Zechariah 9:4

cast her out Or, dispossess her, R. V. Lit. take possession of her, i.e. by ejecting her and coming into her place. Comp. Exodus 34:24. Ewald renders less satisfactorily will impoverish her.

her power in the sea The order of the Hebrew words is, shall smite in the sea her power; where "power" does not mean only, though it may possibly include, her bastions and fortifications (Psalms 48:14; Psalms 122:7), but is to be taken in its widest sense. "The scene of her pride was to be that of her overthrow; the waves which girt her round should bury her ruins and wash over her site. Even in the seathe hand of God should find her and smiteher in itand into it, and so that she should abide in it." Pusey.

devoured with fire "Proudly confident in the strength of their island fortress, the Tyrians mocked the attempts of Alexander to reduce their city. Every engine of war suited for defence had been stored up in their bulwarks, and every device which their skilful engineers could suggest was had recourse to, and for a time with marked success. -Ye despise this land army through confidence in the place that ye dwell in as an island, but I will show you that ye dwell on a continent," was the language of Alexander (Q. Curtius, de reb. gest. Alex. Magn. iv. 2). The shallow channel between the mainland and the island was at last bridged over by a huge dam of earth erected after repeated failures, and the city which had stood a five years" siege from the Assyrians, a thirteen years" siege from the Chaldæans, was taken after a short siege of seven months by Alexander. Ten thousand of its brave defenders were either massacred or crucified" (2,000 were crucified, from 6,000 to 8,000 are said to have been massacred), "the rest were sold into slavery, none escaped save those who were concealed by the Sidonians in the ships. Q. Curtius adds distinctly (Zechariah 4:4) that -Alexander having slain all, save those who fled to the temples, ordered the houses to be set on fire." " Rev. C. H. H. Wright.