God’s Word Translation
Zephaniah 2:9
9Therefore, I solemnly swear, as I live,” declares the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, “Moab will become like Sodom, and Ammon will become like Gomorrah: a place of weeds, salt pits, and ruins forever. The faithful few of my people will loot them, and those who are left in my nation will take possession of 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 coast will belong to the faithful few from the nation of Judah. There they will graze their sheep. In the evening they will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon. The Lord their God will take care of them and will restore their fortunes. 8“I have heard the insults from Moab and the mockery from Ammon. They insulted my people and bragged about their territory. Therefore, I solemnly swear, as I live,” declares the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, “Moab will become like Sodom, and Ammon will become like Gomorrah: a place of weeds, salt pits, and ruins forever. The faithful few of my people will loot them, and those who are left in my nation will take possession of them.” 10This is what they will get for their sinful pride, because they insulted the people who belong to the Lord of Armies and made themselves greater than them. 11The Lord will terrify them, because he will make all the gods of the earth waste away. So every person from every coast and nation will bow to him.
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 14:21But as I live and as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, I solemnly swear that
- Isaiah 49:18Look up, look around, and watch! All of your children are gathering together and returning to you. “I solemnly swear as I live,” declares the Lord, “you will wear all of them like jewels and display them on yourself as a bride would.”
- Jeremiah 46:18“As I live,” declares the king, whose name is the Lord of Armies, “someone who is like Mount Tabor among the mountains will come. Someone who is like Mount Carmel by the sea will come.
- Romans 14:11Scripture says, “As certainly as I live, says the Lord, everyone will worship me, and everyone will praise God.”
- Isaiah 11:14They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia in the west. Together they will loot the people of the east. They will conquer Edom and Moab. The people of Ammon will be subject to them.
- Isaiah 15:1This is the divine revelation about Moab. In a single night Ar in Moab is laid waste and destroyed! In a single night Kir in Moab is laid waste and destroyed!
- Isaiah 25:10The Lord’s power will be on this mountain. Moab will be trampled beneath him like straw that is trampled in a pile of manure.
- Jeremiah 48:1This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says about Moab: How horrible it will be for Nebo; it will be destroyed. Kiriathaim will be put to shame; it will be captured. Its stronghold will be put to shame and torn down.
- Ezekiel 25:1The Lord spoke his word to me. He said,
- Amos 1:13This is what the Lord says: Because Ammon has committed three crimes, and now a fourth crime, I will not change my plans. The Ammonites enlarged their territory by ripping open pregnant women in Gilead.
- Amos 2:1This is what the Lord says: Because Moab has committed three crimes, and now a fourth crime, I will not change my plans. The Moabites have cremated Edom’s king.
- Zephaniah 2:14Flocks will lie down in it along with animals of every kind. Even pelicans and herons will nest on top of its columns. Listen! A bird will sing in a window. The doorway will be in ruins, because the Lord will expose the cedar beams.
- Genesis 19:24Then the Lord made burning sulfur and fire rain out of heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah.
- Deuteronomy 29:23They will see all the soil poisoned with sulfur and salt. Nothing will be planted. Nothing will be growing. There will be no plants in sight. It will be as desolate as Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, cities the Lord destroyed in fierce anger.
- Isaiah 13:19Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the proud beauty of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God destroyed them.
- Isaiah 34:9Edom’s streams will be turned to tar. Its soil will be turned to burning sulfur. Its land will become blazing tar.
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
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