Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, July 19th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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THE MESSAGE

Isaiah 23:11

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Cities;   Hand;   Tarshish;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Cities;   Commerce;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Phoenicia, Phenicia, or Phenice;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Preaching;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Isaiah, Book of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Tarshish, Tharshish;   Zidon, Sidon ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Nile;   Tyre;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Canaan;   Trade;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Commerce;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He stretched out his hand over the sea;he made kingdoms tremble.The Lord has commandedthat the Canaanite fortresses be destroyed.
Hebrew Names Version
He has stretched out his hand over the sea, he has shaken the kingdoms: the LORD has given mitzvah concerning Kana`an, to destroy the strongholds of it.
King James Version
He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strong holds thereof.
English Standard Version
He has stretched out his hand over the sea; he has shaken the kingdoms; the Lord has given command concerning Canaan to destroy its strongholds.
New American Standard Bible
He has stretched His hand out over the sea, He has made the kingdoms tremble; The LORD has given a command concerning Canaan to demolish its strongholds.
New Century Version
The Lord has stretched his hand over the sea and made its kingdoms tremble. He commands that Canaan's strong, walled cities be destroyed.
Amplified Bible
He has stretched out His hand over the sea, He has shaken the kingdoms; The LORD has given a command concerning Canaan to destroy her strongholds and her fortresses [like Tyre and Sidon].
World English Bible
He has stretched out his hand over the sea, he has shaken the kingdoms: Yahweh has given commandment concerning Canaan, to destroy the strongholds of it.
Geneva Bible (1587)
He stretched out his hand vpon the sea: he shooke the kingdomes: the Lorde hath giuen a commaundement concerning the place of marchandise, to destroy the power thereof.
Legacy Standard Bible
He has stretched His hand out over the sea;He has made the kingdoms tremble;Yahweh has given a command concerning Canaan to demolish its strong defenses.
Berean Standard Bible
The LORD has stretched out His hand over the sea; He has made kingdoms tremble. He has given a command that the strongholds of Canaan be destroyed.
Contemporary English Version
The Lord 's hand has reached across the sea, upsetting the nations. He has given a command to destroy fortresses in the land of Canaan.
Complete Jewish Bible
He has stretched out his hand against the sea, he has shaken kingdoms; Adonai has ordered that Kena‘an's fortresses be destroyed.
Darby Translation
He hath stretched out his hand over the sea, he shaketh the kingdoms. Jehovah hath given a commandment concerning Canaan, to destroy the strongholds thereof,
Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord raised his arm over the sea to make the kingdoms angry enough to fight against Tyre. He commanded Canaan to destroy her place of safety.
George Lamsa Translation
He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms; the LORD has given a commandment against Canaan to destroy its mighty men.
Good News Translation
The Lord has stretched out his hand over the sea and overthrown kingdoms. He has commanded that the Phoenician centers of commerce be destroyed.
Lexham English Bible
He has stretched his hand out over the sea; he has made kingdoms shake. Yahweh has commanded concerning Canaan to destroy her fortresses.
Literal Translation
He stretched His hand over the sea; He shook kingdoms. Jehovah has made a decree against the merchant city , to destroy its forts.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thus the LORDE that remoueth the kingdomes, and hath taken in hande agaynst that mightie Canaan to rote it out:) hath stretched out his honde ouer the see,
American Standard Version
He hath stretched out his hand over the sea, he hath shaken the kingdoms: Jehovah hath given commandment concerning Canaan, to destroy the strongholds thereof.
Bible in Basic English
His hand is stretched out over the sea, the kingdoms are shaking: the Lord has given orders about Canaan, to make waste its strong places.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
He hath stretched out His hand over the sea, He hath shaken the kingdoms; the LORD hath given commandment concerning Canaan, to destroy the strongholds thereof;
King James Version (1611)
He stretched out his hand ouer the sea, hee shooke the kingdomes: the Lord hath giuen a commandement against the merchant citie, to destroy the strong holdes thereof.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He that smote the kyngdomes together, holdeth out his hande ouer the sea: euen the Lord him selfe hath geuen a commaundement agaynst the same common place of marchaundise, that they shall vtterly destroy the myght therof.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thy hand prevails no more by sea, which troubled kings: the Lord of hosts has given a command concerning Chanaan, to destroy the strength thereof.
English Revised Version
He hath stretched out his hand over the sea, he hath shaken the kingdoms: the LORD hath given commandment concerning Canaan, to destroy the strong holds thereof.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
It stretchide forth his hond aboue the see, and disturblide rewmes. The Lord sente ayenes Canaan, for to al to-breke the stronge men therof;
Update Bible Version
He has stretched out his hand over the sea, he has shaken the kingdoms: Yahweh has given commandment concerning Canaan, to destroy the strongholds thereof.
Webster's Bible Translation
He stretched his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the LORD hath given a commandment against the merchant [city], to destroy its strong holds.
New English Translation
The Lord stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook kingdoms; he gave the order to destroy Canaan's fortresses.
New King James Version
He stretched out His hand over the sea, He shook the kingdoms; The LORD has given a commandment against Canaan To destroy its strongholds.
New Living Translation
The Lord held out his hand over the sea and shook the kingdoms of the earth. He has spoken out against Phoenicia, ordering that her fortresses be destroyed.
New Life Bible
He has put out His hand over the sea. He has made the nations shake with fear. The Lord has said that the strong-places of Canaan must be destroyed.
New Revised Standard
He has stretched out his hand over the sea, he has shaken the kingdoms; the Lord has given command concerning Canaan to destroy its fortresses.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
His hand, hath he stretched out over the sea, He hath shaken kingdoms, - Yahweh, hath given command against she Phoenician coast, To destroy her fortresses.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He stretched out his hand over the sea, he troubled kingdoms: the Lord hath given a charge against Chanaan, to destroy the strong ones thereof.
Revised Standard Version
He has stretched out his hand over the sea, he has shaken the kingdoms; the LORD has given command concerning Canaan to destroy its strongholds.
Young's Literal Translation
His hand He hath stretched out over the sea, He hath caused kingdoms to tremble, Jehovah hath charged concerning the merchant one, To destroy her strong places.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He has stretched His hand out over the sea, He has made the kingdoms tremble; The LORD has given a command concerning Canaan to demolish its strongholds.

