Isaiah 23:16

Isaiah 23:16

Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

a. NLT: Take a harp and walk the streets, you forgotten harlot. Make sweet melody and sing your songs so you will be remembered again. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: Take a harp, go round the city, O forgotten harlot, play well, Multiply song that thou mayest be remembered. [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: Take a harp, go about the city, forgotten harlot; play skillfully and make sweet melody, sing many songs, that you may be remembered. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Septuagint: Take a harp, go about, O city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; play well on the harp, sing many [songs], that thou mayest be remembered.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/ Writings: take a harp and circle the city, O forgotten harlot; play well, sing a lot, so that you may be remembered. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

1. “Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten…”

a. Take [Strong: 3947 laqach law-kakh' a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.]

b. [an] harp [Strong: 3658 kinnowr kin-nore' from a unused root meaning to twang; a harp: -harp.]

c. go about [Strong: 5437 cabab saw-bab' a primitive root; to revolve, surround, or border; used in various applications, literally and figuratively (as follows):--bring, cast, fetch, lead, make, walk, X whirl, X round about, be about on every side, apply, avoid, beset (about), besiege, bring again, carry (about), change, cause to come about, X circuit, (fetch a) compass (about, round), drive, environ, X on every side, beset (close, come, compass, go, stand) round about, inclose, remove, return, set, sit down, turn (self) (about, aside, away, back).]

d. [the] city [Strong: 5892 `iyr eer or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4) {aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.]

e. [thou] harlot [Strong: 2181 zanah zaw-naw' a primitive root (highly-fed and therefore wanton); to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah):--(cause to) commit fornication, X continually, X great, (be an, play the) harlot, (cause to be, play the) whore, (commit, fall to) whoredom, (cause to) go a-whoring, whorish.]

f. [that hast been] forgotten [Strong: 7911 shakach shaw-kakh' or shakeach {shaw-kay'-akh}; a primitive root; to mislay, i.e. to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention:--X at all, (cause to) forget.]

2. “...make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.”

a. [make] sweet [Strong: 3190 yatab yaw-tab' a primitive root; to be (causative) make well, literally (sound, beautiful) or figuratively (happy, successful, right):--be accepted, amend, use aright, benefit, be (make) better, seem best, make cheerful, be comely, + be content, diligent(-ly), dress, earnestly, find favour, give, be glad, do (be, make) good((-ness)), be (make) merry, please (+ well), shew more (kindness), skilfully, X very small, surely, make sweet, thoroughly, tire, trim, very, be (can, deal, entreat, go, have) well (said, seen).]

b. melody [Strong: 5059 nagan naw-gan' a primitive root; properly, to thrum, i.e. beat a tune with the fingers; expec. to play on a stringed instrument; hence (generally), to make music:--player on instruments, sing to the stringed instruments, melody, ministrel, play(-er, -ing).]

c. [sing] many [Strong: 7235 rabah raw-baw' a primitive root; to increase (in whatever respect):--(bring in) abundance (X -antly), + archer (by mistake for 7232), be in authority, bring up, X continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly, X -ness), grow up, heap, increase, be long, (be, give, have, make, use) many (a time), (any, be, give, give the, have) more (in number), (ask, be, be so, gather, over, take, yield) much (greater, more), (make to) multiply, nourish, plenty(-eous), X process (of time), sore, store, thoroughly, very.]

d. songs [Strong: 7892 shiyr sheer or feminine shiyrah {shee-raw'}; from 7891; a song; abstractly, singing:--musical(-ick), X sing(-er, -ing), song.]

e. that [Strong: 4616 ma`an mah'-an from 6030; properly, heed, i.e. purpose; used only adverbially, on account of (as a motive or an aim), teleologically, in order that:--because of, to the end (intent) that, for (to,... 's sake), + lest, that, to.]

f. [mayest be] remembered [Strong: 2142 zakar zaw-kar' a primitive root; properly, to mark (so as to be recognized), i.e. to remember; by implication, to mention; also (as denominative from 2145) to be male:--X burn (incense), X earnestly, be male, (make) mention (of), be mindful, recount, record(-er), remember, make to be remembered, bring (call, come, keep, put) to (in) remembrance, X still, think on, X well.]

1). Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible: Take a harp, go about the city,.... As harlots used to do, that by their music, both vocal and instrumental, they might allure men into their company to commit fornication with them; so Tyre is directed to, or rather this is a prophecy that she should take very artful and ensnaring methods to restore her commerce and merchandise:

2). Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges: The song of the harlot, celebrating the wiles by which a forgotten prostitute seeks to regain her influence.

3). As Lucifer used music to allure and convince one third of the angels to join him in rebellion against God (Isaiah 14:9-15; Ezekiel 28:13-19), he would inspire women to use music to convince men to commit fornication. The same devil uses popular music today to inspire men and women to rebel against God.  

4). In Genesis 4:23, 24 we have the song of the sword, here in Isaiah 23:16 we have the song of the harlot.