Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:13–15

13And He will stretch out His hand against the north

and destroy Assyria;

He will make Nineveh a desolation,

as dry as a desert.

14Herds will lie down in her midst,

creatures of every kind.e

Both the desert owl and screech owlf

will roost atop her pillars.

Their calls will sound from the window,

but desolation will lie on the threshold,

for He will expose the beams of cedar.

15This carefree city

that dwells securely,

that thinks to herself:

“I am it, and there is none besides me,”

what a ruin she has become,

a resting place for beasts.

Everyone who passes by her

hisses and shakes his fist.

Footnotes

  • e 2:14 Hebrew beasts of every nation
  • f 2:14 The precise identification of the animals rendered desert owl and screech owl is uncertain.

Read all of Zephaniah 2

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Zephaniah 2:13

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
And He will stretch outוְיֵ֤טwə·yêṭConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singularH5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
His handיָדוֹ֙yā·ḏōwNoun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singularH3027 hand
againstעַל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
the northצָפ֔וֹןṣā·p̄ō·wnNoun - feminine singularH6828 north
and destroyוִֽיאַבֵּ֖דwî·’ab·bêḏConjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singularH6 perish
Assyriaאַשּׁ֑וּר’aš·šūrNoun - proper - feminine singularH804 Asshur, Assyria
He will makeוְיָשֵׂ֤םwə·yā·śêmConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singularH7760 put, place, set
Ninevehנִֽינְוֵה֙nî·nə·wêhNoun - proper - feminine singularH5210 Nineveh
a desolationלִשְׁמָמָ֔הliš·mā·māhPreposition-l; Noun - feminine singularH8077 a devastation, waste
as dryצִיָּ֖הṣî·yāhNoun - feminine singularH6723 dryness, drought
as a desertכַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃kam·miḏ·bārPreposition-k, Article; Noun - masculine singularH4057 mouth

Zephaniah 2:14

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Herdsעֲדָרִים֙‘ă·ḏā·rîmNoun - masculine pluralH5739 flock, herd
will lie downוְרָבְצ֨וּwə·rā·ḇə·ṣūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common pluralH7257 stretch oneself out, lie down, lie stretched out
in her midstבְתוֹכָ֤הּḇə·ṯō·w·ḵāhPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singularH8432 midst
creaturesחַיְתוֹ־ḥay·ṯōw-Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singularH2416 alive, living
of every kindכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
Bothגַּם־gam-ConjunctionH1571 also, moreover, yea
the desert owlקָאַת֙qā·’aṯNoun - feminine singularH6893 pelican
andגַּם־gam-ConjunctionH1571 also, moreover, yea
screech owlקִפֹּ֔דqip·pōḏNoun - masculine singularH7090 porcupine
will roostיָלִ֑ינוּyā·lî·nūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralH3885 lodge, pass the night
atop herבְּכַפְתֹּרֶ֖יהָbə·ḵap̄·tō·re·hāPreposition-b; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singularH3730 capital
Their callsק֠וֹלqō·wlNoun - masculine singularH6963 sound, voice
will soundיְשׁוֹרֵ֤רyə·šō·w·rêrVerb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH7891 sing
from the windowבַּֽחַלּוֹן֙ba·ḥal·lō·wnPreposition-b, Article; Noun - common singularH2474 window
but desolationחֹ֣רֶבḥō·reḇNoun - masculine singularH2721 dryness, drought, heat
will lie on the thresholdבַּסַּ֔ףbas·sap̄Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singularH5592 basin, goblet
forכִּ֥יkîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
He will exposeעֵרָֽה׃‘ê·rāhVerb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singularH6168 be naked, bare
the beams of cedarאַרְזָ֖ה’ar·zāhNoun - feminine singularH731 cedar-panels, cedar-work

Zephaniah 2:15

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Thisזֹ֠אתzōṯPronoun - feminine singularH2063 this
carefreeהָעַלִּיזָה֙hā·‘al·lî·zāhArticle; Adjective - feminine singularH5947 exultant, jubilant
cityהָעִ֤ירhā·‘îrArticle; Noun - feminine singularH5892 excitement
that dwellsהַיּוֹשֶׁ֣בֶתhay·yō·wō·še·ḇeṯArticle; Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singularH3427 sit, remain, dwell
securelyלָבֶ֔טַחlā·ḇe·ṭaḥPreposition-l; Noun - masculine singularH983 security
that thinksהָאֹֽמְרָה֙hā·’ō·mə·rāhArticle; Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singularH559 utter, say
to herselfבִּלְבָבָ֔הּbil·ḇā·ḇāhPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singularH3824 inner man, mind, will, heart
Iאֲנִ֖י’ă·nîPronoun - first person common singularH589 I
andוְאַפְסִ֣יwə·’ap̄·sîConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular constructH657 the two extremities
besides meע֑וֹד‘ō·wḏAdverbH5750 a going round, continuance
whatאֵ֣יךְ׀’êḵInterjectionH349 How?
a ruinלְשַׁמָּ֗הlə·šam·māhPreposition-l; Noun - feminine singularH8047 waste, appalment
she has becomeהָיְתָ֣הhā·yə·ṯāhVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a resting placeמַרְבֵּץ֙mar·bêṣNoun - masculine singularH4769 id.
for beastsלַֽחַיָּ֔הla·ḥay·yāhPreposition-l, Article; Noun - feminine singularH2416 alive, living
Everyoneכֹּ֚לkōlNoun - masculine singularH3605 the whole, all
who passesעוֹבֵ֣ר‘ō·w·ḇêrVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
by herעָלֶ֔יהָ‘ā·le·hāPreposition; third person feminine singularH5921 height
hissesיִשְׁרֹ֖קyiš·rōqVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH8319 hiss
and shakesיָנִ֥יעַyā·nî·a‘Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH5128 quiver, wave, waver, tremble, totter
his fistיָדֽוֹ׃סyā·ḏōwNoun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singularH3027 hand

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Zephaniah 2:13 Nahum 3:7 · Nahum 3:18–19 · Isaiah 10:12 · Isaiah 10:16 · Nahum 1:1

Zephaniah 2:14 Isaiah 34:11–17 · Amos 9:1 · Isaiah 13:19–22 · Jeremiah 22:14

Zephaniah 2:15 Ezekiel 28:2 · Isaiah 47:7–8 · Isaiah 22:2 · Nahum 3:19 · Ezekiel 28:9 · Psalm 52:6–7 · Lamentations 1:1 · Jeremiah 19:8 · 1 Kings 9:7–8 · Lamentations 2:15 · Isaiah 10:12–14 · Isaiah 32:9

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.