Proper Translation of Isaiah 2:16?

Isaiah 2:16 from the KJV --

And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.​

What evidence can be provided to support the translation of "pictures" in this verse?

The word translated "pictures" appears only this once in the entire Bible and is the Hebrew word sekiyah (Strong's #07914) which has a very dubious meaning of perhaps an image, a ship, or craft. It is from the root word Sekuw (Strong's #07906) from an unused root apparently meaning to surmount (also occurs only once in the OT, and is transliterated in the KJV as "Sechu" (equivalent of 'the watch-tower', evidently a place near Ramah with a great well).

In context, the passage is about the pride and loftiness of humanity. Notice in particular the paralellism in the immediate verses preceding (Isaiah 2: 12-16)--

For the day of the LORD of hosts [shall be] upon every [one that is] proud and lofty, and upon every [one that is] lifted up; and he shall be brought low:
And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, [that are] high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,
And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills [that are] lifted up,
And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall,
And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.​

Starting in verse 13 there are four dual examples of proud and lofty things: two trees (cedars and oaks), two land formations (mountains and hills), two fortifiied contructions (towers and walls); but then two disparate items: ships and pictures.

The witness of the Septuagint (compiled from Brenton's 1851 Translation) is --

and upon every ship of the sea, and upon every display of fine ships.​

The word translated "ships" in this Septuagint rendering is the same (first singular, then plural) Greek word ploion (Strong's #4143) which does mean boat, a ship, or water vessel. A literal construction of the Septuagint (Apostle's Bible) has --

and upon every boat of [the] sea, and upon every spectacle of boats of beauty.​

Most modern versions complete the parallelism in verse 16 with "boats" or some similar reference to water craft (NKJV, NLT, NASB, NIV, ESV). The ASV somewhat uniquely has --

and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant imagery.​

and along with Darby (below) could be construed as a description of attractively handcrafted ships? --

and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant works of art​

What was meant by "pictures" by the revisors of the Bishop's Bible in 1611?
Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines the word thus--

PIC'TURE, n. [L. pictura, from pingo, to paint.]

1. A painting exhibiting the resemblance of any thing; a likeness drawn in colors.
Pictures and shapes are but secondary objects.
2. The words of painters; painting.
Quintilian, when he saw any well expressed image of grief, either in picture or sculpture, would usually weep.
3. Any resemblance or representation, either to the eye or to the understanding. Thus we say, a child is the picture of his father; the poet has drawn an exquisite picture of grief.​

Would the Hebrew poet have written a word meaning "pictures"? What might "pictures" have meant to the ancient Hebrew readers?

 

So it seems we recognize the poetic paralellism. There is more of it earlier in this same chapter: in verse 4 "and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks"; in verse 7 their land is described as "full of silver and gold" and the near synonym of "treasures", and "horses" are closely balanced with "chariots". But the KJV rendering of "pictures" in verse 16 is not a clear parallel with "ship".

I have not been able to locate information that collaborates this description of Tarshish ships. What are your sources?

 

The verse under discussion is from the second chapter of Isaiah. The book of Isaiah states at its beginning which kings are involved (no Solomon listed in 1:1) --

The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah.​

Those kings came much later. Anyway, Chapter 2 specifically is a future prophecy (notice reference to "last days" in 2:1-2) --

The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
And it shall come to pass in the last days, [that] the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.​

Where does it state in the scriptures that these ships in verse 16 belong to King Solomon?

Me too. Lots of 'stuff', but I found nothing among the more promising 'hits' that were even remotely similar to the ships you described.

So, you don't have any objective evidence that can be verified?

 

It is a common practice among mendacious people to attempt to obscure the implausiblity of their assertions by being loud.

 

The OP asked: What evidence can be provided to support the translation of "pictures" in this verse? --

And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures. (Isaiah 2:16, KJV)​

Salamander wrote --

I agree with his above statement, but I have not been convinced that the English word "pictures" satisfies the requirement of being "related", particularly when viewed beside the other parallelisms. Here are the actual pairs used in this portion of Isaiah 2 (KJV) --

swords, spears
plowshares, pruninghooks
silver & gold, treasures
horses, chariots
cedars, oaks
mountains, hills
tower, wall
ships, pictures​

"Ships" and "pictures" certainly stands as the least related pair. Salamander under this topic has referred to "pictures" with the following words or phrases --

the ideals found only in picturesque images of beauty and comeliness
not... a casual daydream
dreams
the sailor's mindset
imaginations and rememberences of actual sights​

According to Sal's descriptions of the word, "pictures" is not a physical item outside the dreamer. But the only definition for "picture" from Webster's 1828 Dictionary that could potential fit this context is --

3. Any resemblance or representation, either to the eye or to the understanding.​

These examples then follow: "Thus we say, a child is the picture of his father; the poet has drawn an exquisite picture of grief."

A child is a physical human individual that can be touched, seen, heard, etc. then compared to another physical human individual (the father). A poem can be words either heard or read (seen) and conveys an emotional message that can be witnessed in other persons from their outward physical reactions. "Picture" means that the author/artist's representation must communicate to another hearer/viewers' mind. None of Salmander's "imaginations" or "dreams" are tactile, visual, or audible (occurring only vaguely within the dreamer's mind) and therefore are not legitimate descriptions by definition of what the word "picture" means.

So far no objective or verifiable evidence has been demonstrated that would support "pictures" as the best possible translation here.

 

Since the focus had been on "picture", there had been no discussion regarding the word "sea" in the Greek where the proper noun "Tarshish" stands in the Hebrew. But, if as Salamander suggests the key is the explanation of "the ships of Tarshish", it may be crucial to understanding how "picture" is a proper translation.

In Daniel 10:6 the Septuagint also reads "his mouth was like the sea" where the Hebrew has tarshiysh (Strong's #8658) which refers to a precious stone or gem (perhaps a chrysolite, yellow jasper, or other yellow coloured stone).
Additionally, the Aramaic Targum has for Isaiah 2:16 --

And upon all those who go down in ships of the sea, and upon all those that dwell in palaces of beauty​

David P. Wright wrote in an essay that the term "Tarshish" is translated as "sea" many times in the Targum. Instead of "Tarshish" it has "sea" (yamma, Ezekiel 27:12; Jonah 1:3 & 4:2). More importantly, in Isaiah "Tarshish" is rendered as "sea" at every occurrence. Clearly, the Targum is interpreting "Tarshish" as "sea."

Deacon had previously posted Miles Coverdale Bible (1535) --

vpon all shippes of the see, and vpon euery thinge yt is glorious and pleasaunt to loke vpon.​

John Wesley comments on Isaiah 2:16 in his Explanatory Notes Upon the Old Testament (1765)

V. 16 Tarshish—The ships of the sea, as that word is used, Psal. xlviii. 7. whereby you fetched riches from the remote parts of the world.​

William Lowth's Commentary Upon the Old and New Testaments: The Prophets (1727)--

... 'ships of Tarshish' signify in Scripture any trading or merchant ships. Accordingly, here the Septuagint render the words, 'ships of the sea,' as our old English translation does, Psal. xlviii 6.​

Here "our old English translation" appears to refer to the Coverdale Bible. The phrase "ships of the sea" was not obscure, but was rather relatively well known. "Ships of tarshish" (or sea) merely disguishes these merchant vessels from smaller boats, nothing more.