What Does Zephaniah 2:14 Mean?

“shall lie down”

to crouch (on all four legs folded, like a recumbent animal); by implication, to recline, repose, brood, lurk, imbed

“in the midst”

a bisection, i.e., (by implication) the center

“And flocks”

an arrangement, i.e., muster (of animals)

properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

“of her all the beasts”

alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or livin

“of the nations”

a foreign nation; hence, a gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts

properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and

“both the cormorant”

probably the pelican (from vomiting)

properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and

“and the bittern”

a species of bird, perhaps the bittern (from its contracted form)

“in the upper lintels”

a chaplet; but used only in an architectonic sense, i.e., the capital of a column, or a wreath-like button or disk on the candelabrum

“shall lodge”

to stop (usually over night); by implication, to stay permanently; hence (in a bad sense) to be obstinate (especially in words, to complain)

“of it their voice”

a voice or sound

“shall sing”

to sing

“in the windows”

a window (as perforated)

“desolation”

drought or desolation

“shall be in the thresholds”

a vestibule (as a limit); also a dish (for holding blood or wine)

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

“the cedar work”

cedar wainscoating

“for he shall uncover”

to be (causatively, make) bare; hence, to empty, pour out, demolish