Zephaniah 2:13
"And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness."

Commentary

Gill's Exposition

And he will stretch out his hand against the north,.... Either the Lord, or Nebuchadnezzar his sword; who, as he would subdue the nations that lay southward, he would lead his army northward against the land of Assyria,

which lay to the north of Judea, as next explained: and destroy Assyria; that famous monarchy, which had ruled over the kingdoms of the earth, now should come to an end, and be reduced to subjection to the king of Babylon: and will make Nineveh a desolation; which was the capital city, the metropolis of the Assyrian monarchy: Nahum prophesies at large of the destruction of this city: and dry like a wilderness; which before was a very watery place, situated by rivers, particularly the river Tigris; so that it was formerly like a pool of water, Nah 2:6 but now should be dry like a heath or desert, Dr. Prideaux places the destruction of Nineveh in the twenty ninth year of Josiah's reign; but Bishop Usher earlier, in the sixteenth year of his reign; and, if so, then Zephaniah, who here prophesies of it, must begin to prophesy in the former part of Josiah's reign.

Source: Gill's Exposition (Public Domain)

Hebrew Word Studies (13 words)

H5186 נָטָה
Definition:

19+; 3 feminine singularנָָֽכְתָהNumbers 22:33; 2masculine singularנָטִיתָExodus 15:12; 3pluralנָטוּPsalm 21:42;Isaiah 45:12,נָטָ֫יוּPsalm 73:2Qr, etc.;ImperfectיִטֶּהJob 15:29, jussiveיֵטZephaniah 2: 19+; 3 feminine singularנָָֽכְתָהNumbers 22:33; 2masculine singularנָטִיתָExodus 15:12; 3pluralנָטוּPsalm 21:42;Isaiah 45:12,נָטָ֫יוּPsalm 73:2Qr, etc.;ImperfectיִטֶּהJob 15:29, jussiveיֵטZephaniah 2:

Possible Meanings:
  • stretch out (semantic_range)
  • spread out (semantic_range)
  • extend (semantic_range)
  • incline (semantic_range)
  • bend (semantic_range)
H3027 יָד
Definition:

26+ often (masculineExodus 17:12see Di; onיִרְמּוּ יָדַיִם2 Samuel 4:1;Zephaniah 3:16; 2Chronicles 15:7;Nehemiah 6:9, see Ges§ 145, 7 a, R. 1)hand(Late Hebrewid.; Aramaicיְדָא,; ZinjirliידDHMSendsch.G 26+ often (masculineExodus 17:12see Di; onיִרְמּוּ יָדַיִם2 Samuel 4:1;Zephaniah 3:16; 2Chronicles 15:7;Nehemiah 6:9, see Ges§ 145, 7 a, R. 1)hand(Late Hebrewid.; Aramaicיְדָא,; ZinjirliידDHMSendsch.G

Possible Meanings:
  • power (semantic_range)
H5921 עַל
Definition:

“The Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). From the opening verses, עַל marks God’s sovereignty above the chaotic deep, foreshadowing His orderly governance of the “The Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). From the opening verses, עַל marks God’s sovereignty above the chaotic deep, foreshadowing His orderly governance of the

Possible Meanings:
  • upon (semantic_range)
  • on account of (semantic_range)
  • to (semantic_range)
H6828 צָפוֹן
Definition:

6north(as thehidden, dark; compare Thes LewyFremdw. 188 f.; perhaps Phoenicianצפלnorth); — absolute׳צJeremiah 26:26+,צָפֹ֫נָהnorthwardGenesis 13:14+, oftenerצָפ֫וֺנָהJeremiah 3:12+, alsoצָפ֫וֺנָה=צָפו 6north(as thehidden, dark; compare Thes LewyFremdw. 188 f.; perhaps Phoenicianצפלnorth); — absolute׳צJeremiah 26:26+,צָפֹ֫נָהnorthwardGenesis 13:14+, oftenerצָפ֫וֺנָהJeremiah 3:12+, alsoצָפ֫וֺנָה=צָפו

H0006 אָבַד
Definition:

30+;אָֽבְדוּPsalm 10:16+ (+Ezekiel 6:3ᵐ5Co) etc.;ImperfectיאֹבַדJob 3:3;Jeremiah 4:9;יאֹבֵ֑דּJob 20:72t.; 3 feminine singularתּאֹבַדDeuteronomy 22:34t.;תּאֹבֵ֑דJob 8:133t.;יאֹבְדוּJudges 5:313t.;יאֹבֵ 30+;אָֽבְדוּPsalm 10:16+ (+Ezekiel 6:3ᵐ5Co) etc.;ImperfectיאֹבַדJob 3:3;Jeremiah 4:9;יאֹבֵ֑דּJob 20:72t.; 3 feminine singularתּאֹבַדDeuteronomy 22:34t.;תּאֹבֵ֑דJob 8:133t.;יאֹבְדוּJudges 5:313t.;יאֹבֵ

Possible Meanings:
  • perish (semantic_range)
  • they shall perish (semantic_range)
  • destroy (semantic_range)
  • be destroyed (semantic_range)
H0853 אֵת
Definition:

33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34: 33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34:

Possible Meanings:
  • sign (semantic_range)
H0804 אַשּׁוּר
Definition:

Or iashshur {ash-shoor'}; apparently from'ashar(in the sense of successful); Ashshur, the second son of Shem; also his descendants and the country occupied by them (i.e. Assyria), its region and its e Or iashshur {ash-shoor'}; apparently from'ashar(in the sense of successful); Ashshur, the second son of Shem; also his descendants and the country occupied by them (i.e. Assyria), its region and its e

Possible Meanings:
  • step (semantic_range)
  • going (semantic_range)
H7760 שׂוּם
Definition:

582verbput, place, set(compare NöZMG xxxvii (1883), 532; Late HebrewסוּסPi`eldesignate, fix,שׂוםEcclus 45:5c; Ecclus 49:6; Phoenicianשם, Assyrianšâmu. fix, determine;Sabeanשׂיםset, set up, SabDenkmNo. 582verbput, place, set(compare NöZMG xxxvii (1883), 532; Late HebrewסוּסPi`eldesignate, fix,שׂוםEcclus 45:5c; Ecclus 49:6; Phoenicianשם, Assyrianšâmu. fix, determine;Sabeanשׂיםset, set up, SabDenkmNo.

Possible Meanings:
  • make (semantic_range)
  • make (semantic_range)
  • make (semantic_range)
  • appoint (semantic_range)
H0853 אֵת
Definition:

33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34: 33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34:

Possible Meanings:
  • sign (semantic_range)
H5210 נִינְוֵה
Definition:

11,12 (J),2 Kings 19:36=Isaiah 37:37;Nahum 1:1;Nahum 2:9;Nahum 3:7;Zephaniah 2:13;Jonah 1:2;Jonah 3:3a;Jonah 3:4,5,6,7, calledהָעִיר הַגְּדוֺלָהJonah 3:3a 3bJonah 4:11(compare 3aJonah 3:4f.);ᵐ5Νινευη, 11,12 (J),2 Kings 19:36=Isaiah 37:37;Nahum 1:1;Nahum 2:9;Nahum 3:7;Zephaniah 2:13;Jonah 1:2;Jonah 3:3a;Jonah 3:4,5,6,7, calledהָעִיר הַגְּדוֺלָהJonah 3:3a 3bJonah 4:11(compare 3aJonah 3:4f.);ᵐ5Νινευη,

Possible Meanings:
  • Nineveh (semantic_range)
H8077 שְׁמָמָה
Definition:

29+; plural constructשִׁמְמוֺתJeremiah 51:26+; —waste, usually of land, city, house, etc.,Exodus 23:29(E),Isaiah 1:7(probably strike out, with words following StuJP Th. 1877, 714FBJBL (1890), 84),Levi 29+; plural constructשִׁמְמוֺתJeremiah 51:26+; —waste, usually of land, city, house, etc.,Exodus 23:29(E),Isaiah 1:7(probably strike out, with words following StuJP Th. 1877, 714FBJBL (1890), 84),Levi

Possible Meanings:
  • a devastation (semantic_range)
H6723 צִיָּה
Definition:

5+; pluralצִיּוֺתPsalm 105:41; —droughtJob 24:19(""חֹם); elsewhere of land (often ""מִדְבָּר,עְַרָבָהetc.):׳אֶרֶץ צland of drought, desertHosea 2:5(simile),Jeremiah 2:6;Jeremiah 50:12(figurative),Jere 5+; pluralצִיּוֺתPsalm 105:41; —droughtJob 24:19(""חֹם); elsewhere of land (often ""מִדְבָּר,עְַרָבָהetc.):׳אֶרֶץ צland of drought, desertHosea 2:5(simile),Jeremiah 2:6;Jeremiah 50:12(figurative),Jere

Possible Meanings:
  • dryness (semantic_range)
H4057 מִדְבָּר
Definition:

Fromdabarin the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. Open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs) -- desert, south, speech, wilderness.see HEBREWda Fromdabarin the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. Open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs) -- desert, south, speech, wilderness.see HEBREWda

Possible Meanings:
  • uninhabited land (semantic_range)
  • large tracts (semantic_range)

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