Isaiah 23:6Pass over to Tarshish! Wail, you inhabitants of the coast!
The setting
Mediterranean coast, ~701 BC. Phoenician refugees fleeing west toward Spain as their civilization crumbles. Modern southern Spain and Portugal...
The emotion here: compassionate grief for the displaced
The original word
hēlîlû (הֵילִילוּ) — wail with loud mourning cry, lament publicly
Why it matters
Tarshish was possibly ancient Tartessos in Spain, 2,500 miles from Tyre
Read with care
What most readers miss in Isaiah 23:6
These aren't tourists — they're permanent refugees who lost everything
Common misconceptionThis sounds like God celebrating suffering, but Isaiah is expressing heartbreak. Even in judgment, God grieves the human cost of sin's consequences.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Isaiah 23:6
Bible Genome reading
Isaiah 23:6 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Isaiah 23:6 comes from the book of Isaiah, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Isaiah. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include forced migration, economic displacement, mourning. Notable phrases: pass over to Tarshish; wail you inhabitants. This verse contains a command. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Isaiah 23:6 mean to you, today?
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