Zephaniah 2:9

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 coast will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah, upon which they will graze. In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down in the evening. For Adonai their God will visit them and return them from captivity. 8I have heard the taunts of Moab and the jeers of the children of Ammon, who taunted My people and expanded on their border. Therefore, as I live, declares Adonai-Tzva’ot God of Israel, Moab will be like Sodom and Ammon like Gomorrah— a possession of weeds and a salt pit, a perpetual wasteland. The remainder of My people will plunder them. The remnant of My nation will dispossess them. 10This is what they will get for their pride, for they have taunted and expanded against the people of Adonai-Tzva’ot. 11Adonai will be fearsome against them. For all the gods of the earth He will make waste away. To Him will bow, each from its place, the islands of the nations.

Zephaniah 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 certainly as I live and as certainly as the glory of Adonai fills the entire earth,
• Isaiah 49:18Lift up your eyes around and see: all of them will gather and come to you.” “As I live” —it is Adonai’s declaration— “you will wear them all as jewelry and bind them on like a bride.”
• Jeremiah 46:18As I live,” declares the King —whose Name is Adonai-Tzva’ot— “like Tabor among the mountains, or like Carmel by the sea, so surely he will come.”
• Romans 14:11For it is written, “As I live, says Adonai, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.”
• Isaiah 11:14They will swoop down on the Philistine slope to the west. Together they will plunder the children of the east— laying their hand on Edom and Moab, the children of Ammon obeying them.
• Isaiah 15:1The burden of Moab. For in the night that Ar is devastated, Moab is ruined; for in the night that Kir is devastated, Moab is ruined.
• Isaiah 25:10For the hand of Adonai will rest on this mountain. Moab will be trampled under Him, as straw is trampled in a manure pile.
• Jeremiah 48:1Concerning Moab, thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel: “Oy to Nebo! For it will be ravaged. Kiriathaim will be disgraced and captured. The fortress will be shamed, shattered.
• Ezekiel 25:1The word of Adonai came to me saying:
• Amos 1:13Thus says Adonai: For three crimes of the sons of Ammon even for four, I will not relent. For they ripped open pregnant women of Gilead to expand their territory,
• Amos 2:1Thus says Adonai: For three crimes of Moab even for four, I will not relent. For he burned the bones of Edom’s king to lime,
• Zephaniah 2:14Flocks 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.
• Genesis 19:24and Adonai rained sulfur and fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah from Adonai out of the sky.
• Deuteronomy 29:23“All the nations will say, ‘Why has Adonai done this to this land? Why this great burning anger?’
• Isaiah 13:19So Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of Chaldean pride, will be just as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
• Isaiah 34:9Its streams will be turned into pitch, its dust into brimstone, and its land will become burning tar.

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

• Ammonites
• Gomorrah
• Nettles
• Salt
• Sodom

In the dictionaries

• Ammon
• God
• Gomorrah
• Israel
• Moab
• Sodom
• Ammon; Ammonites
• Moab; Moabites
• Ammon, Ammonite
• Israel, Israelites

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