, that the Lord has given so many examples of his power in overturning the greatest kingdoms, that we ought not to think it strange if he now overturn Tyre, however flourishing and wealthy it may be. And indeed this manner of speaking is frequently employed in Scripture, if it be not made plain by manifest examples and by actual demonstration. It is therefore believed that the Prophet here calls to remembrance the deliverance from Egypt, when the Lord divided the sea, (Exo 14:21,) and again, when he drove out seven kings, and brought his people into the land of Canaan. (Jos 6:1.) But when I take a closer view of the words of the Prophet, I am more disposed to explain them as referring to the present state of matters; for he speaks here of Tyre, whose riches covered the whole sea.
He shook the kingdoms What he says about the kingdoms is, because she could not perish alone, but must at the same time involve many kingdoms in her ruin. Thus the whole world must have undergone some change, as appears from history; and finally, the Prophet himself draws the conclusion, that the Lord commanded that this mart of nations should be overthrown.
Jehovah hath given commandment concerning Canaan 111 The word
TSK -> Isa 23:11
TSK: Isa 23:11 - -- stretched : Isa 2:19, Isa 14:16, Isa 14:17; Exo 15:8-10; Psa 46:6; Eze 26:10,Eze 26:15-19, Eze 27:34, Eze 27:35; Eze 31:16; Hag 2:7
the Lord : Isa 10:...
stretched : Isa 2:19, Isa 14:16, Isa 14:17; Exo 15:8-10; Psa 46:6; Eze 26:10,Eze 26:15-19, Eze 27:34, Eze 27:35; Eze 31:16; Hag 2:7
the Lord : Isa 10:6; Psa 71:3; Jer 47:7; Nah 1:14
against the merchant city : or, concerning a merchantman, Isa 23:3; Hos 12:7, Hos 12:8
the merchant city : Heb. Canaan, Gen 9:25, Gen 10:15-19; Zec 14:21; Mar 11:17; Joh 2:16

collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)
Barnes -> Isa 23:11
Barnes: Isa 23:11 - -- He stretched out his hand - That is, Yahweh (see Isa 23:9). To stretch out the hand is indicative of punishment (see the notes at Isa 5:25; Isa...
He stretched out his hand - That is, Yahweh (see Isa 23:9). To stretch out the hand is indicative of punishment (see the notes at Isa 5:25; Isa 9:12), and means that God has resolved to inflict exemplary punishment on Tyre and its dependent colonies.
Over the sea - That is, over the sea coast of Phenicia; or over the cities that were built on the coast. This alludes to the fact that Nebuchadnezzar would lay siege to these cities, and would ravage the maritime coast of Phenicia. It is not improbable also that, having taken Tyre, he would extend his conquests to Citium, on the island of Cyprus, and destroy as many of the dependent cities of Tyre as possible.
The Lord hath given a commandment - The control here asserted over Nebuchadnezzar is similar to that which he asserted over the Assyrian Sennacherib (see the note at Isa 10:5).
Against the merchant city - Hebrew, ‘ Against Canaan’ (
To destroy the strongholds thereof - That is, the strongholds of Canaan; as Tyre, Sidon, Accho, etc. Tyre, especially, was strongly fortified, and was able long to resist the arms of the Chaldeans.
Poole -> Isa 23:11
Poole: Isa 23:11 - -- He the Lord, expressed Isa 23:9 , stretched out his hand to strike it, the antecedent being put for the consequent,
over the sea or, against the s...
He the Lord, expressed Isa 23:9 , stretched out his hand to strike it, the antecedent being put for the consequent,
over the sea or, against the sea , i.e. against Tyrus, the daughter of the sea, as she was now called; and consequently against all those ships and men which used to traffic with Tyrus, and were enriched by that trade, and therefore suffered in her fall.
He shook the kingdoms Heb. he made the kingdoms to tremble; either,
1. The two kingdoms of Tyre and Sidon; or rather,
2. The neighbouring and confederate kingdoms, as appears by comparing this with Eze 26:15-18 , who might justly quake at her fall, partly, for the dreadfulness and unexpectedness of the thing; partly, because Tyre was a bulwark, and a refuge, and a great advantage to them; and partly, because her fall made way for their ruin, as being destroyed by their common enemy.
Hath given a commandment hath contrived and purposed it, as was said, Isa 23:8,9 ; hath put this design into the heads and hearts of her enemies, and given them courage to attempt, and strength to execute, so difficult an enterprise.
Against the merchant city Heb. against Canaan ; the word Canaan being taken either,
1. For a merchant, as it is used, Job 41:6 Hos 12:7 ; or rather,
2. For the proper name of a place or people, as it is generally used; for the Tyrians and Sidonians were descended from Canaan, Gen 10:15 , and were the only considerable remainders of that cursed race whom God had devoted to destruction. And so this phrase may be here used both as all evidence and as an argument of their intended and approaching ruin.
Gill -> Isa 23:11
Gill: Isa 23:11 - -- He stretched out his hand over the sea,.... That is, the Lord of hosts, who had purposed to destroy Tyre, stretched out his hand of power over it, cal...
He stretched out his hand over the sea,.... That is, the Lord of hosts, who had purposed to destroy Tyre, stretched out his hand of power over it, called the sea, as in Isa 23:4 because situated in it, supported by it, and had the sovereignty of it; in like manner as he stretched out his hand on the Red Sea, and destroyed Pharaoh and the Egyptians in it; to which the allusion may be:
he shook the kingdoms; of Tyre and Zidon, which were both kingdoms, and distinct ones; and also made other neighbouring kingdoms shake and tremble when these fell, fearing it would be their case next. Some understand this of the moving of Nebuchadnezzar, and of the kings of the provinces under him, to come against Tyre:
the Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant city; the city of Tyre, so famous for merchandise, that it was the mart of nations, as in Isa 23:3 or "against Canaan", in which country Tyre and Zidon were, being originally built and inhabited by the posterity of Canaan, Gen 10:15,
to destroy the strong holds thereof; either of the merchant city Tyre, whose fortifications were strong, both by nature and art; or "of Canaan", whose strong holds, or fortified cities, the principal of them were Tyre and Zidon; so Jarchi: and if the Lord of hosts gives a commandment to destroy it and its strong holds, as he did to Nebuchadnezzar and his army, and afterwards to Alexander and his, who could save them? that is, God said it, who gave commandment to destroy it.

expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

expand allCommentary -- Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis -> Isa 23:1-18
MHCC -> Isa 23:1-14
MHCC: Isa 23:1-14 - --Tyre was the mart of the nations. She was noted for mirth and diversions; and this made her loth to consider the warnings God gave by his servants. He...
Matthew Henry -> Isa 23:1-14
Matthew Henry: Isa 23:1-14 - -- Tyre being a sea-port town, this prophecy of its overthrow fitly begins and ends with, Howl, you ships of Tarshish; for all its business, wealth, ...
Keil-Delitzsch -> Isa 23:11-12
Keil-Delitzsch: Isa 23:11-12 - --
The prophet now proceeds to relate, as it were, to the Pheonicio-Spanish colony, the daughter, i.e., the population of Tartessus, what has happened ...
Constable: Isa 7:1--39:8 - --III. Israel's crisis of faith chs. 7--39
This long section of the book deals with Israel's major decision in Isa...

Constable: Isa 13:1--35:10 - --B. God's sovereignty over the nations chs. 13-35
This major section of the book emphasizes the folly of ...

Constable: Isa 13:1--23:18 - --1. Divine judgments on the nations chs. 13-23
The recurrence of the Hebrew word massa', translat...

Constable: Isa 21:1--23:18 - --The second series of five oracles chs. 21-23
Compared to the first series of oracles aga...
