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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• 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 to them, For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; People shall worship Him, Each one from his place, Indeed all the shores of the nations. 12“You Ethiopians also, You shall be slain by My sword.” And He will stretch out His hand against the north, Destroy Assyria, And make Nineveh a desolation, As dry as the wilderness. 14The herds shall lie down in her midst, Every beast of the nation. Both the pelican and the bittern Shall lodge on the capitals of her pillars; Their voice shall sing in the windows; Desolation shall be at the threshold; For He will lay bare the cedar work. 15This is the rejoicing city That dwelt securely, That said in her heart, “I am it, and there is none besides me.” How has she become a desolation, A place for beasts to lie down! Everyone who passes by her Shall hiss and shake 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 83:8Assyria also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot. Selah
• Isaiah 10:12Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”
• Isaiah 11:11It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time To recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea.
• Ezekiel 31:3Indeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, With fine branches that shaded the forest, And of high stature; And its top was among the thick boughs.
• Nahum 1:1The burden against Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
• Nahum 2:10She is empty, desolate, and waste! The heart melts, and the knees shake; Much pain is in every side, And all their faces are drained of color.
• Nahum 3:7It shall come to pass that all who look upon you Will flee from you, and say, ‘Nineveh is laid waste! Who will bemoan her?’ Where shall I seek comforters for you?”
• Zechariah 10:10I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt, And gather them from Assyria. I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, Until no more room is found 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
• Cottage
• Nahum, Book of
• Thereupon
• Judah, Kingdom of
• North; North Country
• Zephaniah, Book of
• Assyria, Asshur

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