Tree of Life Version
Zephaniah 2:14
14Flocks will lie down in her midst, all kinds of beasts— both the little owl and the great owl will lodge in her pillars. A voice will hoot in the window. Ruin will be in the doorway, for the cedar beams will be exposed.
Zephaniah 2:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work.
- New International Version (NIV)Flocks and herds will lie down there, creatures of every kind. The desert owl and the screech owl will roost on her columns. Their hooting will echo through the windows, rubble will fill the doorways, the beams of cedar will be exposed.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Herds shall lie down in her midst, all kinds of beasts; even the owl and the hedgehog shall lodge in her capitals; a voice shall hoot in the window; devastation will be on the threshold; for her cedar work will be laid bare.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The 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.
Context of Zephaniah 2:14
12You Ethiopians too will be slain by My sword. 13He will stretch out his hand against the north and devastate Assyria and make Nineveh as a wasteland— dry as a desert. Flocks will lie down in her midst, all kinds of beasts— both the little owl and the great owl will lodge in her pillars. A voice will hoot in the window. Ruin will be in the doorway, for the cedar beams will be exposed. 15This is the exultant city, dwelling securely, saying in her heart, ‘It’s me--no one else but me!’ How did she become a ruin, an abode for wild beasts? Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.
Read all of Zephaniah 2Zephaniah 2:14 word by word
וְרָבְצ֨וּ בְתוֹכָ֤הּ עֲדָרִים֙ כָּל־חַיְתוֹ־ג֔וֹי גַּם־קָאַת֙ גַּם־קִפֹּ֔ד בְּכַפְתֹּרֶ֖יהָ יָלִ֑ינוּ ק֠וֹל יְשׁוֹרֵ֤ר בַּֽחַלּוֹן֙ חֹ֣רֶב בַּסַּ֔ף כִּ֥י אַרְזָ֖ה עֵרָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And flocksעֵ֫דֶר‛êder · flockH5739
- shall lie downרָבַץrâbats · to stretchH7257
- in the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
- of her, all the beastsחַיָּהchay · living thingH2416
- of the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- both the cormorantקָאַתqâ'ath · pelicanH6893
- and the bitternקִפֹּדqippôd qippôd · porcupineH7090
- shall lodgeלוּןlûn lîyn · to lodgeH3885
- in the upper lintelsכַּפְתּוֹרkaphtôr kaphtôr · capitalH3730
- voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
- shall singשִׁירshîyr shûr · to singH7891
- in the windowsחַלּוֹןchallôn · windowH2474
- desolationחֹ֫רֶבchôreb · desolationH2721
- in the thresholdsסַףsaph · thresholdH5592
- for he shall uncoverעָרָה‛ârâh · to uncoverH6168
- the cedar workאַרְזָה'arzâh · cedarH731
Cross-references for Zephaniah 2:14
- Zephaniah 2:6The seacoast will become pastures, with meadows for shepherds and folds for flocks.
- Isaiah 13:19So Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of Chaldean pride, will be just as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
- Isaiah 34:11But pelican and porcupine will have it, owl and raven will dwell in it. He will stretch a line of chaos over it and stones of desolation.
- Revelation 18:2He cried out with a mighty voice, saying: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a den for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit and for every unclean bird and for every unclean and detestable beast.
- Amos 9:1I saw my Lord standing by the altar, and He said: “Strike the tops of the pillars, so the porches shake! Break all of them off at the head! Then the last of them I will slay with the sword— none of them fleeing will escape and no fugitive will slip away.
- Jeremiah 22:14who says: “I will build myself a big house with spacious rooms and cut out my windows for it, and panel it with cedar, and paint it with vermilion!
Commentaries on Zephaniah 2:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her - Nineveh was so completely destroyed, that its situation is not at present even known. The present city of Mossoul is supposed to be in the vicinity of the place where this ancient city stood. The cormorant קאת kaath ; and the bittern, קפד kippod . These Newcome translates, "The pelican and the porcupine." Their voice shall sing in the windows - The windows shall be all demolished; wild fowl shall build their…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. 14To emphasize Nineveh's fate, Zephaniah uses strong imagery. Rubble would block the doorways once used by Nineveh's wealthy and powerful. The haunting sounds of owls hooting in empty windows would highlight the city's desolation.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. flocks--of sheep; answering to "beasts" in the parallel clause. Wide pastures for sheep and haunts for wild beasts shall be where once there was a teeming population (compare Zep 2:6). Maurer, needlessly for the parallelism, makes it "flocks of savage animals." beasts of the nations--that is, beasts of the earth (Ge 1:24). Not as Rosenmuller, "all kinds of beasts that form a nation," that is, gregarious beasts (Pr 30:25, 26). cormorant--rather, the…Read the comment
Topics related to Zephaniah 2:14
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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