Contextual Overview

1 Wail, ships of Tarshish, your strong seaports all in ruins! When the ships returned from Cyprus, they saw the destruction. Hold your tongue, you who live on the seacoast, merchants of Sidon. Your people sailed the deep seas, buying and selling, Making money on wheat from Shihor, grown along the Nile— multinational broker in grains! Hang your head in shame, Sidon. The Sea speaks up, the powerhouse of the ocean says, "I've never had labor pains, never had a baby, never reared children to adulthood, Never gave life, never worked with life. It was all numbers, dead numbers, profit and loss." 5 When Egypt gets the report on Tyre, what wailing! what wringing of hands! 6Visit Tarshish, you who live on the seacoast. Take a good, long look and wail—yes, cry buckets of tears! Is this the city you remember as energetic and alive, bustling with activity, this historic old city, Expanding throughout the globe, buying and selling all over the world? And who is behind the collapse of Tyre, the Tyre that controlled the world markets? Tyre's merchants were the business tycoons. Tyre's traders called all the shots. God -of-the-Angel-Armies ordered the crash to show the sordid backside of pride and puncture the inflated reputations. Sail for home, O ships of Tarshish. There are no docks left in this harbor. God reached out to the sea and sea traders, threw the sea kingdoms into turmoil. God ordered the destruction of the seacoast cities, the centers of commerce. God said, "There's nothing left here to be proud of, bankrupt and bereft Sidon. Do you want to make a new start in Cyprus? Don't count on it. Nothing there will work out for you either." 13 Look at what happened to Babylon: There's nothing left of it. Assyria turned it into a desert, into a refuge for wild dogs and stray cats. They brought in their big siege engines, tore down the buildings, and left nothing behind but rubble. 14 Wail, ships of Tarshish, your strong seaports all in ruins!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

stretched: Isaiah 2:19, Isaiah 14:16, Isaiah 14:17, Exodus 15:8-10, Psalms 46:6, Ezekiel 26:10, Ezekiel 26:15-19, Ezekiel 27:34, Ezekiel 27:35, Ezekiel 31:16, Haggai 2:7

the Lord: Isaiah 10:6, Psalms 71:3, Jeremiah 47:7, Nahum 1:14

against the merchant city: or, concerning a merchantman, Isaiah 23:3, Hosea 12:7, Hosea 12:8

the merchant city: Heb. Canaan, Genesis 9:25, Genesis 10:15-19, Zechariah 14:21, Mark 11:17, John 2:16

strong holds: or, strengths, Zechariah 9:3, Zechariah 9:4

Reciprocal: Isaiah 13:3 - commanded Ezekiel 26:4 - destroy Ezekiel 26:12 - thy merchandise

Cross-References

Genesis 23:7
Then Abraham got up, bowed respectfully to the people of the land, the Hittites, and said, "If you're serious about helping me give my wife a proper burial, intercede for me with Ephron son of Zohar. Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah that he owns, the one at the end of his land. Ask him to sell it to me at its full price for a burial plot, with you as witnesses."
Genesis 23:12
Abraham bowed respectfully before the assembled council and answered Ephron: "Please allow me—I want to pay the price of the land; take my money so that I can go ahead and bury my wife."
Numbers 35:30
"Anyone who kills another may be executed only on the testimony of eyewitnesses. But no one can be executed on the testimony of only one witness.
Deuteronomy 17:6
But only on the testimony of two or three witnesses may a person be put to death. No one may be put to death on the testimony of one witness. The witnesses must throw the first stones in the execution, then the rest of the community joins in. You have to purge the evil from your community.
Deuteronomy 19:15
You cannot convict anyone of a crime or sin on the word of one witness. You need two or three witnesses to make a case.
Ruth 4:1
Boaz went straight to the public square and took his place there. Before long the "closer relative," the one mentioned earlier by Boaz, strolled by. "Step aside, old friend," said Boaz. "Take a seat." The man sat down.
Ruth 4:9
Boaz then addressed the elders and all the people in the town square that day: "You are witnesses today that I have bought from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech and Kilion and Mahlon, including responsibility for Ruth the foreigner, the widow of Mahlon—I'll take her as my wife and keep the name of the deceased alive along with his inheritance. The memory and reputation of the deceased is not going to disappear out of this family or from his hometown. To all this you are witnesses this very day."
Ruth 4:11
All the people in the town square that day, backing up the elders, said, "Yes, we are witnesses. May God make this woman who is coming into your household like Rachel and Leah, the two women who built the family of Israel. May God make you a pillar in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem! With the children God gives you from this young woman, may your family rival the family of Perez, the son Tamar bore to Judah."
Luke 19:24
"Then he said to those standing there, ‘Take the money from him and give it to the servant who doubled my stake.'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He stretched out his hand over the sea,.... That is, the Lord of hosts, who had purposed to destroy Tyre, stretched out his hand of power over it, called the sea, as in Isaiah 23:4 because situated in it, supported by it, and had the sovereignty of it; in like manner as he stretched out his hand on the Red Sea, and destroyed Pharaoh and the Egyptians in it; to which the allusion may be:

he shook the kingdoms; of Tyre and Zidon, which were both kingdoms, and distinct ones; and also made other neighbouring kingdoms shake and tremble when these fell, fearing it would be their case next. Some understand this of the moving of Nebuchadnezzar, and of the kings of the provinces under him, to come against Tyre:

the Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant [city]; the city of Tyre, so famous for merchandise, that it was the mart of nations, as in Isaiah 23:3 or "against Canaan", in which country Tyre and Zidon were, being originally built and inhabited by the posterity of Canaan, Genesis 10:15:

to destroy the strong holds thereof; either of the merchant city Tyre, whose fortifications were strong, both by nature and art; or "of Canaan", whose strong holds, or fortified cities, the principal of them were Tyre and Zidon; so Jarchi: and if the Lord of hosts gives a commandment to destroy it and its strong holds, as he did to Nebuchadnezzar and his army, and afterwards to Alexander and his, who could save them? that is, God said it, who gave commandment to destroy it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He stretched out his hand - That is, Yahweh (see Isaiah 23:9). To stretch out the hand is indicative of punishment (see the notes at Isaiah 5:25; Isaiah 9:12), and means that God has resolved to inflict exemplary punishment on Tyre and its dependent colonies.

Over the sea - That is, over the sea coast of Phenicia; or over the cities that were built on the coast. This alludes to the fact that Nebuchadnezzar would lay siege to these cities, and would ravage the maritime coast of Phenicia. It is not improbable also that, having taken Tyre, he would extend his conquests to Citium, on the island of Cyprus, and destroy as many of the dependent cities of Tyre as possible.

The Lord hath given a commandment - The control here asserted over Nebuchadnezzar is similar to that which he asserted over the Assyrian Sennacherib (see the note at Isaiah 10:5).

Against the merchant city - Hebrew, ‘Against Canaan’ (על־כנען 'el-kena‛an). The word ‘Canaan’ may here be used as in Isaiah 23:8, to denote a place given to merchandise or traffic, since this was the principal employment of the inhabitants of this region; but it is rather to be taken in its obvious and usual sense in the Scriptures, as denoting the land of Canaan, and as denoting that Nebuchadnezzar would be sent against that, and especially the maritime parts of it, to lay it waste.

To destroy the strongholds thereof - That is, the strongholds of Canaan; as Tyre, Sidon, Accho, etc. Tyre, especially, was strongly fortified, and was able long to resist the arms of the Chaldeans.


 
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