Isaiah 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.
Original Language Analysis
סֹ֥בִּי
go about
H5437
סֹ֥בִּי
go about
Strong's:
H5437
Word #:
3 of 12
to revolve, surround, or border; used in various applications, literally and figuratively
עִ֖יר
the city
H5892
עִ֖יר
the city
Strong's:
H5892
Word #:
4 of 12
a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)
זוֹנָ֣ה
thou harlot
H2181
זוֹנָ֣ה
thou harlot
Strong's:
H2181
Word #:
5 of 12
to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (
נִשְׁכָּחָ֑ה
that hast been forgotten
H7911
נִשְׁכָּחָ֑ה
that hast been forgotten
Strong's:
H7911
Word #:
6 of 12
to mislay, i.e., to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention
הֵיטִ֤יבִי
make sweet
H3190
הֵיטִ֤יבִי
make sweet
Strong's:
H3190
Word #:
7 of 12
to be (causative) make well, literally (sound, beautiful) or figuratively (happy, successful, right)
נַגֵּן֙
melody
H5059
נַגֵּן֙
melody
Strong's:
H5059
Word #:
8 of 12
properly, to thrum, i.e., beat a tune with the fingers; expectation. to play on a stringed instrument; hence (generally), to make music
Historical Context
The metaphor reflects ancient reality: aging prostitutes without patrons faced destitution. Similarly, cities whose glory days ended faced economic collapse unless they could attract new trade. Tyre's attempts to rebuild after multiple destructions demonstrated this desperation—trading with anyone, compromising values for profit, selling to the highest bidder without moral principle.
Questions for Reflection
- What does the 'forgotten harlot' image reveal about the trajectory of sin—how it promises glory but delivers degradation?
- How do people, institutions, or nations try to recapture past glory through desperate 'self-promotion' rather than genuine repentance?
- What is the difference between legitimate rebuilding after failure versus returning to the same sins that caused the fall?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten—This verse extends the prostitute metaphor with bitter irony. The aged prostitute, once popular but now forgotten (nishkachah), must actively solicit business. Make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered (הֵיטִיבִי נַגֵּן הַרְבִּי־שִׁיר לְמַעַן תִּזָּכֵרִי)—The imperatives pile up: heytibi (play skillfully), naggen (make music), harbi-shiyr (multiply songs). The purpose: lema'an tizzakeri (so that you will be remembered).
The pathos is intentional: former glory reduced to desperate self-promotion. Tyre, once the center of international trade where merchants sought her out, now must peddle her wares like a streetwalker chasing clients. This devastating image critiques not just Tyre but all who trust in past reputation. Yesterday's glory doesn't guarantee tomorrow's relevance. More profoundly, it exposes the humiliation built into sin: what begins as power and pleasure ends in degradation and desperation. The aging prostitute is tragedy personified—once desired, now pathetic; once sought, now seeking; once honored, now forgotten. Without repentance, judgment's end is always greater humiliation than its beginning.