Verse (Click for Chapter) 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 VersionAnd 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 BibleAnd 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 BibleAnd 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 1917And 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 Assyria12“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 WildernessJump to Next Asshur Assyria Desert Desolate Desolation Destroy Destruction Drought Dry Hand Leaving Nineveh Nin'eveh North Parched Stretch Stretched Stretcheth Unpeopled Utterly Waste WildernessZephaniah 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 against the north This phrase indicates divine intervention and judgment. The "north" refers to the region where Assyria was located, a powerful empire known for its military might and cruelty. The stretching out of God's hand symbolizes His sovereign power to execute judgment. This imagery is consistent with other biblical passages where God's hand represents His authority and action (e.g., Exodus 7:5, Isaiah 14:26-27). and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as a desert. Persons / Places / Events 1. ZephaniahA prophet in the Old Testament, Zephaniah's ministry was during the reign of King Josiah of Judah. His prophecies focus on the coming judgment of God upon Judah and the surrounding nations. 2. Assyria A powerful empire in the ancient Near East, known for its military might and cruelty. Assyria was a dominant force during Zephaniah's time, having previously conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel. 3. Nineveh The capital city of Assyria, known for its grandeur and wickedness. It was a significant city in the ancient world and a symbol of Assyrian power. 4. The North Refers to the direction from which Assyria would face God's judgment. In biblical terms, the north often symbolizes a place of threat or impending judgment. 5. God's Judgment The event where God exercises His divine justice against nations and peoples who have turned away from His ways. In this context, it is specifically against Assyria and Nineveh. Teaching Points God's Sovereignty Over NationsGod is in control of all nations and empires, regardless of their power or influence. His plans and purposes will ultimately prevail. The Certainty of Divine Judgment God's judgment is certain and will come to pass. This serves as a warning to all nations and individuals to turn from wickedness and seek righteousness. The Call to Repentance While judgment is certain, God's desire is for repentance. The account of Nineveh in Jonah reminds us that God is merciful and willing to forgive those who turn to Him. The Transience of Earthly Power Earthly empires and powers are temporary. Assyria, once a mighty empire, was brought to desolation. This reminds us not to place our trust in worldly power but in God. The Importance of Humility Pride and arrogance lead to downfall. Assyria's pride was a significant factor in its judgment. We are called to walk humbly with 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 outוְיֵ֤ט (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 NIVZephaniah 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. 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