New Living Translation
Zephaniah 2:9
9Now, 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.”
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 remnant of the tribe of Judah will pasture there. They will rest at night in the abandoned houses in Ashkelon. For the Lord their God will visit his people in kindness and restore their prosperity again. 8“I have heard the taunts of the Moabites and the insults of the Ammonites, mocking my people and invading their borders. 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.” 10They will receive the wages of their pride, for they have scoffed at the people of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 11The Lord will terrify them as he destroys all the gods in the land. Then nations around the world will worship the Lord, each in their own land.
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 surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the Lord’s glory,
- Isaiah 49:18Look around you and see, for all your children will come back to you. As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “they will be like jewels or bridal ornaments for you to display.
- Jeremiah 46:18“As surely as I live,” says the King, whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “one is coming against Egypt who is as tall as Mount Tabor, or as Mount Carmel by the sea!
- Romans 14:11For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’”
- Isaiah 11:14They will join forces to swoop down on Philistia to the west. Together they will attack and plunder the nations to the east. They will occupy the lands of Edom and Moab, and Ammon will obey them.
- Isaiah 15:1This message came to me concerning Moab: In one night the town of Ar will be leveled, and the city of Kir will be destroyed.
- Isaiah 25:10For the Lord’s hand of blessing will rest on Jerusalem. But Moab will be crushed. It will be like straw trampled down and left to rot.
- Jeremiah 48:1This message was given concerning Moab. This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “What sorrow awaits the city of Nebo; it will soon lie in ruins. The city of Kiriathaim will be humiliated and captured; the fortress will be humiliated and broken down.
- Ezekiel 25:1Then this message came to me from the Lord:
- Amos 1:13This is what the Lord says: “The people of Ammon have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! When they attacked Gilead to extend their borders, they ripped open pregnant women with their swords.
- Amos 2:1This is what the Lord says: “The people of Moab have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They desecrated the bones of Edom’s king, burning them to ashes.
- Zephaniah 2:14The proud city will become a pasture for flocks and herds, and all sorts of wild animals will settle there. The desert owl and screech owl will roost on its ruined columns, their calls echoing through the gaping windows. Rubble will block all the doorways, and the cedar paneling will be exposed to the weather.
- Genesis 19:24Then the Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah.
- Deuteronomy 29:23They will exclaim, ‘The whole land is devastated by sulfur and salt. It is a wasteland with nothing planted and nothing growing, not even a blade of grass. It is like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord destroyed in his intense anger.’
- Isaiah 13:19Babylon, the most glorious of kingdoms, the flower of Chaldean pride, will be devastated like Sodom and Gomorrah when God destroyed them.
- Isaiah 34:9The streams of Edom will be filled with burning pitch, and the ground will be covered with fire.
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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