Zephaniah 2 · Verse 9

Zephaniah 2:9

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.
Zephaniah 2:9, King James Version

Zephaniah 2:9 in other translations

BSBTherefore, as surely as I live,” declares the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will be like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah— a place of weeds and salt pits, a perpetual wasteland. The remnant of My people will plunder them; the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.”
WEBTherefore, as I live, says the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, surely Moab will be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them, and the survivors of my nation will inherit them.
ASVTherefore as I live, saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall make a prey of them, and the remnant of my nation shall inherit them.
YLTTherefore, I live, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, Surely, Moab is as Sodom, And the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah, An overrunning of nettles and salt-pits, And a desolation--unto the age. A residue of My people do seize them, And a remnant of My nation inherit them.
DARBYTherefore, as I live, saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall certainly be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and salt-pits, and a perpetual desolation; the remnant of my people shall spoil them, and the residue of my nation shall possess them.
BBEFor this cause, by my life, says the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, truly Moab will become like Sodom and the children of Ammon like Gomorrah, given up to waste plants and salt pools and unpeopled for ever: the rest of my people will take their property, the overflow of my nation will take their heritage.
WebsterTherefore 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 salt-pits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall lay them waste, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.

What does Zephaniah 2:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
9. 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.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 The 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Zephaniah 2:4-15

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…

Read the full comment on Zephaniah 2:4-15 →

Zephaniah 2:9 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.

לָכֵ֣ןla.Khen<to> thereforeH3651
חַי\־chai-[by] [the] lifeH2416
אָ֡נִי'A.niof meH589
נְאֻם֩ne.'Um[the] utterance ofH5002
יְהוָ֨הYah.wehYahwehH3068
צְבָא֜וֹתtze.va.'otof hostsH6635
אֱלֹהֵ֣י'e.lo.Hei[the] God ofH430
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
כִּֽי\־ki-thatH3588
מוֹאָ֞בmo.'AvMoabH4124
כִּסְדֹ֤םkis.Domlike SodomH5467
תִּֽהְיֶה֙tih.Yehit will beH1961
וּבְנֵ֤יu.ve.Neiand [the] people ofH1121
עַמּוֹן֙'a.mOnAmmonH5983
כַּֽעֲמֹרָ֔הka.'a.mo.Rahlike GomorrahH6017
מִמְשַׁ֥קmi.Shaka place possessed ofH4476
חָר֛וּלcha.Rulnettle[s]H2738
וּמִכְרֵה\־u.mikh.reh-and a pit ofH4379
מֶ֥לַחMe.lachsaltH4417
וּשְׁמָמָ֖הu.she.ma.Mahand a wasteH8077
עַד\־'ad-untilH5704
עוֹלָ֑םo.LamperpetuityH5769
שְׁאֵרִ֤יתshe.'e.Rit[the] remnant ofH7611
עַמִּי֙'a.Mipeople myH5971
יְבָזּ֔וּםye.va.Zumthey will plunder themH962
וְיֶ֥תֶרve.Ye.terand [the] rest ofK:H3499
גּוֹיִ֖יgoyination myH1471
יִנְחָלֽוּם\׃yin.cha.Lumthey will take possession of themH5157

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

Cross references for Zephaniah 2:9

  • Isaiah 15:1-9

    The burden of Moab. Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence; because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence; He is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep: Moab shall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba: on all their heads shall be baldness, and every beard cut off. In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth: on the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every one shall howl, weeping abundantly. And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh: their voice shall be heard even unto Jahaz: therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; his life shall be grievous unto him. …

  • Isaiah 11:14

    But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.

  • Deuteronomy 29:23

    And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the Lord overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:

  • Isaiah 25:10

    For in this mountain shall the hand of the Lord rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.

  • Isaiah 49:18

    Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.

  • Jeremiah 48:1-49:6

    Against Moab thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed. There shall be no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee. A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim, spoiling and great destruction. Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard. …

  • Zephaniah 2:14

    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.

  • Amos 1:13-2:3

    Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border: But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind: And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime: …

  • Zephaniah 3:13

    The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

  • Zephaniah 2:7

    And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

  • Jeremiah 46:18

    As I live, saith the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

  • Ezekiel 25:1-17

    The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them; And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity; Behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
as I.
Nu 14:21; Isa 49:18; Jer 46:18; Ro 14:11
Surely.
Isa 11:14; 15:1-16:14; 25:10; Jer 48:1-49:7; Eze 25:1-26:21
Am 1:13-15; 2:1-3
as Gomorrah.
14; Ge 19:24,25; De 29:23; Isa 13:19,20; 34:9-13; Jer 49:18; 50:40
the residue.
7; 3:13; Joe 3:19,20; Mic 5:7,8

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

Context

  • Zephaniah 2:8

    I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.

  • Zephaniah 2:9

    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.

  • Zephaniah 2:10

    This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts.

Read all of Zephaniah 2

Zephaniah 2:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Por tanto, vivo yo, dice Jehová de los ejércitos, Dios de Israel, que Moab será como Sodoma, y los hijos de Ammón como Gomorra; campo de ortigas, y mina de sal, y asolamiento perpetuo: el resto de mi pueblo los saqueará, y el resto de mi gente los heredará.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
C’est pourquoi, je suis vivant, dit l’ Éternel des armées, le Dieu d’Israël, que Moab sera comme Sodome, et les fils d’Ammon comme Gomorrhe, un lieu couvert d’orties, et des carrières de sel, et une désolation, à toujours. Le résidu de mon peuple les pillera, et le reste de ma nation les héritera.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Darum, so wahr ich lebe, spricht Jehova der Heerscharen, der Gott Israels, soll Moab gewißlich wie Sodom, und die Kinder Ammon wie Gomorra werden, ein Besitztum der Brennesseln und eine Salzgrube und eine Wüste ewiglich. Der Überrest meines Volkes wird sie berauben, und das Überbleibsel meiner Nation sie beerben
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Propterea vivo ego, dicit Dominus exercituum, Deus Israël, quia Moab ut Sodoma erit, et filii Ammon quasi Gomorrha: siccitas spinarum, et acervi salis, et desertum usque in æternum: reliquiæ populi mei diripient eos, et residui gentis meæ possidebunt illos.