New King James Version
Zephaniah 2:9
9Therefore, 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.”
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 Living Translation (NLT)Now, as surely as I live,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, “Moab and Ammon will be destroyed— destroyed as completely as Sodom and Gomorrah. Their land will become a place of stinging nettles, salt pits, and eternal desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them and take their land.”
Context of Zephaniah 2:9
7The coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; They shall feed their flocks there; In the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the Lord their God will intervene for them, And return their captives. 8“I have heard the reproach of Moab, And the insults of the people of Ammon, With which they have reproached My people, And made arrogant threats against their borders. 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.” 10This they shall have for their pride, Because they have reproached and made arrogant threats Against the people of the Lord of hosts. 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.
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 truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord—
- Isaiah 49:18Lift up your eyes, look around and see; All these gather together and come to you. As I live,” says the Lord, “You shall surely clothe yourselves with them all as an ornament, And bind them on you as a bride does.
- Jeremiah 46:18“As I live,” says the King, Whose name is the Lord of hosts, “Surely as Tabor is among the mountains And as Carmel by the sea, so he shall come.
- Romans 14:11For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.”
- Isaiah 11:14But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west; Together they shall plunder the people of the East; They shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab; And the people of Ammon shall obey them.
- Isaiah 15:1The burden against Moab. Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste And destroyed, Because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste And destroyed,
- Isaiah 25:10For on this mountain the hand of the Lord will rest, And Moab shall be trampled down under Him, As straw is trampled down for the refuse heap.
- Jeremiah 48:1Against Moab. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Woe to Nebo! For it is plundered, Kirjathaim is shamed and taken; The high stronghold is shamed and dismayed—
- Ezekiel 25:1The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
- Amos 1:13Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of the people of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they ripped open the women with child in Gilead, That they might enlarge their territory.
- Amos 2:1Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.
- Zephaniah 2:14The 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.
- Genesis 19:24Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens.
- Deuteronomy 29:23‘The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and His wrath.’
- Isaiah 13:19And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
- Isaiah 34:9Its streams shall be turned into pitch, And its dust into brimstone; Its land shall 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries