Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII.
Ver. 1. THe burden of Tyre] Heb. Tſor, whence came Tyre. It was the chief City of Phaenicia, the chief mart of the Eaſt, a very Microcoſm or Epitome of the whole world, for its wealth and wickedneſs. It was not far diſtant from Judea (our Saviour, Matth. 15. went from Galilee into the coaſts of Tyre and Sidon) in whoſe miſery ſhe made her ſelf merry, Ezek. 26. and is therefore here threatened with utter deſtruction.
Howl ye ſhips of Tarſhiſh] i. e. Of Tarteſſus in Spain, or of Tarſus in Cilicia (St. Pauls Countrey) or of the main Ocean.
P…ln. lib. 5. cap. 19.For it is laid waſte] viz. By Nebuchadnezzar, and afterwards by Alexander the great, who of an Iſland made it part of the Continent, and then razed it to the ground.
So that there is no houſe] Or thus: ſo that there is no houſe, nor coming in for thoſe from Chittim, is made known to them.
Ver. 2. Be ſtill ye Inhabitants of the Iſle] A nundinatorio ſtrepitu quieſcite, & plorate, Be quiet and mourn.
Ver. 3. And by great waters the ſeed of Sihor] i. e. Of Nilus, by the over-flowing whereof Egypt is made exceeding fertile, being ſtiled the Granary of the world. Tyre was much enriched by its ſtore thereto tranſported thorow the Mid-land Sea, called here great waters.
Ver. 4. Be aſhamed, O Zidon] ſc. of Tyre thy Daughter and Confederate.
For the ſea hath ſpoken, even the ſtrength of the ſea] Or, the ſeaport: By the ſea, and ſea-port we are to underſtand Tyre, who ſat in the Sea (as now Venice doth) and Soveraigned it.
Plin. ubi ſupra.I travel not, nor bring forth children] I ſend forth no Colonies, as ſometimes I have done. Pliny ſaith of Tyre, Olim partu clara urbibus genitis, Lepti, Ʋtica, Carthagine, etiam Gadibus extra orbem conditis. But now it was paſt that time of day with her.
Ver. 5. As at the report concerning Egypt] i. e. Concerning their overthrow once at the Red-ſea, Exod. 15.14. They are alſo ſhortly to be over-run by Nebuchadnezzar, to whom God hath promiſed Egypt as his pay for his pains taken in taking Tyre.
Ver. 6. Paſs ye over to Tarſhiſh]—Tyrii migrate coloni, be packing any whether, and make any ſhift to ſave your lives, Ʋltra Sauromatas fugite hinc, &c. To Carthage many of them went, ſay ſome: and the Septuagint for ſhips of Tarſhiſh, ver. 1. have ſhips of Carthage.
Ver. 7. Is this your joyous City] q. d. So ye were wont to hold her, and to b…aſt of her: but now tis ſomewhat otherwiſe. Cities dye as well as men, ſaith One:foreign they alſo have their times and their turns, their riſe and their ruine. Hic immoremur parum & pedem figamus oportet. Let this be duly conſidered, and an abiding City ſought, Heb. 12.14. The wicked may revel in this world, the Godly only rejoyce.
Whoſe antiquity is of antient dayes] Palaetyrus, or the old Town eſpecially: and this was a piece of her ſilly glory;
Ʋrbs fuit illa Tyros priſcis quae condita ſaeclis,
Innumero que ſuo repetens ab Agenore ſoles,
Aeternos demens ſpe praeſumebat honores.
Ver. 8. The crowning City] Heb. The crowning or crowned: a City of Kings, Vidi civitatem regum.as Cyneas once ſaid of Rome: This is a ſtile better befitting Heaven, and the crowned Saints there.
Whoſe Merchants are Princes] Little Kings, as we ſay. So they are at Venice; ſo the Hogens Moghens of the Netherlands.
Ver. 9. The Lord of Hoſts hath purpoſed it] Here the Prophet ſets forth both, who had decreed the downfall of this famous and flouriſhing City; and why, ſee Ezek. 27.5, 6, 7.
To ſtain the pride of all glory] Ʋt faede… faſtum omnis gloriae, to bring down the height of all haughtineſs. This hath God Almighty decreed, and it ſhall ſtand. Let us therefore have Grace, whereby we may ſerve Him with reverence and godly fear, Heb. 12.28.
Ver. 10. Paſs through the land as a River] i. e. Haſtily: Abi praeceps, Indeſinenter & cito. Jun.pack up and be gone with all ſpeed, be there never ſo many of you here at Tyre.
