Zephaniah 2:14
WEB
Herds will lie down in the middle of her, all kinds of animals. Both the pelican and the porcupine will lodge in its capitals. Their calls will echo through the windows. Desolation will be in the thresholds, for he has laid bare the cedar beams.
BSB
Herds will lie down in her midst, creatures of every kind. Both the desert owl and screech owl 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.
KJV
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.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H7257
v — crouch, recline, repose, brood, lurk, imbed
Derivation: a primitive root;
to crouch (on all four legs folded, like a recumbent animal); by implication, to recline, repose, brood, lurk, imbed
KJV: crouch (down), fall down, make a fold, lay, (cause to, make to) lie (down), make to rest, sit.
vb — stretch oneself out
רָבַץ vb. stretch oneself out, lie down, lie stretched out
Qal lie down, lie
Hiph. cause to lie down, or lie
H8432
n-m — bisection, centre
Derivation: from an unused root meaning to sever;
a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centre
KJV: among(-st), × between, half, × (there-, where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among), × out (of), × through, × with(-in).
subst — midst
תָּ֫וֶךְ 416 subst. midst
H5739
n-m — arrangement, muster
Derivation: from 5737;
an arrangement, i.e. muster (of animals)
KJV: drove, flock, herd.
n.m — flock
עֵ֫דֶר n.m. flock, herd
H3605
n-m — whole, all, any, every
Derivation: or (Jeremiah 33:8) כּוֹל; from 3634;
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).
n.m — the whole
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
1. with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
2. Absolutely:
a. without the art., all things, all
b. with the art. הַכֹּל
(a). where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
(b). in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
H2416
a n-m n-f — alive, raw, fresh, strong, life
Derivation: from 2421;
alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively
KJV: age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, merry, multitude, (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.
adj — alive
חַי adj. alive, living
1.
a. of God, as the living one, the fountain of life
b. of man
c. of animals, alive, living
d. animals and man
e. (dub.) of vegetation, as thorns, green
f. of water, fresh
2. (dub.) lively, active
3. reviving
n.f — living thing
חַיָּה n.f. living thing, animal
1. animal
a. in general
b. wild animals, on account of their vital energy and activity
c. living beings, of the cherubic chariot
2. life, only in late poetry
3. appetite, activity of hunger
4. revival, renewal
n.f — community
חַיָּה n.f. community
n.m — life
חַיִּים n.m. pl. abstr. emph. life
1. life: physical
2. life: as welfare and happiness in king's presence
3. sustenance, maintenance
H1471
n-m n-pr-m — nation, a Gentile, troop, flight
Derivation: rarely (shortened) גֹּי; apparently from the same root as 1465 (in the sense of massing);
a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts
KJV: Gentile, heathen, nation, people.
n.m — nation
גּוֹי 661 n.m. nation, people
n.pr.gent — Goim
גּוֹיִם n.pr.gent. Tid‛al king of Goim
H1571
adv — assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and
Derivation: by contraction from an unused root meaning to gather;
properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and
KJV: again, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and, but, either...or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.
adv — also
גַּם 768 adv. denoting addition, also, moreover, yea
H6893
n-f — pelican
Derivation: from 6958;
probably the pelican (from vomiting)
KJV: cormorant.
n.[f.] — pelican
קָאַת, קָאָת n.[f.] a bird, usu. pelican
H7090
n-m — bittern, contracted
Derivation: or קִפֹּד; from 7088;
a species of bird, perhaps the bittern (from its contracted form)
KJV: bittern.
n.[m.] — porcupine
קִפֹּד n.[m.] porcupine (fr. rolling itself together)
H3730
n-m — chaplet, capital, button, disk
Derivation: or (Amos 9:1) כַּפְתּוֹר; probably from an unused root meaning to encircle;
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
KJV: knop, (upper) lintel.
n.m — capital
כַּפְתּוֹר, כַּפְתֹּר n.m. 1. capital. 2. knob, bulb
H3885
v — stop, stay permanently, be obstinate
Derivation: or לִין; a primitive root;
to stop (usually over night); by implication, to stay permanently; hence (in a bad sense) to be obstinate (especially in words, to complain)
KJV: abide (all night), continue, dwell, endure, grudge, be left, lie all night, (cause to) lodge (all night, in, -ing, this night), (make to) murmur, remain, tarry (all night, that night).
vb — murmur
[לוּן] vb. murmur
Niph. murmur against
Hiph. murmur; cause to murmur
vb — lodge
לוּן, לִין vb. lodge, pass the night, fig. abide
Qal
1. lodge, pass the night
2. fig. abide, remain
Hiph. cause to rest, lodge
Hithpalp. dwell, abide, of eagle
H6963
n-m — voice, sound
Derivation: or קֹל; from an unused root meaning to call aloud;
a voice or sound
KJV: aloud, bleating, crackling, cry ( out), fame, lightness, lowing, noise, hold peace, (pro-) claim, proclamation, sing, sound, spark, thunder(-ing), voice, yell.
n.m — sound
קוֹל 506 n.m. sound, voice
H7891
v — sing
Derivation: or (the original form) שׁוּר; (1 Samuel 18:6), a primitive root (rather identical with 7788 through the idea of strolling minstrelsy);
to sing
KJV: behold (by mistake for 7789), sing(-er, -ing man, -ing woman).
vb — sing
[שִׁיר] 86 vb. sing (denom.)
