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Zechariah 9:3

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And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets.

And Tyrus {H6865} did build {H1129} herself a strong hold {H4692}, and heaped up {H6651} silver {H3701} as the dust {H6083}, and fine gold {H2742} as the mire {H2916} of the streets {H2351}.

Tzor built herself a fortified tower, heaping up silver as if it were dust and fine gold as if it were mud in the streets.

Tyre has built herself a fortress;she has heaped up silver like dust,and gold like the dirt of the streets.

And Tyre did build herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets.

Commentary

Zechariah 9:3 describes the city of Tyrus (Tyre), a prominent Phoenician city-state, highlighting its immense wealth and formidable defenses just before a prophecy of its downfall. This verse sets the stage for understanding the divine judgment that awaits those who place their ultimate trust in material possessions and human strength rather than in God.

Historical and Cultural Context

Tyre was an ancient, powerful city located on the Mediterranean coast, renowned for its maritime trade routes and commercial prowess. It was effectively a double city: an old city on the mainland and a new, fortified island city. Its inhabitants were known for their shipbuilding, craftsmanship, and vast accumulation of riches. The phrase "strong hold" (Hebrew: mibtṣār) underscores its reputation for being impregnable, having famously resisted sieges for extended periods. This verse, therefore, paints a picture of a city at the zenith of its perceived power and prosperity, trusting in its own might and abundance.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Material Security vs. Divine Sovereignty: The verse vividly portrays Tyre's confidence in its physical fortifications and overwhelming wealth. However, this human-made security is implicitly contrasted with God's ultimate power and sovereignty, which can dismantle even the strongest human constructs.
  • Pride and Self-Reliance: Tyre's "heaping up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets" is not just a statement of fact but also implies a spiritual arrogance—a belief that its riches and defenses made it untouchable. This pride often precedes a fall, a common biblical theme.
  • Foreshadowing of Judgment: This description of Tyre's wealth and strength directly precedes the prophetic judgment against it in Zechariah 9:4. It underscores that no amount of earthly treasure or military might can withstand God's righteous decree. The eventual destruction of Tyre by Alexander the Great, which involved building a causeway to the island city, is often seen as a historical fulfillment of such prophecies, including those found in Ezekiel 26.

Linguistic Insights

The hyperbolic language used, "heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets," emphasizes the sheer volume of Tyre's wealth. It suggests that their gold and silver were so abundant they were treated with the same casualness as common dirt, highlighting both their opulence and perhaps their spiritual blindness to the true value of things. This imagery powerfully conveys an almost inconceivable level of prosperity, which ironically would not save them.

Practical Application

For believers today, Zechariah 9:3 serves as a timeless warning against placing ultimate trust in worldly possessions, financial security, or personal achievements. While prudence and hard work are commendable, this verse reminds us that true security and lasting value are found only in God. It encourages a reflection on where our ultimate confidence lies:

  • Do we rely on our material abundance or our perceived strength?
  • Are we accumulating wealth for its own sake, or are we seeking to honor God with our resources?

Ultimately, the passage calls us to remember that earthly treasures are fleeting, as highlighted in Proverbs 11:4, and that our hearts should be set on eternal riches and a relationship with the sovereign God.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash (May 20, 2025) using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Ezekiel 28:4 (4 votes)

    With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures:

  • Ezekiel 28:5 (4 votes)

    By thy great wisdom [and] by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches:

  • Ezekiel 27:33 (4 votes)

    When thy wares went forth out of the seas, thou filledst many people; thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy merchandise.

  • Job 27:16 (4 votes)

    Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay;

  • 2 Samuel 24:7 (3 votes)

    And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, [even] to Beersheba.

  • Joshua 19:29 (3 votes)

    And [then] the coast turneth to Ramah, and to the strong city Tyre; and the coast turneth to Hosah; and the outgoings thereof are at the sea from the coast to Achzib:

  • Job 22:24 (2 votes)

    Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the [gold] of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.