There is no more ſtrength] Heb. girdle, that is Souldiery, or ſhipping, or Sea to encompaſs it: Occolampadius ſets this ſence upon the words, Non eſt ei cingulum reliquum, There is not ſo much as a girdle or ſuch like mean commodity left in Tyre: ſhe had been ſo plundered.
Ver. 11. He ſtretched out his hand] That mighty hand of his, 1 Pet. 5.6. wherewith he ſpanneth the Heavens, chap. 48.13. brought the red Sea upon the Egyptians, Exod. 14.26. and ſtill ſhaketh the wicked out of the earth, as by a canvaſe, Job 38.13.
He ſhook the Kingdoms] Shook and ſhattered them, viz. by Nebuchadnezzar; the Kingdom of Tyre eſpecially, to the terrour of others, Ezek. 26.15.
The Lord] That man of War, Exod. 15.3. Mighty in battel, Pſalm 24.8.
Hath given a Commandement] Bidding his Forces Fall on.
Againſt the Merchant City] Heb. againſt, (or concerning) Canaan; ſo he calleth Tyre the poſterity of the old Cananites, and a place of great Merchandiſe. See Hoſ. 12.7.
Ver. 12. Thou ſhalt no more rejoyce] Heb. exult, revel.
O thou oppreſſed] Or raviſhed damſel, daughter of Zidon, hactenus intacta vi hoſtili, never till now ſubdued.
Ariſe, paſs] Aſyndeton, q. d. Haſte, haſte.
Over to Chittim] To Cyprus, Greece, Italy.
There alſo ſhalt thou have no reſt] Succour or ſhelter. Cains curſe was upon them, the viſible vengeance of God followed them cloſe at heels: ſee Deut. 28.65, 66.
Ver. 13. Behold the land of the Chaldeans] q. d. The Chaldees were once no ſuch conſiderable people, but lay hid under the grandeur of the Aſſyrian Monarchy which did ſet them up. Howbeit in time the Aſſyrians at length were devoured by the Chaldees, Niniveh by Babylon; filia devoravit matrem, as the Proverb is: And why may not the like be done to Tyre? Others make this to be the Prophets ſpeech to the Chaldees, Behold O land of the Chaldees! This people (of Tyre) was not (however they boaſt of their Antiquity) till the Aſſyrians (thoſe Monarchs of the World) founded it, Ʋt eſſet ſtatio Carinis, to be a fit place for ſhipping, or for Barbarians. Calvin.See 2 King. 17.24. Down with it therefore; bring it to vaſtity.
Ver. 14. Howl ye ſhips of Tarſhiſh] He concludeth this Prophecy of Tyres downfall, as he began, ver. 1. The Inhabitants of Tarſhiſh (or Tarſus in Cilicia) were great Ship-maſters: they ſent a Navy of an hundred ſhips to Xerxes when he went againſt Greece.
Ver. 15. Tyre ſhall be forgotten] i. e. Laid aſide by God, as if not at all minded in her miſery: ſlighted alſo and unfrequented by men, as a withered Harlot.
Seventy years] So long as the Jews (whom they jeered) were held captives in Babylon.
According to the dayes of one King] i. e. The duration of the Babyloniſh Monarchy, under Nebuchadnezzar, his ſon, and his ſons for, Jer. 17.7.
Shall Tyre ſing as an harlot] Ʋt meretrix, i. e. Mercatrix. Harlots faln into ſome foul diſeaſe are abandoned: but recovering thereof, they ſeek by ſinging and other allurements, to regain their Paramours: ſo ſhould Tyre deal by her old cuſtomers, being (as was once ſaid of Helena after her return from Troy) foreign, no changeling, but as good as ever.
Ver. 16. Take an harp] In bidding her do ſo, he foretelleth that ſhe ſhall do ſo ſc. ad ingenium ſuum redire, fall to her former practices.
Make ſweet melody &c.] The Tyrians were much addicted to muſick, Ezek. 26.13. & 28.13.
Ver. 17. The Lord will viſit Tyre] Bad though ſhe be, he will graciouſly viſit her: both by ſuffering her to grow rich again, as here, and by converting ſome of them to the faith of Chriſt, ver. 18. See it fulfilled, Act. 21.3, 4, 5. Euſcbius alſo telleth of many made Martyrs there.
Ver. 11. It ſhall not be treaſured] Being once converted, they ſhall leave heaping and hoarding wealth, and find other uſe for it, viz. to feed and cloath Gods Miniſters and poor people freely and largely.
And for durable cloathing] The Vulgar hath it Veſtientur ad vetuſtatem.