ישעיהו, פרק כ״ג, פסוק י׳

The dramatic collapse of a maritime trading empire leaves its inhabitants entirely exposed, prompting an urgent prophetic warning to run for their lives. The call is directed toward those connected to Tarshish, a target understood in two main ways. One perspective views this as an address to the city of Tyre itself, positioned prominently along the trade route to Tarshish [רש״י]. However, the primary approach among commentators suggests the warning is directed at the merchants and citizens of Tarshish residing in Tyre. They are urged to escape swiftly back to their homeland before they perish alongside the ruined city [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, אברבנאל].

The command to move through the land like a river carries several layers of meaning. Most commentators interpret this as a directive to flee into exile with the speed and rushing force of a flowing river [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, אברבנאל]. Another view focuses on the specific nature of a river like the Nile, which notoriously overflows its banks, serving as a metaphor for a land completely flooded and washed away by disaster [רש״י, מלבי״ם]. Taking a more visual approach, the imagery evokes a person forced to wade through a river barefoot and without proper clothing. This paints a picture of profound humiliation, showing the once-proud people of Tyre and Tarshish stripped of all their former wealth and dignity [שד״ל].

The urgency of this escape is driven by the complete loss of the city's defenses, described conceptually as the removal of a belt. Traditionally, a belt symbolizes strength, readiness, and preparation for battle. In this sense, Tyre has been drained of its power, losing any ability to brace itself with courage to defend its people or its merchants against the approaching enemy [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק, אבן עזרא]. Alternatively, this concept is understood in a physical, spatial sense. The belt represents the structural barriers, the island's shores, or the breakwaters that once guarded the harbor. With these defenses broken, the city is left entirely vulnerable, with nothing remaining to hold back the incoming tide of destruction [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Finally, tying back to the theme of public disgrace, the absence of a belt highlights a total loss of honor. Without a belt to secure their clothing, those fleeing will be forced to lift their garments even higher to cross the waters, laying bare their shame for all to see [שד״ל].