Isaiah 23:10 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 23:10 mean?

Isaiah 23:10 addresses the people of Tarshish as a daughter and tells them to move through their land like a flowing river. In the KJV, the reason is that “there is no more strength”: a power that once held them in check is gone.

The image of a river suggests movement that spreads freely across the land. In the setting of Tyre’s downfall, the command pictures a change in the relationship between that trading city and distant Tarshish.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 23:10

• “river” — יְאֹר (ye’or): This word often refers to the Nile or one of its channels. It can bring to mind a great river spreading over its banks.
• “daughter” — בַּת (bat): The word can refer to a daughter or to the people of a place. Here “daughter of Tarshish” addresses Tarshish’s people as a single person.
• “strength” — מֵזַח (mezach): The word can refer to a restraint or a belt. The KJV’s “no more strength” fits the picture of something that once held Tarshish in check having been removed.

Why Isaiah 23:10 matters

• The verse speaks to a place beyond Tyre itself. Addressing “the daughter of Tarshish” shows that Tyre’s downfall reaches its distant trading connections.
• The loss of “strength” changes the picture from restriction to movement. The command to pass through the land follows from the removal of the power that held Tarshish in check.