The Meaning of Zechariah 9:3 Explained

Zechariah 9:3

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.

YLT: And Tyre doth build a bulwark to herself, And doth heap silver as dust, And gold as mire of out-places.

Darby: And Tyre hath built herself a stronghold, and hath heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets.

ASV: And Tyre did build herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Tyrus  did build  herself a strong hold,  and heaped up  silver  as the dust,  and fine gold  as the mire  of the streets. 

What does Zechariah 9:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Zechariah 9:1-8 - The Nations Will Seek The God Of Israel
In his final answer the prophet gives a delightful picture of the future, which was on the eve of complete realization. So entirely would the memory of the past be obliterated that fateful anniversaries would soon fade from their minds. Indeed they would discover that their dark days had been the source and origin of their glad ones. In all subsequent ages, even when persecuting the Jews, the foremost nations have taken hold of their skirts, appropriating their sacred writings, venerating their lawgivers, prophets, and saints; and believing in the noblest representative of their race.
The prophet passes his eye over the surrounding nations, showing that his people need fear no more, because their oppressors had been effectually silenced. [source]

Chapter Summary: Zechariah 9

1  God defends his church
9  Zion is exhorted to rejoice for the coming of Christ, and his peaceable kingdom
12  God's promises of victory and defense

What do the individual words in Zechariah 9:3 mean?

For built Tyre a tower herself and Heaped up silver like the dust and gold like the mire of the streets
וַתִּ֥בֶן צֹ֛ר מָצ֖וֹר לָ֑הּ וַתִּצְבָּר־ כֶּ֙סֶף֙ כֶּֽעָפָ֔ר וְחָר֖וּץ כְּטִ֥יט חוּצֽוֹת

וַתִּ֥בֶן  For  built 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
צֹ֛ר  Tyre 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צֹור 
Sense: the Phoenician city on the Mediterranean coast.
מָצ֖וֹר  a  tower 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָצֹור 
Sense: siege-enclosure, siege, entrenchment, siege works.
לָ֑הּ  herself 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
וַתִּצְבָּר־  and  Heaped  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: צָבַר  
Sense: (Qal) to heap up, pile up.
כֶּ֙סֶף֙  silver 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
כֶּֽעָפָ֔ר  like  the  dust 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָפָר  
Sense: dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish.
וְחָר֖וּץ  and  gold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָרוּץ 
Sense: sharp-pointed, sharp, diligent.
כְּטִ֥יט  like  the  mire 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: טִיט  
Sense: mud, clay, mire, damp dirt.
חוּצֽוֹת  of  the  streets 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: חוּץ  
Sense: outside, outward, street, the outside.