The Meaning of Zephaniah 2:10 Explained

Zephaniah 2:10

KJV: This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.

YLT: This is to them for their arrogancy, Because they have reproached, And they magnify themselves against the people of Jehovah of Hosts.

Darby: This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of Jehovah of hosts.

ASV: This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of Jehovah of hosts.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

This shall they have for their pride,  because they have reproached  and magnified  [themselves] against the people  of the LORD  of hosts. 

What does Zephaniah 2:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Yahweh of armies would bring this fate on these nations because of their pride and arrogant ridicule of His people Israel (cf. Isaiah 16:6; Jeremiah 48:26; Jeremiah 48:29; Ezekiel 25:5-6; Ezekiel 25:8).

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 2:10 mean?

This they shall have for their pride because they have reproached and made arrogant threats Against the people of Yahweh of hosts
זֹ֥את לָהֶ֖ם תַּ֣חַת גְּאוֹנָ֑ם כִּ֤י חֵֽרְפוּ֙ וַיַּגְדִּ֔לוּ עַל־ עַ֖ם יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת

זֹ֥את  This 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
לָהֶ֖ם  they  shall  have 
Parse: Preposition-l, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
גְּאוֹנָ֑ם  their  pride 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: גָּאֹון  
Sense: exaltation, majesty, pride.
כִּ֤י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
חֵֽרְפוּ֙  they  have  reproached 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָרַף 
Sense: to reproach, taunt, blaspheme, defy, jeopardise, rail, upbraid.
וַיַּגְדִּ֔לוּ  and  made  arrogant  threats 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: גָּדַל  
Sense: to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things.
עַל־  Against 
Parse: Preposition
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.
עַ֖ם  the  people  of 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
צְבָאֽוֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.