New English Translation
Zephaniah 3:6
6“I destroyed nations; their walled cities are in ruins. I turned their streets into ruins; no one passes through them. Their cities are desolate; no one lives there.
Zephaniah 3:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.
- New International Version (NIV)“I have destroyed nations; their strongholds are demolished. I have left their streets deserted, with no one passing through. Their cities are laid waste; they are deserted and empty.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"I have cut off nations; their battlements are in ruins; I have laid waste their streets so that no one walks in them; their cities have been made desolate, without a man, without an inhabitant.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“I have cut off nations, Their fortresses are devastated; I have made their streets desolate, With none passing by. Their cities are destroyed; There is no one, no inhabitant.
Context of Zephaniah 3:6
4Her prophets are proud; they are deceitful men. Her priests defile what is holy; they break God’s laws. 5The just Lord resides within her; he commits no unjust acts. Every morning he reveals his justice. At dawn he appears without fail. Yet the unjust know no shame. “I destroyed nations; their walled cities are in ruins. I turned their streets into ruins; no one passes through them. Their cities are desolate; no one lives there. 7I thought, ‘Certainly you will respect me! Now you will accept correction!’ If she had done so, her home would not be destroyed by all the punishments I have threatened. But they eagerly sinned in everything they did. 8Therefore you must wait patiently for me,” says the Lord, “for the day when I attack and take plunder. I have decided to gather nations together and assemble kingdoms, so I can pour out my fury on them – all my raging anger. For the whole earth will be consumed by my fiery anger.
Read all of Zephaniah 3Zephaniah 3:6 word by word
הִכְרַ֣תִּי גוֹיִ֗ם נָשַׁ֙מּוּ֙ פִּנּוֹתָ֔ם הֶחֱרַ֥בְתִּי חֽוּצוֹתָ֖ם מִבְּלִ֣י עוֹבֵ֑ר נִצְדּ֧וּ עָרֵיהֶ֛ם מִבְּלִי־אִ֖ישׁ מֵאֵ֥ין יוֹשֵֽׁב׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- I have cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: eliminateH3772
- the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- their towersפִּנָּהpinnâh · cornerH6438
- are desolateשָׁמֵםshâmêm · be desolate: destroyedH8074
- I made their streetsחוּץchûts chûts · outsideH2351
- wasteחָרֵבchârab chârêb · to destroyH2717
- that none passeth byעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- their citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- are destroyedצָדָהtsâdâh · to wasteH6658
- so that there is no manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- that there is none inhabitantיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
Cross-references for Zephaniah 3:6
- Isaiah 10:1Those who enact unjust policies are as good as dead, those who are always instituting unfair regulations,
- Isaiah 15:1Here is a message about Moab: Indeed, in a night it is devastated, Ar of Moab is destroyed! Indeed, in a night it is devastated, Kir of Moab is destroyed!
- Isaiah 19:1Here is a message about Egypt: Look, the Lord rides on a swift-moving cloud and approaches Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him; the Egyptians lose their courage.
- Isaiah 37:11Certainly you have heard how the kings of Assyria have annihilated all lands. Do you really think you will be rescued?
- Jeremiah 25:9So I, the Lord, affirm that I will send for all the peoples of the north and my servant, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and all the nations that surround it. I will utterly destroy this land, its inhabitants, and all the nations that surround it and make them everlasting ruins. I will make them objects of horror and hissing scorn.
- Jeremiah 25:18I made Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and its officials drink it. I did it so Judah would become a ruin. I did it so Judah, its kings, and its officials would become an object of horror and of hissing scorn, an example used in curses. Such is already becoming the case!
- Nahum 2:1(2:2) The watchmen of Nineveh shout: “An enemy who will scatter you is marching out to attack you!” “Guard the rampart! Watch the road! Prepare yourselves for battle! Muster your mighty strength!”
- 1 Corinthians 10:6These things happened as examples for us, so that we will not crave evil things as they did.
Commentaries on Zephaniah 3:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6I have cut off the nations - Syria, Israel, and those referred to, Isaiah 36:18, Isaiah 36:20. - Newcome.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6I have cut off the nations - God appeals to His judgments on pagan nations, not on any particular nation, as far as we know; but to past history, whether of those, of whose destruction Israel itself had been the instrument, or others. The judgments upon the nations before them were set forth to them, when they were about to enter on their inheritance, as a warning to themselves. “Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things, for in all these have the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-8Zephaniah delivers a message of sorrow for Judah and Jerusalem. He advises them to wait patiently for God's fair judgment.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-75-7. The Jews regard not God's justice manifested in the midst of them, nor His judgments on the guilty nations around. The just Lord--Why then are ye so unjust? is in the midst thereof--He retorts on them their own boast, "Is not the Lord among us" (Mi 3:11)? True He is, but it is for another end from what ye think [Calvin]; namely, to lead you by the example of His righteousness to be righteous. Le 19:2, "Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am…Read the comment
Topics related to Zephaniah 3:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Zephaniah 3
- 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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