Isaiah 23:14
Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.
Original Language Analysis
הֵילִ֖ילוּ
Howl
H3213
הֵילִ֖ילוּ
Howl
Strong's:
H3213
Word #:
1 of 6
to howl (with a wailing tone) or yell (with a boisterous one)
תַּרְשִׁ֑ישׁ
of Tarshish
H8659
תַּרְשִׁ֑ישׁ
of Tarshish
Strong's:
H8659
Word #:
3 of 6
tarshish, a place on the mediterranean, hence, the ephithet of a merchant vessel (as if for or from that port); also the name of a persian and of an i
כִּ֥י
H3588
כִּ֥י
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
4 of 6
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
Historical Context
Phoenician 'ships of Tarshish' were the ancient world's largest and most advanced vessels, capable of Mediterranean-wide voyages. These technological marvels represented centuries of maritime innovation. Their uselessness after Tyre's fall illustrates how quickly technological advantage becomes irrelevant when the economic system supporting it collapses. Superior ships without functioning ports are just expensive driftwood.
Questions for Reflection
- What 'ships' (technologies, systems, infrastructures) does modern society trust in that might suddenly become obsolete?
- How does Revelation 18's parallel to this passage suggest that history repeats its pattern of commercial empire and divine judgment?
- What is the relationship between economic interconnectedness and systemic fragility—does globalization increase vulnerability?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste (הֵילִילוּ אֳנִיּוֹת תַּרְשִׁישׁ כִּי שֻׁדַּד מָעֻזְּכֶם)—The command to heylilu (wail, howl) frames the oracle (verses 1, 6, 14), creating literary closure. Ships of Tarshish represents Phoenicia's far-ranging merchant fleet, the source and symbol of their economic empire. Your ma'oz (fortress, strength, stronghold) is shuddad (destroyed, devastated, laid waste)—the passive verb emphasizes they couldn't defend themselves despite their power.
Ships wailing is vivid personification: the instruments of commerce mourn their own obsolescence. With Tyre destroyed, the trading network collapses. Ships without home port, merchants without market, sailors without employer—the entire economic ecosystem disintegrates. This prophetic vision anticipates Revelation 18:17-19: 'And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!' Whether literal Tyre or symbolic Babylon, God's judgment on commercial empires built on exploitation follows the same pattern: sudden, total, irreversible.