And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire 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.
- BSB Tyre has built herself a fortress; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt 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 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 27:16Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay;
- Ezek 28:4–5With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures:
- Josh 19:29And 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:
- 2 Sam 24:7And 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.
- Isa 23:8Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?
- Job 22:24Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
- 1 Kgs 10:27And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.
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.