Zechariah 9:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This means that upon their desolation—whether at the hands of the Israelites or under the conquest of Vespasian and Titus—they would be subject to God's sovereignty. It was God who permitted their downfall and delivered them to their conquerors. The Romans, who subdued the entire world, tended to favor those who submitted willingly, while they were unyielding against those who resisted. Thus, it is declared that the city shall perish after its strong defenses are cast into the sea, and its riches plundered. Even though its gold might seem as light as ‘feathers’ and its silver as insignificant as ‘the shaving of the ways,’ the citizens of Tyre were adept and profitable sea traders, a theme extensively covered in the writings of Ezekiel.

Therefore, it avails nothing for those who mock God and deride His saints, as they find themselves afflicted, nor does it benefit those who disregard divine authority, as their confidence will be met with God’s judgment. Every means of shelter and wealth will ultimately prove ineffective, inciting only the desires of those accustomed to devastation. Even today, many in Hellenic society esteem earthly wisdom and protect their illusions as if they were fortified within walls, seduced by cunning arguments and oratorical prowess, adorned with eloquence that shines like silver and profound ideas that glitter like gold. Nevertheless, Christ has reclaimed them; for He has demolished their fortifications—what they relied on in falsehood—and taken away their wealth. Those who once held esteemed positions in the churches, renowned for their eloquence, had misappropriated this gift, offering it as a sacred tribute to God while advocating for the faith through an eloquent but erroneous narrative. This mirrors the actions of the Israelites, who, after borrowing gold and silver from the Egyptians, returned to offer these treasures to the holy God in the wilderness during the establishment of the sacred tabernacle.

Thus, those who construct the Church using worldly wisdom and eloquence plunder the offspring of the Hellenes, enriching themselves with gold and silver concerning what is essential and proper, making it part of God's inheritance. They declare what glorifies Him, dismantling the strongholds of the Hellenes while spiritually erecting the holy city, the Church.

Emath signifies indignation, and it was once named Epiphanius, a title given during the rule of Antiochus Epiphanes, now recognized as a city of Coelesyria. Moreover, both this city and Tyre and Sidon will fall within the realm of Damascus or the territory of Adrach, believing in the Lord and Savior, of whom the Father has declared, "Ask of Me, and I will give Thee nations for Thy inheritance, and for Thy dominion the bounds of the earth" (Psalms 2:8). The daughters of Tyre, representing the souls of believers in Christ, are destined to bring gifts to the King, fulfilling the prophecy: "The daughters of Tyre shall honor Him with gifts" (Psalm 44:13). When the glorious city of God, the Church, is proclaimed by the psalmist, ‘Glorious things are said of thee, O city of God’ (Psalms 86:3), the following declaration will confirm this: ‘Behold the foreigners, and Tyre, and the people of Ethiopia, they are born there’ (Psalms 86:4). Foreigners are mentioned in two psalms, indicating their service or subjugation to God. Concerning the Ethiopians, the prophet Zephaniah states: "By the rivers of Ethiopia, they shall bring gifts to me from thence" (Sophonias 3:10), and the psalm notes, "Ethiopia shall wipe her hands to God" (Psalm 67:32).

In the Gospel, it is recorded with a warning: "Woe unto thee, Chorozaim, woe unto thee, Bethsaida: for if Tyre and Sidon had witnessed the miraculous works you have seen, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes" (Matt. 11:21). From the daughters of Tyre and Sidon came the Syrophoenician woman, whose daughter was possessed by a demon (Mk. 7:25-30). This encounter marked the expression of the faith from Tyrians and Sidonians; although they had not believed in Jesus Christ at that moment due to a lack of miraculous signs, they eventually saw the works of the apostles and embraced faith, thus inheriting the bliss that the Lord promised when He said, "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed" (John 20:29).

Tyre and Sidon—where one name means "contraction" and the other "hunt"—have sought knowledge so fervently that they utilized their intricate subtleties and dialectical strategies. These strategies, which Tyre presented as riddles to Solomon—the king of the world—allowed them to convert the dust found in roads into silver and gold, symbolizing eloquence and intellect, respectively. They fortified a kingdom of idolatry through wisdom. In contrast, the apostle asserts, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God" (2 Cor. 10:4-5).

The prophetic words against the world are illustrated through Nineveh, which means beautiful, for the world holds no greater beauty. The warning is clear: "You shall be intoxicated and despised, seeking help from your adversary; all your strongholds will resemble fruit-laden fig trees: if trodden down, they will fall into the mouth of the eater." Thus, the Lord will acquire Tyre and Sidon, first dismantling their power on the tumultuous seas of this age, purifying them entirely through fire. As the Savior proclaimed: "I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" (Luke 12:49), which aligns with the Gospel of Mark's statement: "Everyone shall be salted with fire" (Mark 9:49).