At the end of seventy years: See verse 15.
The LORD will visit Tyre does not mean that Yahweh will actually appear in the city of Tyre. The Hebrew verb rendered visit is mostly used idiomatically, and can have a variety of meanings depending on the context. In this context it means Yahweh will show kindness to Tyre (compare Gen 21.1 and Exo 13.19, where it has the same sense). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has a somewhat neutral rendering, saying “the LORD will take note of Tyre,” while New International Version gives it a possible negative sense with “the LORD will deal with Tyre.” Since the text clearly suggests that there will be a reversal in Tyre’s situation, a return to her former glorious status, translators should have a positive rendering here; for example, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “the LORD will show concern for the city of Tyre,” and Bible en français courant says “the Lord will intervene for Tyre.” Other helpful renderings for the verb visit are “restore” and “have pity on.”
And she will return to her hire means that Tyre will go back to making money through trading, the same way as she did before. Hire renders a Hebrew noun that refers specifically to the money paid to a prostitute for her services. Here it is an image for the money Tyre makes through commerce. New International Version keeps the image by rendering this line as “She will return to her hire as a prostitute.” Good News Translation translates it nonfiguratively, saying “Tyre go back to her old trade” (similarly New Revised Standard Version). Another possible model is “she will go back to making money.”
And will play the harlot with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth: The verb phrase will play the harlot continues the figure of prostitution as a figure for engaging in international trade. All the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth is a hyperbole that refers to the wide extent of Tyre’s commercial trade. A possible nonfigurative rendering for this clause is “and will trade with every nation on earth.”
Translation examples for this verse are:
• At the end of the seventy years Yahweh will restore Tyre. Tyre will go back to her old trade, making money by trading with every nation on earth.
• After seventy years Yahweh will be kind to Tyre and she will once again turn to her old trade. Tyre will be trading with every nation on earth.
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 .