Isa 23:1 | JFB | STEP | 1. Tyre — Hebrew, Tsur, that is, "Rock." ships of Tarshish —ships of Tyre returning from their voyage to Tarshish, or Tartessus in Spain, with which the Ph nicians had much commerce ( ). "Ships of Tarshish" is a phrase also used of large and distant-voyaging merchant vessels ( ). no house —namely, left; such was the case as to Old Tyre, after Nebuchadnezzar's siege. no entering —There is no house to enter ( ) [G. V. SMITH ]. Or, Tyre is so laid waste, that there is no possibility of entering the harbor [BARNES ]; which is appropriate to the previous "ships." Chittim —Cyprus, of which the cities, including Citium in the south (whence came "Chittim"), were mostly Ph nician ( ). The ships from Tarshish on their way to Tyre learn the tidings ("it is revealed to them") of the downfall of Tyre. At a later period Chittim denoted the islands and coasts of the Mediterranean ( ).

Isaiah 23:1

1. Tyre—Hebrew, Tsur, that is, "Rock."

ships of Tarshish—ships of Tyre returning from their voyage to Tarshish, or Tartessus in Spain, with which the Ph nicians had much commerce (Eze 27:12-25). "Ships of Tarshish" is a phrase also used of large and distant-voyaging merchant vessels (Isa 2:16; 1Ki 10:22; Ps 48:7).

no house—namely, left; such was the case as to Old Tyre, after Nebuchadnezzar's siege.

no entering—There is no house to enter (Isa 24:10) [G. V. SMITH]. Or, Tyre is so laid waste, that there is no possibility of entering the harbor [BARNES]; which is appropriate to the previous "ships."

Chittim—Cyprus, of which the cities, including Citium in the south (whence came "Chittim"), were mostly Ph nician (Eze 27:6). The ships from Tarshish on their way to Tyre learn the tidings ("it is revealed to them") of the downfall of Tyre. At a later period Chittim denoted the islands and coasts of the Mediterranean (Da 11:30).