Zephaniah 3 · Verse 10

Zephaniah 3:10

From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.
Zephaniah 3:10, King James Version

Zephaniah 3:10 in other translations

BSBFrom beyond the rivers of Cush My worshipers, My scattered people, will bring Me an offering.
WEBFrom beyond the rivers of Cush, my worshipers, even the daughter of my dispersed people, will bring my offering.
ASVFrom beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.
YLTFrom beyond the rivers of Cush, my supplicants, The daughter of My scattered ones, Do bring My present.
DARBYFrom beyond the rivers of Cush my suppliants, the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine oblation.
BBEFrom over the rivers of Ethiopia, and from the sides of the north, they will come to me with an offering.
WebsterFrom beyond the rivers of Cush my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring my offering.

What does Zephaniah 3:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
10. From beyond ... Ethiopia my suppliants--literally, "burners of incense" (compare Psa 141:2; Re 5:8; 8:3, 4). The Israelites are meant, called "the daughter of My dispersed," a Hebrew idiom for My dispersed people. "The rivers of Ethiopia" are those which enclose it on the north. In the west of Abyssinia there has long existed a people called Falashas, or "emigrants" (akin to the synonym "Philistine"). These trace their origin to Palestine and profess the Jewish religion. In physical traits they resemble the Arabs. When Bruce was there, they had a Jewish king, Gideon, and his queen, Judith. Probably the Abyssinian Christians were originally in part converted Jews. They are here made the representatives of all Israel which is to be restored. shall bring mine offering--that is, the offering that is My right. I prefer, with De Wette and Chaldee Version, making "suppliants" the objective case, not the nominative. The peoples: (Zep 3:8, 9), brought to fear Me by My judgments, "shall bring as Mine offering My suppliants (an appropriate term for the Jews, on whom then there shall have been poured the spirit of supplications, Zec 12:10), the daughter of My dispersed." So Is 66:20, "they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord." Compare Horsley's view of Is 18:1, 2, 7. England in this view may be the naval power to restore Israel to Palestine (Is 60:9). The Hebrew for "Ethiopia" is Cush, which may include not only Ethiopia, but also the region of the Tigris and Babylon, where Nimrod, Cush's son (Ge 10:8-12), founded Nineveh and acquired Babylon, and where the ten tribes are mentioned as being scattered (1Pe 1:1; 5:13; compare Is 11:11). The restoration under Cyrus of the Jews transported under Pharaoh-necho to Egypt and Ethiopia, was an earnest of the future restoration under Christ.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia - This may denote both Africa and the southern Arabia. Bochart thinks that Arabia Chusaer is meant; and that the rivers are Besor, which flows into the Mediterranean; Rhinocorura, which flows into the Lake Sirbonis; Trajanus Amnis, which flows into the Red Sea; and the river Corys. Calmet thinks that these rivers mean the Nile, which by seven mouths falls into the Mediterranean. The Nile comes from Ethiopia, properly so called; and runs through all Egypt, and falls into the sea at that part of Arabia which the Scripture calls Cush or Ethiopia. My dispersed - The Jews, scattered through different parts of the world. Shall bring mine offering. Shall acknowledge my mercy in sending them the Messiah to bless them, by turning every one of them away from their iniquities.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Zephaniah 3:8-13

The preaching of the gospel is predicted, when vengeance would be executed on the Jewish nation. The purifying doctrines of the gospel, or the pure language of the grace of the Lord, would teach men to use the language of humility, repentance, and faith. Purity and piety in common conversation is good. The pure and happy state of the church in the latter days seems intended. The Lord will shut out boasting, and…

Read the full comment on Zephaniah 3:8-13 →

Zephaniah 3:10 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.

מֵעֵ֖בֶרme.'E.verfrom [the] other sideH5676
לְנַֽהֲרֵי\־le.na.ha.rei-of [the] rivers ofH5104
כ֑וּשׁKhushCushH3568
עֲתָרַי֙'a.ta.Raiworshippers myH6282
בַּת\־bat-[the] daughter ofH1323
פוּצַ֔יpu.Tzaiscattered [ones] myH6327
יוֹבִל֖וּןyoi.Lunthey will bring !H2986
מִנְחָתִֽי\׃min.cha.Tioffering myH4503

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

Cross references for Zephaniah 3:10

  • Isaiah 11:11

    And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

  • Psalms 68:31

    Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.

  • Isaiah 18:1

    Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia:

  • Romans 15:16

    That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

  • 1 Peter 1:1

    Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

  • Romans 11:11-12

    I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

  • Isaiah 18:7

    In that time shall the present be brought unto the Lord of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, the mount Zion.

  • Psalms 72:8-11

    He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

  • Isaiah 60:4-12

    Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. …

  • Malachi 1:11

    For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.

  • Isaiah 49:20-23

    The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell. Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been? Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

  • Isaiah 27:12-13

    And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ps 68:31; 72:8-11; Isa 11:11; 18:1,7-19:15; 27:12,13; 49:20-23
Isa 60:4-12; 66:18-21; Mal 1:11; Ac 8:27; 24:17; Ro 11:11,12; 15:16
1Pe 1:1

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

Context

  • Zephaniah 3:9

    For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.

  • Zephaniah 3:10

    From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.

  • Zephaniah 3:11

    In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.

Read all of Zephaniah 3

Zephaniah 3:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		De esa parte de los ríos de Etiopía, mis suplicantes, la hija de mis esparcidos, me traerán ofrenda.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		D’au-delà des fleuves de l’Éthiopie, mes suppliants, la fille de mes dispersés, apporteront mon offrande.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Von jenseit der Ströme Äthiopiens werden sie meine Flehenden, meine zerstreute Schar mir als Opfergabe darbringen
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ultra flumina Æthiopiæ, inde supplices mei; filii dispersorum meorum deferent munus mihi.