Isaiah 23:16

Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Take	קְחִ֥י ke.Chi	H3947	to take (in the widest variety of applications) · verb, qal imperative, 2nd person feminine singular
harp	כִנּ֛וֹר khi.Nor	H3658	a harp · noun, common masculine singular absolute
about	סֹ֥בִּי So.bi	H5437	to revolve · verb, qal imperative, 2nd person feminine singular
city	עִ֖יר 'ir	H5892	a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the wi… · noun, common feminine singular absolute
harlot	זוֹנָ֣ה zo.Nah	H2181	to commit adultery (usually of the female · verb, qal active participle, feminine singular absolute
forgotten	נִשְׁכָּחָ֑ה nish.ka.Chah	H7911	to mislay · verb, niphal active participle, feminine singular absolute
sweet	הֵיטִ֤יבִי hei.Ti.vi	H3190	to be (causative) make well · verb, hiphil imperative, 2nd person feminine singular
melody	נַגֵּן֙ na.Gen	H5059	properly · verb, piel infinitive construct
many	הַרְבִּי har.bi-	H7235	to increase (in whatever respect) · verb, hiphil imperative, 2nd person feminine singular
songs	שִׁ֔יר Shir	H7892	a song · verb, qal infinitive construct
remembered	תִּזָּכֵֽרִי ti.za.Khe.ri	H2142	properly · verb, niphal jussive, 2nd person feminine singular

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Proverbs 7:10-12 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
Jeremiah 30:14 All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Isaiah 23:15–end

Here is, I. The time fixed for the continuance of the desolations of Tyre, which were not to be perpetual desolations: Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, Isa 23:15. So long it shall lie neglected and buried in obscurity. It was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar much about the time that Jerusalem was, and lay as long as it did in its ruins. See the folly of that proud ambitious conqueror. What the richer, what the stronger, was he for making himself master of Tyre, when all the inhabitants were driven out of it and he had none of his own subjects to spare for the replenishing and fortifying of it? It is surprising to see what pleasure men could take in destroying cities and making their memoria…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 23:16

Same figure [Isa 23:15] to express that Tyre would again prosper and attract commercial intercourse of nations to her, and be the same joyous, self-indulging city as before.

John Gill on Isaiah 23:16

Take a harp, go about the city,.... As harlots used to do, that by their music, both vocal and instrumental, they might allure men into their company to commit fornication with them; so Tyre is directed to, or rather this is a prophecy that she should take very artful and ensnaring methods to restore her commerce and merchandise: thou harlot that hast been forgotten; See Gill on Isaiah 23:15, make sweet melody; or, "do well by striking" (k); that is, the harp in her hand; strike it well with art and skill, so as to make melody, and give pleasure: sing many songs; or, "multiply a song" (l); sing one after another, till the point is carried aimed at: that thou mayest be remembered; men may…

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John Calvin on Isaiah 23:16

Take a harp. He compares Tyre to a harlot, who, after having spent the whole period of her youth in debauchery, has at length grown old, and on that account is forsaken and despised by all, and yet cannot forget her former gain and lewdness, but desires to grow young again and renew her loves, and, in order to attract men, goes about the city, delighting their ears by songs and musical instruments. Such prostitutes are seized with some kind of madness, when they perceive that they are disregarded on account of their old age; and we see that Horace mocks at Lydia on this account. [116] Thus Tyre, after having been ruined, and as it were buried in oblivion, will again put forth her efforts, an…

The Church Fathers

(Verse 16.) After seventy years, Tyre will be like the song of a prostitute. Take up the lyre, go around the city, forgotten prostitute, sing well, sing often, so that there will be a memory of you. Because you have prostituted yourself with many nations, and you have been left desolate, naked, and filthy with the filth of captivity, your former lovers have despised you. Now take up the lyre, sing songs of lamentation, go around the city, weep for your former brothel, and wash away the traces of your ancient error with tears, so that you may provoke the mercy of God in yourself.
— Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Minstrel — (Matt. 9:23), a flute-player. Such music was a usual accompaniment of funerals. In 2 Kings 3:15 it denotes a player on a stringed instrument.
Harlot (Prostitute) · Machinations of — Machinations of
Harp · Used in festivities — Used in festivities
Tyre · Prophecies respecting: Its restoration to commercial greatness after seventy years — Prophecies respecting: Its restoration to commercial greatness after seventy years

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Isaiah 23:16

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Isaiah 23:15–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 23:16

John Gill on Isaiah 23:16

John Calvin on Isaiah 23:16

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Isaiah 23:16

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Isaiah 23:15–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 23:16

John Gill on Isaiah 23:16

John Calvin on Isaiah 23:16

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Isaiah 23:15-16

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Isaiah 23:15-18

Rashi on Isaiah 23:16