In that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, like the days of one king: In that day refers to the time when Tyre is destroyed. For this phrase see the comments on 2.11. Here it marks the beginning of a new discourse, as it often does. Because of Tyre’s destruction, it will be forgotten. In the Old Testament it is shameful to be forgotten; it implies losing your reputation and importance. It is as if you had never existed. The length of time Tyre will lie in ruins is seventy years. This number is figurative rather than literal. It speaks of completeness, the length of a full life, a long time. Although it does not mean exactly seventy calendar years, it is best to retain the number in translation. This period of time is explained further by the phrase like the days of one king. Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch say “the lifetime of a king,” which represents a long time.

At the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot: At the end of this long period of time, Tyre will begin trading again as it did before (see verse 17). The prophet quotes from a well-known song, the song of the harlot, to illustrate this. It is a song about a harlot rather than one she sings. In English Good News Translation and New International Version render the word harlot a little less offensively as “prostitute” (Good News Translation, New International Version). Translators should use a word that is not too offensive for use in public reading. Harlotry is often used in the Old Testament as a figure for idolatry (see 1.21), but here the harlot and her fees are images for Tyre’s trade and the profits made from it. Even though the prophet expresses contempt for Tyre by using this imagery, he does not imply that commercial trading is an immoral activity. A footnote may be helpful to readers to avoid any misunderstanding concerning the figure of harlotry here. It could say “The harlot is a figure for commercial trading.”

Translation examples for this verse are:

• When that time comes, Tyre will be forgotten for a period of seventy years, the years of [the life of] a king. After seventy years what will happen to Tyre will be as the song about the harlot says:….

• Then Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, a royal age. At the end of those seventy years Tyre will be like the prostitute in this song:….

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .