King James Version
Zephaniah 2:13 in the King James Version says “And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry lik...” — study this verse from Zephaniah chapter 2 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.
“And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.”
Zephaniah 2:13 · KJV
The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen. famish: Heb. make lean
Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.
And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.
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. cormorant: or, pelican upper: or, knops, or, chapiters for: or, when he hath uncovered
This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.
KJV Study — Public Domain
“And he will stretch out”
H5186to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application (as follows)
“his hand”
H3027a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from h3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great v
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
“against the north”
H6828properly, hidden, i.e., dark; used only of the north as a quarter (gloomy and unknown)
“and destroy”
H6properly, to wander away, i.e., lose oneself; by implication to perish (causative, destroy)
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
“Assyria”
H804ashshur, the second son of shem; also his descendants and the country occupied by them (i.e., assyria), its region and its empire
“and will make”
H7760to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
“like a wilderness”
H4057a pasture (i.e., open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert
This verse is found in the book of Zephaniah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.
Zephaniah 2:13 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.
Verses related to Zephaniah 2:13 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge