Isaiah 23:2
Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.
Original Language Analysis
דֹּ֖מּוּ
Be still
H1826
דֹּ֖מּוּ
Be still
Strong's:
H1826
Word #:
1 of 8
to be dumb; by implication, to be astonished, to stop; also to perish
יֹ֣שְׁבֵי
ye inhabitants
H3427
יֹ֣שְׁבֵי
ye inhabitants
Strong's:
H3427
Word #:
2 of 8
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
אִ֑י
of the isle
H339
אִ֑י
of the isle
Strong's:
H339
Word #:
3 of 8
properly, a habitable spot (as desirable); dry land, a coast, an island
סֹחֵ֥ר
thou whom the merchants
H5503
סֹחֵ֥ר
thou whom the merchants
Strong's:
H5503
Word #:
4 of 8
to travel round (specifically as a pedlar); intensively, to palpitate
צִיד֛וֹן
of Zidon
H6721
צִיד֛וֹן
of Zidon
Strong's:
H6721
Word #:
5 of 8
tsidon, the name of a son of canaan, and of a place in palestine
עֹבֵ֥ר
that pass over
H5674
עֹבֵ֥ר
that pass over
Strong's:
H5674
Word #:
6 of 8
to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in
Historical Context
Tyre, located on the Phoenician coast (modern Lebanon), was the ancient world's premier trading empire by Isaiah's time (8th century BC). Its ships dominated Mediterranean commerce, establishing colonies as far as Spain. The city's wealth and apparent invincibility made its prophesied destruction shocking to contemporaries.
Questions for Reflection
- What modern economic powers or systems seem too big to fail, yet remain under God's sovereign judgment?
- How does reliance on commercial success create a false sense of security that blinds us to spiritual vulnerability?
- Why does God command silence before announcing judgment—what does this reveal about appropriate responses to divine action?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle (דֹּמּוּ יֹשְׁבֵי אִי)—The command to 'be still' or 'be silent' (dommu) opens the lament over Tyre. The Hebrew conveys stunned silence in the face of catastrophe, not peaceful rest. Thou whom the merchants of Zidon have replenished—Zidon (Sidon) and Tyre were sister Phoenician cities dominating Mediterranean trade. The verb milleu (replenished/filled) indicates Tyre's prosperity came through Sidonian maritime commerce.
The 'isle' (i) may refer to coastal Tyre itself (built partly on an island) or Cyprus and other Mediterranean trading posts dependent on Phoenician shipping. This oracle's judgment fell through Nebuchadnezzar's 13-year siege (585-572 BC) and later Alexander's conquest (332 BC). Tyre's fall demonstrated that economic dominance provides no security against divine judgment—a warning echoed in Revelation 18's description of commercial Babylon's collapse.