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Jehovah Profanes the Pride of TyreIsaiah’s Prophecy—Light for All Mankind I
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“Howl, You Ships of Tarshish!”
3, 4. (a) Where was Tarshish, and what was the relationship between Tyre and Tarshish? (b) Why will the sailors trading with Tarshish have reason to “howl”?
3 Under the title, “The pronouncement of Tyre,” Isaiah declares: “Howl, you ships of Tarshish! for it has been despoiled from being a port, from being a place to enter in.” (Isaiah 23:1a) Tarshish is believed to have been a part of Spain, far from Tyre in the eastern Mediterranean.a Still, the Phoenicians were expert seamen, and their ships were large and seaworthy. Some historians believe that the Phoenicians were the first to notice the link between the moon and the tides and to use astronomy as a navigational aid. So the long distance from Tyre to Tarshish was no obstacle for them.
4 In Isaiah’s day, distant Tarshish is a market for Tyre, perhaps the main source of her wealth during part of her history. Spain has mines rich with deposits of silver, iron, tin, and other metals. (Compare Jeremiah 10:9; Ezekiel 27:12.) “Ships of Tarshish,” likely ships from Tyre trading with Tarshish, will have good reason to “howl,” lamenting the destruction of their home port.
5. Where will mariners coming from Tarshish learn of the fall of Tyre?
5 How will mariners at sea learn of the downfall of Tyre? Isaiah answers: “From the land of Kittim it has been revealed to them.” (Isaiah 23:1b) “The land of Kittim” likely refers to the island of Cyprus, about 60 miles [100 km] west of the Phoenician coast. This is the last stop for the eastbound ships from Tarshish before they arrive at Tyre. Hence, the sailors will receive news of the overthrow of their beloved home port when they make a stopover in Cyprus. What a shock for them! Grief-stricken, they will “howl” in dismay.
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Jehovah Profanes the Pride of TyreIsaiah’s Prophecy—Light for All Mankind I
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a Some scholars have identified Tarshish with Sardinia, an island in the western Mediterranean. Sardinia too was far from Tyre.
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