Zephaniah 1 · Verse 11

Zephaniah 1:11

Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.
Zephaniah 1:11, King James Version

Zephaniah 1:11 in other translations

BSBWail, O dwellers of the Hollow, for all your merchants will be silenced; all who weigh out silver will be cut off.
WEBWail, you inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the people of Canaan are undone! All those who were loaded with silver are cut off.
ASVWail, ye inhabitants of Maktesh; for all the people of Canaan are undone; all they that were laden with silver are cut off.
YLTHowl, ye inhabitants of the hollow place, For cut off hath been all the merchant people, Cut off have been all bearing silver.
DARBYHowl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh; for all the people of Canaan are cut down, all they that are laden with silver are cut off.
BBEBecause of the downfall of all the people of Canaan: all those who were weighted down with silver have been cut off.
WebsterHowl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.

What does Zephaniah 1:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
11. Maktesh--rather, "the mortar," a name applied to the valley of Siloam from its hollow shape [Jerome]. The valley between Zion and Mount Olivet, at the eastern extremity of Mount Moriah, where the merchants dwelt. Zec 14:21, "The Canaanite," namely, merchant [Chaldee Version]. The Tyropoeon (that is, cheese-makers') valley below Mount Akra [Rosenmuller]. Better Jerusalem itself, so called as lying in the midst of hills (Is 22:1; Jr 21:13) and as doomed to be the scene of its people being destroyed as corn or drugs are pounded in a mortar (Pr 27:22) [Maurer]. Compare the similar image of a "pot" (Eze 24:3, 6). The reason for the destruction is subjoined, namely, its merchant people's greediness of gain. all the merchant people--literally, the "Canaanite people": irony: all the merchant people of Jerusalem are very Canaanites in greed for gain and in idolatries (see on Ho 12:7). all ... that bear silver--loading themselves with that which will prove but a burden (Ha 2:6).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 11 Maktesh - Calmet says this signifies a mortar, or a rock in form of a mortar, and was the name of a quarter of Jerusalem where they hulled rice, corn, etc., according to St. Jerome. Some think the city of Jerusalem is meant, where the inhabitants should be beat and pounded to death as grain is pounded in a mortar. Newcome translates it, the lower city, and considers it the valley in Jerusalem, which divided the upper from the lower city. They that bear silver - The merchants, moneychangers, usurers, rich men.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Zephaniah 1:7-13

God's day is at hand; the punishment of presumptuous sinners is a sacrifice to the justice of God. The Jewish royal family shall be reckoned with for their pride and vanity; and those that leap on the threshold, invading their neighbours' rights, and seizing their possessions. The trading people and the rich merchants are called to account. Secure and careless people are reckoned with. They are secure and easy; they…

Read the full comment on Zephaniah 1:7-13 →

Zephaniah 1:11 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הֵילִ֖ילוּhei.Li.luwailH3213
יֹשְׁבֵ֣יyo.she.VeiO inhabitants ofH3427
הַמַּכְתֵּ֑שׁha.makh.Teshthe MortarH4389
כִּ֤יkiforH3588
נִדְמָה֙nid.Mahit will be destroyedH1820
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
עַ֣ם'am[the] people ofH5971
כְּנַ֔עַןke.Na.'anCanaanH3667
נִכְרְת֖וּnikh.re.Tuthey will be cut offH3772
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
נְטִ֥ילֵיne.Ti.lei[the] weighers ofH5187
כָֽסֶף\׃Kha.sefsilverH3701

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Zephaniah 1:11

  • James 5:1

    Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

  • Hosea 12:7-8

    He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress. And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin.

  • Ezekiel 21:12

    Cry and howl, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: smite therefore upon thy thigh.

  • Jeremiah 25:34

    Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.

  • Nehemiah 3:31-32

    After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith’s son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner. And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.

  • Jeremiah 4:8

    For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the Lord is not turned back from us.

  • Revelation 18:11-18

    And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. …

  • Joel 1:13

    Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.

  • Hosea 9:6

    For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.

  • Zechariah 11:2-3

    Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down. There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled.

  • John 2:16

    And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.

  • Joel 1:5

    Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Howl.
Jer 4:8; 25:34; Eze 21:12; Joe 1:5,13; Zec 11:2,3; Jas 5:1
all the.
Ne 3:31,32; Ho 12:7,8; Joh 2:16; Re 18:11-18

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Zephaniah 1:10

    And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.

  • Zephaniah 1:11

    Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.

  • Zephaniah 1:12

    And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.

Read all of Zephaniah 1

Zephaniah 1:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Aullad, moradores de Mactes, porque todo el pueblo mercader es destruído; talados son todos los que traían dinero.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Hurlez, habitants de Mactesh, car tout le peuple de Canaan sera détruit, tous ceux qui sont chargés d’argent seront exterminés.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Heulet, ihr Bewohner von Maktesch! denn alles Krämervolk ist vernichtet, alle mit Silber Beladenen sind ausgerottet.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Ululate, habitatores Pilæ: conticuit omnis populus Chanaan, disperierunt omnes involuti argento.