Tyre has built herself a fortress; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets.
Parallel translations
- WEB Tyre built herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver like the dust, and fine gold like the mire of the streets.
- KJV And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets.
- NKJV For Tyre built herself a tower, Heaped up silver like the dust, And gold like the mire of the streets.
- NASB For Tyre built herself a fortress, And piled up silver like dust, And gold like the mud of the streets.
- NLT Tyre has built a strong fortress and has made silver and gold as plentiful as dust in the streets!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Tyre fortified herself and amassed silver and gold like dust. Her great wealth and defenses bred a pride that invited judgment.
Overview
Tyre's island stronghold and immense riches made her seem invincible to human eyes. The piling up of precious metals 'like the dust' pictures staggering, self-trusting wealth. Such confidence in riches and might, rather than in God, sets up the swift downfall announced in the next verse (cf. Proverbs 18:11).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Ezek 27:33When your wares went out to sea, you satisfied many nations. You enriched the kings of the earth with your abundant wealth and merchandise.
- Job 27:16Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up a wardrobe like clay,
- Ezek 28:4–5By your wisdom and understanding you have gained your wealth and amassed gold and silver for your treasuries.
- Josh 19:29The 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,
- 2 Sam 24:7They 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.
- Isa 23:8Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose traders are princes, whose merchants are renowned on the earth?
- Job 22:24and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines,
- 1 Kgs 10:27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Branch who is both priest and king, the shepherd struck and the flock scattered, the king coming humble on a donkey, the one they pierced, the fountain opened for sin — Zechariah is dense with Christ.
How Zechariah 9:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.