What is the meaning of Zechariah 9:2? And also against Hamath “and also against Hamath” (Zechariah 9:2a) • The same “word of the LORD” that rested on Damascus (v. 1) now moves north to Hamath, a chief Syrian city (2 Kings 18:34). • God’s reach goes beyond Israel’s borders, fulfilling passages such as Psalm 24:1—“The earth is the LORD’s.” • Previous prophets had already warned Hamath (Jeremiah 49:23; Amos 6:2), confirming a consistent divine stance against nations that exalt themselves. Which borders it “which borders it” (Zechariah 9:2b) • Hamath’s proximity to Damascus reminds us that judgment can spill across political lines. • What looks like a local word quickly reveals a regional sweep (see Isaiah 8:8, “It will overflow its banks, spreading into Judah”). • God notices how neighboring cultures influence one another, for good or ill (Proverbs 13:20). As well as Tyre and Sidon “as well as Tyre and Sidon” (Zechariah 9:2c) • The focus shifts west to the Phoenician coast—wealthy, fortified, and commercially dominant (Ezekiel 27:3). • Past warnings—Isa 23; Ezekiel 26–28; Joel 3:4—tie these cities to pride, exploitation, and idolatry. • Historically, Alexander the Great’s 332 BC siege of Tyre illustrates the verse’s fulfillment and the accuracy of prophecy. Though they are very shrewd “though they are very shrewd” (Zechariah 9:2d) • Human wisdom, strategy, and commerce cannot outmaneuver God (1 Corinthians 1:19; Job 5:13). • Tyre’s defenses included a half-mile-long island fortress, yet it fell; worldly cleverness has limits (Proverbs 21:30). • The phrase reinforces Psalm 2:1–4—nations may plot, but the LORD still rules. summary Zechariah 9:2 sweeps from Hamath to Tyre and Sidon, showing that no city—however strategic, well-bordered, or shrewd—can escape God’s authoritative word. The verse warns against misplaced confidence, confirms earlier prophetic patterns, and demonstrates that divine oversight extends to every nation, rooting our trust not in human ingenuity but in the sovereign LORD who fulfills His promises. |
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