The Meaning of Zephaniah 2:14 Explained

Zephaniah 2:14

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.

YLT: And crouched in her midst have droves, Every beast of the nation, Both pelican and hedge-hog in her knobs lodge, A voice doth sing at the window, 'Destruction is at the threshold, For the cedar-work is exposed.'

Darby: And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the crowd of beasts; both the pelican and the bittern shall lodge in the chapiters thereof; a voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be on the thresholds: for he hath laid bare the cedar work.

ASV: And herds shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the pelican and the porcupine shall lodge in the capitals thereof; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds: for he hath laid bare the cedar-work.

Discover Zephaniah 2:14

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Zephaniah 2:14?

MEANING: What does Zephaniah 2:14 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Zephaniah 2:14 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Zephaniah 2:14?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Zephaniah 2:14 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Beautiful Nineveh would become a dwelling place for wild animals and birds rather than populated with multitudes of sophisticated citizens. The very idea must have seemed incredible in Zephaniah"s day because Nineveh was the greatest city in the ancient Near East. [1]

Context Summary

Zephaniah 2:1-15 - Meekness Saves, Pride Destroys
The nation, on the whole, had no remorse, no desire for God; but there were a few meek and lowly souls, and the hope was held out to them that they would be hidden from the coming overthrow. God discriminates in His judgments, and sends His angels to conduct Lot out of Sodom. The judgment of the surrounding nations occupies Zephaniah 2:4-15. Philistia, Moab, Amnion, Ethiopia and Assyria, are mentioned. God never forgets the treatment meted out to His people by their foes, Zephaniah 2:8-10. The captivity of Israel would be turned again, but there was no hope of recovery for the peoples that had rejoiced in their overthrow. What a picture is given in Zephaniah 2:11 of famished gods! It seemed incredible that great Nineveh should become a wilderness, yet so it has been for centuries. Whenever an individual or nation dwells carelessly, destruction is not far away. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Zephaniah 2:14 mean?

And shall lie down in her midst the herds every beast of the nation both the pelican and the bittern on the capitals [of] her [pillars] shall lodge their voice shall sing in the windows Desolation [shall be] at the threshold for the cedar work He will lay bare
וְרָבְצ֨וּ בְתוֹכָ֤הּ עֲדָרִים֙ כָּל־ חַיְתוֹ־ ג֔וֹי גַּם־ קָאַת֙ גַּם־ קִפֹּ֔ד בְּכַפְתֹּרֶ֖יהָ יָלִ֑ינוּ ק֠וֹל יְשׁוֹרֵ֤ר בַּֽחַלּוֹן֙ חֹ֣רֶב בַּסַּ֔ף כִּ֥י אַרְזָ֖ה עֵרָֽה

וְרָבְצ֨וּ  And  shall  lie  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: רָבַץ  
Sense: to stretch oneself out, lie down, lie stretched out.
בְתוֹכָ֤הּ  in  her  midst 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
עֲדָרִים֙  the  herds 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֵדֶר  
Sense: flock, herd.
כָּל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
חַיְתוֹ־  beast 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
ג֔וֹי  of  the  nation 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
גַּם־  both 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
קָאַת֙  the  pelican 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: קָאַת  
Sense: a ceremonially unclean bird.
קִפֹּ֔ד  the  bittern 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קִפֹּד  
Sense: porcupine, hedgehog.
בְּכַפְתֹּרֶ֖יהָ  on  the  capitals  [of]  her  [pillars] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: כַּפְתֹּור  
Sense: bulb, knob, capital, capital of a pillar.
יָלִ֑ינוּ  shall  lodge 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לוּן 
Sense: to lodge, stop over, pass the night, abide.
ק֠וֹל  their  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
יְשׁוֹרֵ֤ר  shall  sing 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שִׁיר  
Sense: to sing.
בַּֽחַלּוֹן֙  in  the  windows 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: חַלֹּון 
Sense: window (piercing of the wall).
חֹ֣רֶב  Desolation  [shall  be] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹרֶב 
Sense: dryness, desolation, drought, heat.
בַּסַּ֔ף  at  the  threshold 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סַף 
Sense: a spreading out, basin, goblet, bowl.
אַרְזָ֖ה  the  cedar  work 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַרְזָה  
Sense: cedar-panels, cedar-work.
עֵרָֽה  He  will  lay  bare 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָרָה  
Sense: to be bare, be nude, uncover, leave destitute, discover, empty, raze, pour out.

What are the major concepts related to Zephaniah 2:14?

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Similar Scriptures for Zephaniah 2:14

Isaiah 13:19-22 [3]
Jeremiah 22:14 [3]
Isaiah 34:11-17 [3]
Amos 9:1 [3]
Isaiah 14:23 [2]
Revelation 18:2 [2]
Zephaniah 2:6 [1]