Christian Standard Bible
Zephaniah 2:9
9Therefore, as I live — this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel — Moab will be like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah: a place overgrown with weeds, a salt pit, and a perpetual wasteland. The remnant of my people will plunder them; the remainder of my nation will dispossess them.
Zephaniah 2:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.
- New International Version (NIV)Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will become like Sodom, the Ammonites like Gomorrah— a place of weeds and salt pits, a wasteland forever. The remnant of my people will plunder them; the survivors of my nation will inherit their land.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore, as I live," declares the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, "Moab shall become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land possessed by nettles and salt pits, and a waste forever. The remnant of my people shall plunder them, and the survivors of my nation shall possess them."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore, as I live,” Says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Surely Moab shall be like Sodom, And the people of Ammon like Gomorrah— Overrun with weeds and saltpits, And a perpetual desolation. The residue of My people shall plunder them, And the remnant of My people shall possess them.”
Context of Zephaniah 2:9
7The coastland will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah; they will find pasture there. They will lie down in the evening among the houses of Ashkelon, for the Lord their God will return to them and restore their fortunes. 8I have heard the taunting of Moab and the insults of the Ammonites, who have taunted my people and threatened their territory. Therefore, as I live — this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel — Moab will be like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah: a place overgrown with weeds, a salt pit, and a perpetual wasteland. The remnant of my people will plunder them; the remainder of my nation will dispossess them. 10This is what they get for their pride, because they have taunted and acted arrogantly against the people of the Lord of Armies. 11The Lord will be terrifying to them when he starves all the gods of the earth. Then all the distant coasts and islands of the nations will bow in worship to him, each in its own place.
Read all of Zephaniah 2Zephaniah 2:9 word by word
לָכֵ֣ן חַי־אָ֡נִי נְאֻם֩ יְהוָ֨ה צְבָא֜וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כִּֽי־מוֹאָ֞ב כִּסְדֹ֤ם תִּֽהְיֶה֙ וּבְנֵ֤י עַמּוֹן֙ כַּֽעֲמֹרָ֔ה מִמְשַׁ֥ק חָר֛וּל וּמִכְרֵה־מֶ֥לַח וּשְׁמָמָ֖ה עַד־עוֹלָ֑ם שְׁאֵרִ֤ית עַמִּי֙ יְבָזּ֔וּם וְיֶ֥תֶר גּוֹיִ֖י יִנְחָלֽוּם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- I liveחַיchay · aliveH2416
- saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- the Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- Surely Moabמוֹאָבmô'âb · MoabH4124
- shall be as Sodomסְדֹםsedôm · SodomH5467
- and the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Ammonעַמּוֹן‛ammôn · AmmonH5983
- as Gomorrahעֲמֹרָה‛ămôrâh · GomorrahH6017
- the breedingמִמְשָׁקmimshâq · possessionH4476
- of nettlesחָרוּלchârûl chârûl · nettleH2738
- and saltpitsמֶ֫לַחmelach · saltH4417
- and saltpitsמִכְרֶהmikreh · pitH4379
- and a perpetualעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: enduringH5769
- and a perpetualעַד‛ad · tillH5704
- desolationשְׁמָמָהshemâmâh shimâmâh · devastationH8077
- the residueשְׁאֵרִיתshe'êrîyth · remnantH7611
- of my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- shall spoilבָּזַזbâzaz · to plunderH962
- them, and the remnantיֶ֫תֶרyether · remainderH3499
- of my peopleגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- shall possessנָחַלnâchal · to inheritH5157
Cross-references for Zephaniah 2:9
- Numbers 14:21Yet as I live and as the whole earth is filled with the Lord’s glory,
- Isaiah 49:18Look up, and look around. They all gather together; they come to you. As I live” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “you will wear all your children as jewelry, and put them on as a bride does.
- Jeremiah 46:18As I live — this is the King’s declaration; the Lord of Armies is his name — the king of Babylon will come like Tabor among the mountains and like Carmel by the sea.
- Romans 14:11For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.
- Isaiah 11:14But they will swoop down on the Philistine flank to the west. Together they will plunder the people of the east. They will extend their power over Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be their subjects.
- Isaiah 15:1A pronouncement concerning Moab: Ar in Moab is devastated, destroyed in a night. Kir in Moab is devastated, destroyed in a night.
- Isaiah 25:10For the Lord’s power will rest on this mountain. But Moab will be trampled in his place as straw is trampled in a dung pile.
- Jeremiah 48:1About Moab, this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Woe to Nebo, because it is about to be destroyed; Kiriathaim will be put to shame; it will be taken captive. The fortress will be put to shame and dismayed!
- Ezekiel 25:1Then the word of the Lord came to me:
- Amos 1:13The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing the Ammonites for three crimes, even four, because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their territory.
- Amos 2:1The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Moab for three crimes, even four, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.
- Zephaniah 2:14Herds will lie down in the middle of it, every kind of wild animal. Both eagle owls and herons will roost in the capitals of its pillars. Their calls will sound from the window, but devastation will be on the threshold, for he will expose the cedar work.
- Genesis 19:24Then out of the sky the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah burning sulfur from the Lord.
- Deuteronomy 29:23All its soil will be a burning waste of sulfur and salt, unsown, producing nothing, with no plant growing on it, just like the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord demolished in his fierce anger.
- Isaiah 13:19And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.
- Isaiah 34:9Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch, her soil into sulfur; her land will become burning pitch.
Commentaries on Zephaniah 2:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9The breeding of nettles - That is, their land shall become desolate, and be a place for nettles, thorns, etc., to flourish in, for want of cultivation.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts - Life especially belongs to God, since He Alone is Underived Life. “He hath life in Himself” John 5:26. He is entitled “the living God,” as here, in tacit contrast with the dead idols of the Philistines 1 Samuel 17:26, 1 Samuel 17:36, with idols generally Jeremiah 10:10; or against the blasphemies of Sennacherib 2 Kings 19:4, 2 Kings 19:16, the mockeries of scoffers Jeremiah 23:36, of the awe of His presence…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-15Verses 4-15 Those are really in a woful condition who have the word of the Lord against them, for no word of his shall fall to the ground. God will restore his people to their rights, though long kept from them. It has been the common lot of God's people, in all ages, to be reproached and reviled. God shall be worshipped, not only by all Israel, and the strangers who join them, but by the heathen. Remote nations must be reckoned with for the wrongs done…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah shows God's severe judgment of sin. This is evident in both the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 29:23; Isaiah 1:9; Jeremiah 23:14; Amos 4:11) and the New Testament (Luke 10:12; Romans 9:29; 2 Peter 2:6). salt pits: These are areas of ruin (Deuteronomy 29:23; Psalm 107:34; Jeremiah 17:6). Sowing the earth with salt was a sign of permanent judgment (see Judges 9:45) because it made the ground infertile.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. the breeding of nettles--or, the overspreading of nettles, that is, a place overrun with them. salt pits--found at the south of the Dead Sea. The water overflows in the spring, and salt is left by the evaporation. Salt land is barren (Jud 9:45; Psa 107:34, Margin). possess them--that is, their land; in retribution for their having occupied Judah's land.Read the comment
Topics related to Zephaniah 2:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Zephaniah 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Christian Standard Bible — © 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Commentaries