Zephaniah 2:11
in Zephaniah 2The LORD will be terrifying to them when He starves all the gods of the earth. Then the nations of every shore will bow in worship to Him, each in its own place.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Jehovah will be terrible unto them; for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the nations.
KJV
The Lord will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.
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This verse in Zephaniah 2
Commentary
11 notes on this verse(Ver. 8 onwards) I have heard the reproach of Moab and the blasphemies of the sons of Ammon, who have reproached my people and magnified themselves against their borders. Therefore, as I live, says the Lord God (God remains silent), the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Moab shall be like Sodom, and the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah, a land of thorns and salt pits, and a desolation forever. The remnant of my people shall plunder them; the survivors of my nation shall possess them.
This site's exposition
he will famish all the gods of the earth
Famishing the gods of the earth pictures the pagan deities starved of the worship and sacrifice that sustained their cults, an image the bench reads as judgment falling on the idols themselves rather than only on their worshippers. Every one from his place widens the horizon past Philistia, Moab, Ammon and Cush to the isles of the heathen generally, a scattered worship of the true God replacing the scattered altars of the false ones without yet naming one central sanctuary. Malachi 1:11's my name shall be great among the Gentiles carries the same universal note later in the Twelve, and the bench sets the two verses beside each other as the shared theme it is.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
And they, though they had for so long a time been silent in their temples about these things that were to come, things that were predicted, as they could not have been unaware, through the prophets, after their fulfilment began to draw nigh, they wished to foretell them (so to speak), so as not to seem ignorant and defeated. Therefore, since Zephaniah the prophet had made the following prediction (to omit the other prophecies for now) and written it down so long ago—The Lord will prevail against them and exterminate all the gods of the nations of the earth, and they will adore him, each and every one from his own place, all the islands of the nations—three possibilities remain. First, they did not believe that these things were going to happen to themselves, who were worshipped in the temples of the nations, and so they did not want to repeat these things through their seers and fanatics.
The Lord will come suddenly upon them, and will utterly destroy all the gods of the nations of the earth, and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the nations! From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia shall they …
A commentator
John ChrysostomDEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST THE PAGANS 17:5 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
Despite all this, they still could not raise up a temple and restore the place in which they would be allowed to observe all these rituals according to the law. For the power of Christ, the power which founded the church, has also destroyed that place. The prophet foretold that Christ would come and that he would do these things, even though he would not come until after the captivity.
Nor think that it was foretold that the nations should come unto some one place of God, in that it was said, "Unto Thee shall the nations come from the extremity of the earth." Understand, if you can, that unto the God of the Christians, Who is the Supreme and True God, the peoples of the nations come, not by walking but by believing. For the same thing was by another prophet thus foretold, "The Lord," saith he, "shall prevail against them, and shall utterly destroy all the gods of the nations of the earth: and all the isles of the nations shall worship Him, each man from his place." Whereas the one says, "Unto Thee all nations shall come;" this the other says, "They shall worship Him, each man from his place." Therefore they shall come unto Him, not departing from their own place, because believing in Him they shall find Him in their hearts.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Heathen nations must be converted; when the gospel gets ground, by it men shall be brought to worship him who lives for ever (for that is the command of the everlasting gospel, Rev. xiv. 7 ), every one from his place; they shall not need to go up to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel, but wherever they are, they may have access to him.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The Lord will be terrible unto them,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It does not mean, as in Isa 2:2; 14:16 that they shall come from their several places to Jerusalem to worship [MAURER]. all . . . isles of . . . heathen--that is, all the maritime regions, especially the west, now being fulfilled in the gathering in of the Gentiles to Messiah.
He will famish all the gods of the earth - They shall have no more sacrifices; their worship shall be entirely destroyed. Idolaters supposed that their gods actually fed on the fumes and spirituous exhalations that arose from the burnt-offerings which they made unto their idols. It is in reference to this opinion that the Lord says, “He will famish all the gods of the land.”
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The Lord will be terrible unto - (upon) them that is, upon Moab and Ammon, and yet not in themselves only, but as instances of His just judgment. Whence it follows, “For He will famish all the gods of the earth” (Rup.). Miserable indeed, to whom the Lord is terrible! Whence is this? Is not God by Nature sweet and pleasurable and serene, and an Object of longing? For the Angels ever desire to look into Him, and, in a wonderful and unspeakable way, ever look and ever long to look.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
You, too, Cushites When Israel was exiled there to the other side of the rivets of Cush.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| נוֹרָ֤א | nora' | [will be] awesome | H3372 → | 315 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם | ʾaleihem | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| רָזָ֔ה | razah | he will make lean | H7329 → | |
| אֵ֖ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] gods of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| הָאָ֑רֶץ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וְיִשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־ | veyishtachavu- | so they may bow down | H7812 → | 172 times |
| לוֹ֙ | lo | to him | ||
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | everyone | H376 → | |
| מִמְּקוֹמ֔וֹ | mimekomo | from own place his | H4725 → | |
| כֹּ֖ל | kol | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אִיֵּ֥י | ʾiyei | [the] islands of | H339 → | |
| הַגּוֹיִֽם׃ | hagoyim | the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
נוֹרָ֤א[will be] awesome
nora'H3372 →315 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֔םon them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
כִּ֣יif
kiH3588 →4482 times
רָזָ֔הhe will make lean
razahH7329 →
אֵ֖ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] gods of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
הָאָ֑רֶץthe earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
וְיִשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־so they may bow down
veyishtachavu-H7812 →172 times
לוֹ֙to him
lo
אִ֣ישׁeveryone
ʾishH376 →
מִמְּקוֹמ֔וֹfrom own place his
mimekomoH4725 →
כֹּ֖לall
kolH3605 →5413 times
אִיֵּ֥י[the] islands of
ʾiyeiH339 →
הַגּוֹיִֽם׃the nations
hagoyimH1471 →561 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Zechariah 2:11“On that day many nations will join themselves to the LORD, and they will become My people. I will dwell among you, and you will know that the LORD of Hosts has sent Me…
it leads to
- Revelation 11:15
Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign…
- 1 Peter 2:9–10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
- Acts 28:28
Be advised, therefore, that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”
- Revelation 11:15
Through
Zechariah 13:2And on that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 22:22
And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’
- Hosea 2:17
For I will remove from her lips the names of the Baals; no longer will their names be invoked.
- Jeremiah 23:14–15
And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns his back on wickedness.…
- Ezekiel 36:25
I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.
- Exodus 23:13
Pay close attention to everything I have said to you. You must not invoke the names of other gods; they must not be heard on your lips.
- 1 Kings 22:22
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Zephaniah
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, ON THE DIVINATION OF DEMONS 7; Augustine of Hippo, ON FAITH IN THINGS UNSEEN 4; Cosmas Indicopleustes, The Christian Topography, Book 5; Edward Bouverie Pusey, The Minor Prophets: A Commentary; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Zephaniah; John Chrysostom, DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST THE PAGANS 17:5; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.