Qal 49 sing
Pō‛l. 36 sing
Hoph. be sung
H2474
n — window
a window (as perforated)
KJV: window.
n.m — window
חַלּוֹן n.m. and f. window
H2721
n-m — drought, desolation
Derivation: a collaterally form of 2719;
drought or desolation
KJV: desolation, drought, dry, heat, × utterly, waste.
n.m — dryness
חֹ֫רֶב n.m. dryness, drought, heat
1. dryness
2. drought
3. parching heat
n.[m.] — desolation
חֹ֫רֶב n.[m.] desolation
H5592
n-m — vestibule, dish
Derivation: from 5605, in its original sense of containing;
a vestibule (as a limit); also a dish (for holding blood or wine)
KJV: bason, bowl, cup, door (post), gate, post, threshold.
n.m — threshhold
סַף 24 n.m. threshhold, sill
n.m — basin
סַף n.m. basin, goblet
H3588
conj — relative conjunction
Derivation: a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent;
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
KJV: and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.
conj — that
כִּי conj. that, for, when
1. that
2.
a. Of time, when, of the past
b. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם
c. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though
3. Because, since
relative conjunction
כִּי אם־
1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:
a. that if
b. for if
2. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—
a. limiting the prec. clause, except
b. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but
c. after an oath, surely
forasmuch as
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
H731
n-f — cedar wainscoating
Derivation: feminine of 730;
cedar wainscoating
KJV: cedar work.
H6168
v — be, make, bare, empty, pour out, demolish
Derivation: a primitive root;
to be (causatively, make) bare; hence, to empty, pour out, demolish
KJV: leave destitute, discover, empty, make naked, pour (out), rase, spread self, uncover.
vb — be naked
[עָרָה] vb. be naked, bare
Pi.
1. lay bare
2. lay bare by removing contents, empty, water-jar
3. pour out
Hiph.
1. make naked, of sexual offences
2. pour out
Niph. until there be poured upon us a spirit from on high
Hithp.
1. thou shalt make thyself naked
2. usu. pouring himself, i.e. spreading himself out like a tree
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Verses 12–15
Zephaniah 2:12–15
The cup is going round, when Nebuchadnezzar is going on conquering and to conquer; and not only Israel's near neighbours, but those that lay more remote, must be reckoned with for the wrongs they have done to God's people; the Ethiopians and the Assyrians are here taken to task. 1. The Ethiopians, or Arabians, that had sometimes been a terror to Israel (as in Asa's time, Ch2 14:9), must now be reckoned with: They shall be slain by my sword, Zep 2:12. Nebuchadnezzar was God's sword, the instrument in his hand with which these and other enemies were subdued and punished, Psa 17:14. 2. The Assyrians, and Nineveh the head city of their monarchy, are next set to the bar, to receive their doom: He that is God's sword will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria, and make himself master of it. Assyria had been the rod of God's anger against Israel, and now Babylon is the rod of God's anger against Assyria, Isa 10:5. He will make Nineveh a desolation, as was lately and largely foretold by the prophet Nahum. Observe, (1.) How flourishing Nineveh's state had formerly been (Zep 2:15): This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly. Nineveh was so strong that she feared no evil, and therefore dwelt carelessly and set danger at defiance; she was so rich that she thought herself sure of all good, and therefore was a rejoicing city, full of mirth and gaiety; and she had such a dominion that she admitted no rival, but said in her heart, "I am, and there is none besides me that can compare with me, no city in the world that can pretend to be equal with me." God can with his judgments frighten the most secure, humble the most haughty, and mar the mirth of those that most laugh now. (2.) How complete Nineveh's ruin shall now be; it shall be made a desolation, Zep 2:13. Such a heap of ruins shall this once pompous city be that it shall be, [1.] A receptacle for beasts, such a wilderness that flocks shall lie down in it; nay, such a waste, desolate, frightful place, that wild beasts, shall take up their abode there; the melancholy birds, as the cormorant and bittern, shall make their nests in what remains of the houses, as they sometimes do in old ruinous buildings that are uninhabited and unfrequented. The lintels, or chapiters of the pillars, the windows and thresholds, and all the fine cedar-work curiously engraven, shall lie exposed; and on them these rueful ominous birds shall perch, and their voice shall sing. How are the songs of mirth turned into hideous horrid noises! What little reason have men to be proud of stately buildings, and rich furniture, when they know not what all the pomp of them may come to at last! [2.] A derision to travellers. Those that had come from far, to gratify their curiosity with the sight of Nineveh's splendour, shall now look on her with as much contempt as ever they looked upon her with admiration (Zep 2:15): Every one that passes by shall hiss at her, and wag his hand, making light of her desolations, nay, and making sport with them - "There is an end of proud Nineveh." They shall not weep, and wring their hands (the adversities of those are unpitied and unlamented who were insolent and haughty in their prosperity), but they shall hiss and wag their hands, forgetting that perhaps their own ruin is not far off.
Cross-references: 2Chr 14:9 · Zeph 2:12 · Ps 17:14 · Isa 10:5 · Zeph 2:15 · Zeph 2:13