Zephaniah 2:13

Zephaniah 2:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.
• New International Version (NIV)He will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, leaving Nineveh utterly desolate and dry as the desert.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And He will stretch out His hand against the north, Destroy Assyria, And make Nineveh a desolation, As dry as the wilderness.
• New Living Translation (NLT)And the Lord will strike the lands of the north with his fist, destroying the land of Assyria. He will make its great capital, Nineveh, a desolate wasteland, parched like a desert.

Context of Zephaniah 2:13

11The Lord will be awesome against them; for he will famish all the gods of the earth, and to him shall bow down, each in its place, all the lands of the nations. 12You also, O Cushites, shall be slain by my sword. And he will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, and he will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry waste like the desert. 14Herds shall lie down in her midst, all kinds of beasts; even the owl and the hedgehog shall lodge in her capitals; a voice shall hoot in the window; devastation will be on the threshold; for her cedar work will be laid bare. 15This is the exultant city that lived securely, that said in her heart, "I am, and there is no one else." What a desolation she has become, a lair for wild beasts! Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.

Zephaniah 2:13 word by word

וְיֵ֤ט יָדוֹ֙ עַל־צָפ֔וֹן וִֽיאַבֵּ֖ד אֶת־אַשּׁ֑וּר וְיָשֵׂ֤ם אֶת־נִֽינְוֵה֙ לִשְׁמָמָ֔ה צִיָּ֖ה כַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he will stretch outנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
• his handיָדyâd · handH3027
• against the northצָפוֹןtsâphôn tsâphôn · northH6828
• and destroyאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
• Assyriaאַשּׁוּר'ashshûr 'ashshûr · AssyriaH804
• and will makeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• Ninevehנִינְוֵהnîynevêh · NinevehH5210
• a desolationשְׁמָמָהshemâmâh shimâmâh · devastationH8077
• dryצִיָּהtsîyâh · drynessH6723
• like a wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057

Cross-references for Zephaniah 2:13

• Psalms 83:8Asshur also has joined them; they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah
• Isaiah 10:12When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes.
• Isaiah 11:11In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.
• Ezekiel 31:3Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and forest shade, and of towering height, its top among the clouds.
• Nahum 1:1An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.
• Nahum 2:10Desolate! Desolation and ruin! Hearts melt and knees tremble; anguish is in all loins; all faces grow pale!
• Nahum 3:7And all who look at you will shrink from you and say, "Wasted is Nineveh; who will grieve for her?" Where shall I seek comforters for you?
• Zechariah 10:10I will bring them home from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria, and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon, till there is no room for them.

Commentaries on Zephaniah 2:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13He will - destroy Assyria - He will overthrow the empire, and Nineveh, their metropolitan city. See on Jonah and Nahum.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. 13Zephaniah shifts focus from the south (Zephaniah 2:12) to the north. Like Nahum before him, he predicts the downfall of Assyria that would happen soon.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. Here he passes suddenly to the north. Nineveh was destroyed by Cyaxares and Nabopolassar, 625 B.C. The Scythian hordes, by an inroad into Media and thence in the southwest of Asia (thought by many to be the forces described by Zephaniah, as the invaders of Judea, rather than the Chaldeans), for a while interrupted Cyaxares' operations; but he finally succeeded. Arbaces and Belesis previously subverted the Assyrian empire under Sardanapalus (that is…Read the comment

Topics related to Zephaniah 2:13

• Assyria
• Nineveh

In the dictionaries

• Assyria
• Nineveh
• Assyria, Assyrian, Assyrian Empire
• Nineveh, Ninevite
• Cottage
• Nahum, Book of
• Thereupon
• Judah, Kingdom of
• North; North Country
• Zephaniah, Book of

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