ישעיהו, פרק כ״ג, פסוק ו׳

The sudden collapse of a maritime and economic superpower sends shockwaves across the sea, instantly altering the trade routes and daily lives of entire nations. In the wake of Tyre's devastating fall, a prophetic call rings out to those affected, urging them to face a harsh new reality by traveling toward Tarshish [אבן עזרא].

There are several ways to understand this command to relocate. One perspective views it as an urgent warning to the people of Tyre themselves, telling them to flee from their enemies, or predicting that they will be forced into overseas exile [רש״י, רד״ק בשם תרגום יונתן, מלבי״ם]. Alternatively, the message is aimed at the countless foreign merchants who regularly visited Tyre. With their great commercial hub left in ruins, these merchants are told to move their business to Tarshish, another coastal city that must now serve as an emergency alternative [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. In sharp contrast, another interpretation reads this call as pure mockery. The prophet cynically invites the people of Tyre to try and sail to Tarshish for commerce just as they did in the past. Because their escape routes are now completely blocked, their efforts will fail, leaving them with no choice but to cry out in despair [שד״ל].

This deep despair leads directly into a profound mourning over the destruction. The primary approach among commentators is that the surrounding island nations are the ones commanded to wail. They must mourn the loss of their central trading partner, as they now have nowhere left to conduct their business [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא]. Yet, some identify these mourners more specifically as the people of Sidon. They are now told to cry out over the fall of Tyre, a stark shift from an earlier command instructing them to remain silent during this crisis [מלבי״ם]. Finally, following the perspective of mockery, the call to wail is directed back at the people of Tyre themselves. Left isolated on their island, they are forced to weep over their own absolute helplessness, entirely unable to escape or return to their former lives of prosperous trade [שד״ל].