Bible Strands
Zechariah 9:3
Tyre has built herself a fortress; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The prophet delivers an oracle against Tyre within a sequence of judgments on neighboring nations, positioned between a warning to Hamath and a declaration of impending divine impoverishment.
The words — The verbs וַ/תִּ֥בֶן (va./Ti.ven, "built") and וַ/תִּצְבָּר\־ (va./titz.bor-, "heaped up") describe Tyre’s construction of a fortress and accumulation of silver like dust (עָפָר) and gold like mud (טִיט).
The thread — Hoarding silver like dust parallels Job 27:16, the fortified city reference aligns with Joshua 19:29, and the wealth-enriching trade motif corresponds to Ezekiel 27:33.
Why it lands — The text records Tyre’s self-reliant fortification and wealth accumulation, demanding acknowledgment that such earthly security stands under direct divine reversal.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets.
Cross-references
- Joshua 19:29 The border then turned back toward Ramah as far as the fortified city of Tyre, turned toward Hosah, and came out at the Sea in the region of Achzib,
- Job 27:16 Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up a wardrobe like clay,
- Ezekiel 27:33 When your wares went out to sea, you satisfied many nations. You enriched the kings of the earth with your abundant wealth and merchandise.
- Ezekiel 28:4 By your wisdom and understanding you have gained your wealth and amassed gold and silver for your treasuries.
- 2 Samuel 24:7 They went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to the Negev of Judah, to Beersheba.
- Isaiah 23:8 Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose traders are princes, whose merchants are renowned on the earth?
- 1 Kings 10:27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.
- Job 22:24 and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines,