Zephaniah 2:13
New International Version
He will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, leaving Nineveh utterly desolate and dry as the desert.

New Living Translation
And the LORD will strike the lands of the north with his fist, destroying the land of Assyria. He will make its great capital, Nineveh, a desolate wasteland, parched like a desert.

English Standard Version
And he will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, and he will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry waste like the desert.

Berean Standard Bible
And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as a desert.

King James Bible
And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.

New King James Version
And He will stretch out His hand against the north, Destroy Assyria, And make Nineveh a desolation, As dry as the wilderness.

New American Standard Bible
And He will stretch out His hand against the north And eliminate Assyria, And He will make Nineveh a desolation, Parched like the wilderness.

NASB 1995
And He will stretch out His hand against the north And destroy Assyria, And He will make Nineveh a desolation, Parched like the wilderness.

NASB 1977
And He will stretch out His hand against the north And destroy Assyria, And He will make Nineveh a desolation, Parched like the wilderness.

Legacy Standard Bible
And He will stretch out His hand against the north And cause Assyria to perish, And He will make Nineveh a desolation, Parched like the wilderness.

Amplified Bible
And the LORD will stretch out His hand against the north And destroy Assyria, And He will make Nineveh a desolation [a wasteland], Parched as the desert.

Christian Standard Bible
He will also stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria; he will make Nineveh a desolate ruin, dry as the desert.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He will also stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolate ruin, dry as the desert.

American Standard Version
And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like the wilderness.

Contemporary English Version
The LORD will reach to the north to crush Assyria and overthrow Nineveh.

English Revised Version
And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like the wilderness.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The LORD will use his power against the north and destroy Assyria. He will turn Nineveh into a deserted ruin, a dried up wasteland like the desert.

Good News Translation
The LORD will use his power to destroy Assyria. He will make the city of Nineveh a deserted ruin, a waterless desert.

International Standard Version
"And the LORD will attack the north, destroying Assyria. He will turn Nineveh into a desolate ruin, as dry as a desert wilderness.

Majority Standard Bible
And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as a desert.

NET Bible
The LORD will attack the north and destroy Assyria. He will make Nineveh a heap of ruins; it will be as barren as the desert.

New Heart English Bible
He will stretch out his hand against the north, destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as the wilderness.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.

World English Bible
He will stretch out his hand against the north, destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as the wilderness.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And He stretches His hand against the north, "" And destroys Asshur, "" And He sets Nineveh for a desolation, "" A dry land like a wilderness.

Young's Literal Translation
And He stretcheth His hand against the north, And doth destroy Asshur, And he setteth Nineveh for a desolation, A dry land like a wilderness.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and he will destroy Assur; and he will set Nineveh for a desolation, a dryness as the desert.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he will stretch out his hand upon the north, and will destroy Assyria: and he will make the beautiful city a wilderness, and as a place not passable, and as a desert.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he will extend his hand over the North, and he will destroy Assur. And he will set the Beautiful in the wilderness, and in an impassable place, and like a desert.

New American Bible
He will stretch out his hand against the north, to destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a waste, dry as the desert.

New Revised Standard Version
And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and he will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry waste like the desert.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy the Assyrian, and will make Nineveh a desolation and dry like a wilderness.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he shall raise his hand against the North and he shall destroy the Assyrian and he shall make Nineva destruction and a desolation as a wilderness
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And He will stretch out His hand against the north, And destroy Assyria; And will make Nineveh a desolation, And dry like the wilderness.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he shall stretch forth his hand against the north and destroy the Assyrian, and make Nineve a dry wilderness, even as a desert.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Judgment on Cush and Assyria
12“You too, O Cushites, will be slain by My sword.” 13And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as a desert. 14Herds 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.…

Cross References
Nahum 1:1-3
This is the burden against Nineveh, the book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite: / The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and full of wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on His foes and reserves wrath for His enemies. / The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. His path is in the whirlwind and storm, and clouds are the dust beneath His feet.

Isaiah 10:5-19
Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hands is My wrath. / I will send him against a godless nation; I will dispatch him against a people destined for My rage, to take spoils and seize plunder, and to trample them down like clay in the streets. / But this is not his intention; this is not his plan. For it is in his heart to destroy and cut off many nations. ...

Isaiah 14:24-27
The LORD of Hosts has sworn: “Surely, as I have planned, so will it be; as I have purposed, so will it stand. / I will break Assyria in My land; I will trample him on My mountain. His yoke will be taken off My people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.” / This is the plan devised for the whole earth, and this is the hand stretched out over all the nations. ...

Isaiah 37:36-38
Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! / So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. / One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.

2 Kings 19:35-37
And that very night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! / So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. / One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.

Micah 5:5-6
And He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land and tramples our citadels. We will raise against it seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men. / And they will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the blade drawn. So He will deliver us when Assyria invades our land and marches into our borders.

Jeremiah 50:17-18
Israel is a scattered flock, chased away by lions. The first to devour him was the king of Assyria; the last to crush his bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.” / Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria.

Jeremiah 51:27-28
“Raise a banner in the land! Blow the ram’s horn among the nations! Prepare the nations against her. Summon the kingdoms against her—Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a captain against her; bring up horses like swarming locusts. / Prepare the nations for battle against her—the kings of the Medes, their governors and all their officials, and all the lands they rule.

Ezekiel 31:3-14
Look at Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches that shaded the forest. It towered on high; its top was among the clouds. / The waters made it grow; the deep springs made it tall, directing their streams all around its base and sending their channels to all the trees of the field. / Therefore it towered higher than all the trees of the field. Its branches multiplied, and its boughs grew long as it spread them out because of the abundant waters. ...

Hosea 14:3
Assyria will not save us, nor will we ride on horses. We will never again say, ‘Our gods!’ to the work of our own hands. For in You the fatherless find compassion.”

Amos 1:3-5
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Damascus, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they threshed Gilead with sledges of iron. / So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael to consume the citadels of Ben-hadad. / I will break down the gates of Damascus; I will cut off the ruler from the Valley of Aven and the one who wields the scepter in Beth-eden. The people of Aram will be exiled to Kir,” says the LORD.

2 Chronicles 32:21
and the LORD sent an angel who annihilated every mighty man of valor and every leader and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons struck him down with the sword.

Matthew 12:41
The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.

Luke 11:32
The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.

Acts 17:30-31
Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent. / For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”


Treasury of Scripture

And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.

he will.

Psalm 83:8,9
Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah…

Isaiah 10:12,16
Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks…

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.

will make.

Nahum 1:1
The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

Nahum 2:10,11
She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness…

Nahum 3:7,15,18,19
And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee? …

Jump to Previous
Asshur Assyria Desert Desolate Desolation Destroy Destruction Drought Dry Hand Leaving Nineveh Nin'eveh North Parched Stretch Stretched Stretcheth Unpeopled Utterly Waste Wilderness
Jump to Next
Asshur Assyria Desert Desolate Desolation Destroy Destruction Drought Dry Hand Leaving Nineveh Nin'eveh North Parched Stretch Stretched Stretcheth Unpeopled Utterly Waste Wilderness
Zephaniah 2
1. An exhortation to repentance.
4. The judgment of the Philistines,
8. of Moab and Ammon,
12. of Ethiopia,
13. and of Assyria.














And He will stretch out His hand
This phrase signifies divine intervention and judgment. In the Hebrew context, the "hand" often symbolizes power and authority. The stretching out of God's hand indicates an active and deliberate act of judgment. Historically, this reflects God's sovereignty over nations, emphasizing that no power, however mighty, can withstand His will. The imagery of God's hand is a reminder of His omnipotence and the certainty of His plans.

against the north
The "north" here refers to the direction from which Assyria, a dominant empire of the time, posed a threat to Israel and Judah. In ancient Near Eastern geography, Assyria was located to the north of Israel. This phrase underscores the specific target of God's judgment, highlighting the precision of His justice. It also serves as a reminder of God's protection over His people, as He addresses threats from powerful adversaries.

and destroy Assyria
Assyria was known for its military prowess and brutal conquests, often seen as an instrument of God's judgment against Israel and other nations. However, this phrase indicates a reversal of roles, where Assyria itself becomes the object of divine judgment. The Hebrew root for "destroy" conveys a complete and utter end, emphasizing the totality of God's judgment. Historically, this prophecy was fulfilled when the Assyrian Empire fell to the Babylonians, demonstrating the accuracy and reliability of God's word.

and He will make Nineveh a desolation
Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, was a symbol of the empire's might and splendor. The term "desolation" in Hebrew suggests a state of utter ruin and abandonment. This prophecy foretells the complete downfall of what was once a thriving and powerful city. Archaeological evidence supports this, as Nineveh was indeed destroyed and left in ruins, never to regain its former glory. This serves as a powerful testament to the consequences of pride and wickedness before God.

dry as the desert
The imagery of a "desert" conveys barrenness and lifelessness. In the ancient world, deserts were seen as places of desolation and hardship. By comparing Nineveh to a desert, the prophecy emphasizes the extent of its destruction and the absence of life and prosperity. This serves as a stark warning of the results of defying God, while also offering hope that He will ultimately bring justice and restore righteousness. The transformation from a bustling city to a barren wasteland illustrates the transient nature of human power compared to the eternal sovereignty of God.

Verse 13. - The north, represented by Assyria, as yet unconquered, and still apparently flourishing. Though this country lay to the northeast of Palestine, its armies attacked from the north, and it is generally represented as a northern power. Its destruction was foretold (Isaiah 10:12; Ezekiel 31:11, etc.; Nahum 1:14, etc.). In this verse the Hebrew verbs are not in the simple future, but in the imperative or optative mood, "Let him stretch out his hand," etc., as though the prophet were praying that the enemies of his people might be overthrown. Nineveh. St. Jerome gives speciosam, rendering the proper name according to his notion of its Hebrew etymology. Its proper meaning, in Accadian, would be "Fish house,". i.e. house consecrated to the god of fish. (For a description of Nineveh, see note on Jonah 1:2. For the destruction of Nineveh, see the Introduction to Nahum, § I.) Dry like a wilderness. The country shall become an and desert. Assyria was greatly indebted for its remarkable fertility to a very successful system of artificial irrigation, and when this was not maintained, great tracts soon relapsed into a wilderness (Layard, 'Nineveh,' 2:68). "Cultivation," says Professor Rawlinson, "is now the exception instead of the rule. 'Instead of the luxuriant fields, the groves and gardens of former times, nothing now meets the eye but an arid waste' (Chesny). Large tracts are covered by unwholesome marshes, producing nothing but enormous reeds; others lie waste and bare, parched up by the fierce heat of the sun, and utterly destitute of water; in some places sand drifts accumulate, and threaten to make the whole region a mere portion of the desert" ('Anc. Men.,' 1:41).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And He will stretch out
וְיֵ֤ט (wə·yêṭ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

His hand
יָדוֹ֙ (yā·ḏōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

against
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the north
צָפ֔וֹן (ṣā·p̄ō·wn)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6828: Hidden, dark, the north as a, quarter

and destroy
וִֽיאַבֵּ֖ד (wî·’ab·bêḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6: To wander away, lose oneself, to perish

Assyria;
אַשּׁ֑וּר (’aš·šūr)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 804: Ashshur

He will make
וְיָשֵׂ֤ם (wə·yā·śêm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

Nineveh
נִֽינְוֵה֙ (nî·nə·wêh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5210: Nineveh -- capital of Assyr

a desolation,
לִשְׁמָמָ֔ה (liš·mā·māh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8077: Devastation, astonishment

as dry
צִיָּ֖ה (ṣî·yāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6723: Aridity, a desert

as a desert.
כַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ (kam·miḏ·bār)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech


Links
Zephaniah 2:13 NIV
Zephaniah 2:13 NLT
Zephaniah 2:13 ESV
Zephaniah 2:13 NASB
Zephaniah 2:13 KJV

Zephaniah 2:13 BibleApps.com
Zephaniah 2:13 Biblia Paralela
Zephaniah 2:13 Chinese Bible
Zephaniah 2:13 French Bible
Zephaniah 2:13 Catholic Bible

OT Prophets: Zephaniah 2:13 He will stretch out his hand against (Zeph. Zep Zp)
Zephaniah 2:12
Top of Page
Top of Page