Zechariah 9:4

Behold, the Lord will cast her out, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire.

Behold, the Lord {H136} will cast her out {H3423}, and he will smite {H5221} her power {H2428} in the sea {H3220}; and she shall be devoured {H398} with fire {H784}.

But Adonai will dispossess her and break her power at sea, while the city itself will be destroyed by fire.

Behold, the Lord will impoverish herand cast her wealth into the sea,and she will be consumed by fire.

Behold, the Lord will dispossess her, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire.

Commentary

Zechariah 9:4 is part of a prophetic oracle delivered by the prophet Zechariah, focusing on God's judgment against the nations surrounding Israel. This particular verse targets the powerful and wealthy Phoenician city of Tyre, foretelling its complete downfall.

Context

The book of Zechariah, written after the Babylonian exile, often blends immediate historical circumstances with future messianic prophecies. Chapter 9 begins a section of prophecies concerning God's judgment on various cities and nations in the region, including Damascus, Hamath, Sidon, and Philistine cities, before turning to Tyre. Tyre was a renowned maritime trading city, famous for its fortifications and immense wealth, as highlighted in Zechariah 9:3. The prophecy here vividly describes God's direct intervention to dismantle Tyre's power. Historically, many scholars point to the siege and destruction of Tyre by Alexander the Great in 332 BC as a remarkable fulfillment of this prophecy. Alexander famously built a causeway from the mainland to the island city, effectively "smiting her power in the sea" and leading to its utter destruction by fire.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment and Sovereignty: The verse powerfully asserts God's absolute authority over all nations and empires. Even a city as seemingly impregnable and self-sufficient as Tyre is subject to His divine decree and righteous judgment. This demonstrates God's control over human history and His ability to bring about His will, echoing the broader biblical truth that God sets up kings and removes them.
  • Consequences of Pride and Materialism: Tyre's downfall serves as a stark warning against placing ultimate trust in wealth, fortifications, and worldly power. Its pride, self-reliance, and commercial prowess, often described in prophecies like Ezekiel 28, ultimately led to its ruin. The verse highlights that no amount of material security can stand against divine justice.
  • Fulfillment of Prophecy: Zechariah's precise prediction of Tyre's destruction, including its maritime power being "smitten in the sea" and its consumption by fire, underscores the reliability and accuracy of God's prophetic word. Such detailed fulfillments strengthen faith in the Bible's divine inspiration and God's unwavering faithfulness to His promises and warnings.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "smite her power in the sea" is particularly evocative. The Hebrew verb for "smite" (ื ึธื›ึธื”, nakah) often implies a decisive, often violent, blow or striking down, emphasizing the completeness of the judgment. For a city built on maritime trade and naval strength, having its power "in the sea" smitten was a direct assault on its very essence. The phrase "devoured with fire" (ื‘ึธึผืึตืฉื ืชึนึผืื›ึทืœ, ba'esh to'khal) signifies utter and consuming destruction, leaving nothing behind.

Practical Application

Zechariah 9:4 offers timeless lessons for believers today. It reminds us that no earthly power, wealth, or security is ultimate. We are challenged to examine where our trust truly lies. Are we relying on our own resources, achievements, or material possessions, or are we placing our faith in the sovereign God who governs all things? The verse encourages humility and a recognition that true security is found only in Him, not in the fleeting powers of this world. It also reassures us that God's justice will ultimately prevail, and His word will always be fulfilled, offering comfort and hope in a world often marked by injustice and instability.

Note: If the commentary doesnโ€™t appear instantly, please allow 2โ€“5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash 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 โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Ezekiel 28:18

    Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

  • Ezekiel 26:17

    And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, [that wast] inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, which cause their terror [to be] on all that haunt it!

  • Joel 3:8

    And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the LORD hath spoken [it].

  • Amos 1:10

    But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof.

  • Ezekiel 28:16

    By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

  • Isaiah 23:1

    ยถ The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.

  • Isaiah 23:7

    [Is] this your joyous [city], whose antiquity [is] of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.
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