The Meaning of Zephaniah 2:15 Explained

Zephaniah 2:15

KJV: This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.

YLT: This is the exulting city that is dwelling confidently, That is saying in her heart, 'I am, and beside me there is none,' How hath she been for a desolation, A crouching-place for beasts, Every one passing by her doth hiss, He doth shake his hand!

Darby: This is the rejoicing city that dwelt in security, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none else beside me: how is she become a desolation, a couching-place for beasts! Every one that passeth by her shall hiss, shall wave his hand.

ASV: This is the joyous city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none besides me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

This [is] the rejoicing  city  that dwelt  carelessly,  that said  in her heart,  I [am], and [there is] none beside  me: how is she become a desolation,  a place for beasts  to lie down in!  every one that passeth by  her shall hiss,  [and] wag  his hand. 

What does Zephaniah 2:15 Mean?

Verse Meaning

In Zephaniah"s day Nineveh was proud, carefree, and apparently impregnable. Its residents boasted of being citizens of the most important city in the world (cf. Isaiah 10:12). Yet in the future it would become a desolate place for beasts rather than barons. Passersby would ridicule the pride of Nineveh verbally by reviling it and bodily by shaking their fists at it after its fall (cf. Nahum 3:19).
Motyer summarized five principles that Zephaniah taught in this section ( Zephaniah 2:4-15). First, the Lord is the God of all the earth. Second, the Lord plans for the spiritual needs of the world. Third, the Lord is in charge of the whole historical process. Fourth, the Lord"s people are central to his world purposes. And fifth, the Lord is the fierce enemy of pride. [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 2:15 mean?

This [is] the city rejoicing that dwelt securely that said in her heart I [am it] and [there is] none besides me how has she become a desolation a resting place for beasts Everyone who passes by her shall hiss and shake his fist -
זֹ֞֠את הָעִ֤יר הָעַלִּיזָה֙ הַיּוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת לָבֶ֔טַח הָאֹֽמְרָה֙ בִּלְבָבָ֔הּ אֲנִ֖י וְאַפְסִ֣י ע֑וֹד אֵ֣יךְ ׀ הָיְתָ֣ה לְשַׁמָּ֗ה מַרְבֵּץ֙ לַֽחַיָּ֔ה כֹּ֚ל עוֹבֵ֣ר עָלֶ֔יהָ יִשְׁרֹ֖ק יָנִ֥יעַ יָדֽוֹ ס

זֹ֞֠את  This  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
הָעִ֤יר  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
הָעַלִּיזָה֙  rejoicing 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: עַלִּיז  
Sense: exultant, jubilant.
הַיּוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת  that  dwelt 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
לָבֶ֔טַח  securely 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֶּטַח  
Sense: security, safety adv.
הָאֹֽמְרָה֙  that  said 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בִּלְבָבָ֔הּ  in  her  heart 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
אֲנִ֖י  I  [am  it] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
וְאַפְסִ֣י  and  [there  is]  none 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אֶפֶס 
Sense: ceasing, end, finality.
ע֑וֹד  besides  me 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
אֵ֣יךְ ׀  how 
Parse: Interjection
Root: אֵיךְ 
Sense: how? interj.
הָיְתָ֣ה  has  she  become 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְשַׁמָּ֗ה  a  desolation 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שַׁמָּה  
Sense: waste, horror, appalment.
מַרְבֵּץ֙  a  resting  place 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַרְבֵּץ  
Sense: place of lying down, resting or dwelling place.
לַֽחַיָּ֔ה  for  beasts 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
כֹּ֚ל  Everyone 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עוֹבֵ֣ר  who  passes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
עָלֶ֔יהָ  by  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יִשְׁרֹ֖ק  shall  hiss 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁרַק  
Sense: to hiss, whistle, pipe.
יָנִ֥יעַ  and  shake 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נוּעַ  
Sense: to quiver, totter, shake, reel, stagger, wander, move, sift, make move, wave, waver, tremble.
יָדֽוֹ  his  fist 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation