Isaiah 23:15–18

Every witness, in order

1. 8th–6th century BC (by section; debated)

   The oracle as first spoken or written

   – No copy survives

   No original survives. The oldest copies of Isaiah are the Qumran scrolls: the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a, about 125 BC, nearly complete), 1QIsa-b (1Q8) and some twenty other fragmentary manuscripts.

2. c. 125 BC (palaeography; reported)

   Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a), Qumran Cave 1

   ✓ Contains this passageDescends, through lost copies, from The oracle as first spoken or written

   How the site knows this: Described from a published transcription of the manuscript. Described in the site's own words from Martin Abegg's transcription (ETCBC/CACCHT Dead Sea Scrolls dataset v2.0.5); the transcription itself is not reproduced. Photographs and DJD XXXII not yet checked.

   In that day it will be with Tyre like the song of the prostitute (the seventy years are missing)

   Hebrew numbering: Isaiah 23:15–18. In v. 15 lacks "Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, like the days of one king; at the end of seventy years it will be," reading only "In that day [it will be] to Tyre like the song of the prostitute." The seventy years appear in v. 17, which lacks "all" before "the kingdoms."

3. 1st century AD (reported)

   4QIsa-c (4Q57), Qumran Cave 4

   ◐ Contains part of itDescends, through lost copies, from The oracle as first spoken or written

   How the site knows this: Described from a published transcription of the manuscript. Described in the site's own words from Martin Abegg's transcription (ETCBC/CACCHT Dead Sea Scrolls dataset v2.0.5); the transcription itself is not reproduced. Photographs and DJD XXXII not yet checked.

   Hebrew numbering: Isaiah 23:15–18. A fragmentary copy: only parts of these verses survive, and in the transcription much of the passage is restored by the editors. It has room for, and partly preserves, the longer text of v. 15, including "forgotten" and "Tyre."

4. Jerome c. AD 400, from Hebrew; edition 1592

   Latin Vulgate (Clementine)

   ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from the Hebrew text Jerome used

   How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Clementine Vulgate (1592 edition).

   Et erit in die illa: in oblivione eris, o Tyre! septuaginta annis, sicut dies regis unius; post septuaginta autem annos erit Tyro quasi canticum meretricis: Sume citharam, circui civitatem, meretrix oblivioni tradita: bene cane, frequenta canticum, ut memoria tui sit. Et erit post septuaginta annos: visitabit Dominus Tyrum, et reducet eam ad mercedes suas, et rursum fornicabitur cum universis regnis terræ super faciem terræ; et erunt negotiationes ejus et mercedes ejus sanctificatæ Domino: non condentur neque reponentur, quia his qui habitaverint coram Domino erit negotiatio ejus, ut manducent in saturitatem, et vestiantur usque ad vetustatem.

   Latin numbering: Isaiah 23:15–18. Jerome translated Isaiah from Hebrew (c. AD 400).

5. AD 1008

   Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)

   ✓ Contains this passageDescends, through lost copies, from The oracle as first spoken or written

   How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, a digital transcription of the Leningrad Codex.

   וְהָיָה֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא וְנִשְׁכַּ֤חַת צֹר֙ שִׁבְעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה כִּימֵ֖י מֶ֣לֶךְ אֶחָ֑ד מִקֵּ֞ץ שִׁבְעִ֤ים שָׁנָה֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לְצֹ֔ר כְּשִׁירַ֖ת הַזּוֹנָֽה׃ קְחִ֥י כִנּ֛וֹר סֹ֥בִּי עִ֖יר זוֹנָ֣ה נִשְׁכָּחָ֑ה הֵיטִ֤יבִי נַגֵּן֙ הַרְבִּי־שִׁ֔יר לְמַ֖עַן תִּזָּכֵֽרִי׃ וְהָיָ֞ה מִקֵּ֣ץ ׀ שִׁבְעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֗ה יִפְקֹ֤ד יְהוָה֙ אֶת־צֹ֔ר וְשָׁבָ֖ה לְאֶתְנַנָּ֑ה וְזָֽנְתָ֛ה אֶת־כָּל־מַמְלְכ֥וֹת הָאָ֖רֶץ עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ וְהָיָ֨ה סַחְרָ֜הּ וְאֶתְנַנָּ֗הּ קֹ֚דֶשׁ לַֽיהוָ֔ה לֹ֥א יֵֽאָצֵ֖ר וְלֹ֣א יֵֽחָסֵ֑ן כִּ֣י לַיֹּשְׁבִ֞ים לִפְנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ יִֽהְיֶ֣ה סַחְרָ֔הּ לֶאֱכֹ֥ל לְשָׂבְעָ֖ה וְלִמְכַסֶּ֥ה עָתִֽיק׃

   In that day Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, like the days of one king; at the end of seventy years it will be with Tyre as in the song of the prostitute (v. 15)

   Hebrew numbering: Isaiah 23:15–18.

6. 1611

   King James Bible

   ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from printed Masoretic Hebrew

   How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: King James Version (1769 text).

   And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot. Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered. And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

7. Greek translation c. 2nd century BC; French 1872

   Greek Isaiah (library: Giguet's French)

   ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from the Old Greek Isaiah

   How the site knows this: Known here only through a translation.

   Et il arrivera ce jour-là que Tyr sera abandonnée durant soixante-dix ans, le temps que vit un homme, le temps que vit un roi; et après ces soixante-dix ans, Tyr chantera comme une courtisane. Prends la cithare, cours à l’aventure, ville prostituée, livrée à l’oubli; joue bien, chante beaucoup, pour qu’on se souvienne de toi. Et après ces soixante-dix ans le Seigneur visitera Tyr, et il la rétablira comme autrefois, et elle sera un marché pour tous les royaumes qui couvrent la face de la terre; Et son commerce et ses revenus seront consacrés au Seigneur; et ce n’est point pour eux qu’ils amasseront, mais pour ceux qui résident devant le Seigneur; et tous ses gains seront employés à manger et à boire, et à se rassasier dans des banquets commémoratifs devant le Seigneur.

   Greek (digital file) numbering: Isaiah 23:15–18. Giguet's 1872 French of a printed Greek text (D check only); a C check needs Ziegler's Göttingen Isaiah or Rahlfs–Hanhart.