Zechariah 9:3 (LSB)

Passage

So Tyre built herself a tight fortification And tied up silver like dust And fine gold like the mire of the streets.

Nearby Context

Zechariah 9:1 The oracle of the word of Yahweh is against the land of Hadrach, with Damascus as its resting place (for the eyes of men, especially of all the tribes of Israel, are toward Yahweh),

Zechariah 9:2 And Hamath also, which borders on it; And Tyre and Sidon, because they are very wise.

Zechariah 9:3 So Tyre built herself a tight fortification And tied up silver like dust And fine gold like the mire of the streets.

Zechariah 9:4 Behold, the Lord will dispossess her And strike her wealth down into the sea; And she will be consumed with fire.

Zechariah 9:5 Ashkelon will see it and be afraid. Gaza too will writhe in great pain; Also Ekron, for her hope has been put to shame. Moreover, the king will perish from Gaza, And Ashkelon will not be inhabited.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "tyre", "built", "herself", "tight", "fortification", "tied", "silver", and "like". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "tyre" and "built", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "And Hamath also which borders on it..." into verse 4's "Behold the Lord will dispossess her And...", so "tyre" and "built" belong inside that flow. In Zechariah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "tyre" and "built" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.