complete verse (Isaiah 23:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 23:8:

  • Kupsabiny: “Who was planning these things
    to come to the city of Tyre?
    Who has demolished this city of rulers,
    and its traders were honored in the whole world?” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The city that keeps on distributing crowns,
    their merchants there live like princes,
    and their names are very famous.
    Who brought this disaster on Tyre?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Who has-planned this to Tyre, the city who invaded places, whose nobles merchants are famous in the world?” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “People from Tyre appointed kings over other places;
    their traders were wealthy;
    they were as powerful and wealthy as kings.
    So, who caused the people of Tyre to experience this disaster?” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 23:8

This verse speaks about Tyre, the companion city of Sidon. It uses a question that is answered in the following verse. This question-answer format presents verse 9 as a climax, which says Yahweh caused the downfall of Tyre (and Sidon).

Since the question here is long, Bible en français courant breaks it up by beginning with a descriptive statement concerning Tyre, and ending with a short question. It reads “Tyre gave out kings’ crowns, its merchants were as much as princes, its traders were among the people that were honored by all. Who then decided on its ruin?” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). This could be a useful model for many translators.

Who has purposed this against Tyre…?: The Hebrew verb rendered purposed is an important one in the oracles against foreign nations (see 14.24, 26-27; 19.12, 17). It is a keyword here and in the next verse. The verb expresses Yahweh’s power and control of world events. The things he plans will certainly happen. The demonstrative pronoun this refers to the destruction of Tyre.

The bestower of crowns is the first of three descriptions of Tyre in this verse. The Hebrew participle here refers to Tyre’s power to remove kings and rulers and place their own appointees on thrones (so Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Tyre’s enormous wealth generated by trading gave it such power. However, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh understands the participle to mean that Tyre itself wore a crown, so it says “crown-wearing Tyre.” Good News Translation is similar with “that imperial city.” We believe the correct sense is reflected in Revised Standard Version.

Whose merchants were princes is the second description of Tyre. The merchants of Tyre who engaged in international trade were wealthy, so they could be described as princes (see the comments on this term at 1.23). In this context the word princes does not mean the traders were actually sons of a king, but it is a metaphor for power and wealth. It may be better to use a simile here, for example, “whose merchants were as powerful and wealthy as princes.”

Whose traders were the honored of the earth is the third description of Tyre. It is similar in meaning with the previous line. The Hebrew word rendered honored comes from a root meaning “be heavy” (see 6.3). Here it has the sense of showing honor. All the people in the Mediterranean world gave high honor to Tyre’s merchants.

We offer the following translation examples for this verse:

• Who is it who planned all this against Tyre, the city that was the maker of kings, whose merchants were like princes and whose traders were honored around the world?

• Tyre appointed kings, it had traders who were like sons of kings and who were honored everywhere in the world. Who then decided on Tyre’s destruction?

• Who planned this destruction of Tyre, the king-maker whose merchants were as powerful as princes? People around the world honored Tyre’s traders.

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 .