Zephaniah 2:4–15 (September 12, 2025)
- Brian Lee
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
2:4 For Gaza shall be deserted,
and Ashkelon shall become a desolation;
Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon,
and Ekron shall be uprooted.
5 Woe to you inhabitants of the seacoast,
you nation of the Cherethites!
The word of the Lord is against you,
O Canaan, land of the Philistines;
and I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left.
6 And you, O seacoast, shall be pastures,
with meadows[a] for shepherds
and folds for flocks.
7 The seacoast shall become the possession
of the remnant of the house of Judah,
on which they shall graze,
and in the houses of Ashkelon
they shall lie down at evening.
For the Lord their God will be mindful of them
and restore their fortunes.
8 “I have heard the taunts of Moab
and the revilings of the Ammonites,
how they have taunted my people
and made boasts against their territory.
9 Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of hosts,
the God of Israel,
“Moab shall become like Sodom,
and the Ammonites like Gomorrah,
a land possessed by nettles and salt pits,
and a waste forever.
The remnant of my people shall plunder them,
and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.”
10 This shall be their lot in return for their pride,
because they taunted and boasted
against the people of the Lord of hosts.
11 The Lord will be awesome against them;
for he will famish all the gods of the earth,
and to him shall bow down,
each in its place,
all the lands of the nations.
12 You also, O Cushites,
shall be slain by my sword.
13 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.
14 Herds shall lie down in her midst,
all kinds of beasts;[b]
even the owl and the hedgehog[c]
shall lodge in her capitals;
a voice shall hoot in the window;
devastation will be on the threshold;
for her cedar work will be laid bare.
15 This is the exultant city
that lived securely,
that said in her heart,
“I am, and there is no one else.”
What a desolation she has become,
a lair for wild beasts!
Everyone who passes by her
hisses and shakes his fist.
Footnotes
Zephaniah 2:6 Or caves
Zephaniah 2:14 Hebrew beasts of every nation
Zephaniah 2:14 The identity of the animals rendered owl and hedgehog is uncertain.
Summary
After calling Judah to seek the Lord (2:1–3), Zephaniah turns outward to pronounce judgment on the nations around her. Philistia in the west (2:4–7), Moab and Ammon in the east (2:8–11), Cush in the south (2:12), and Assyria in the north (2:13–15) all come under God’s verdict. This sweeping geography shows that the day of the Lord reaches to every corner of the earth.
Philistia’s cities—Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Ekron—will be desolate. Yet within this judgment is a promise of hope. The remnant of Judah will inherit their land (2:7). Moab and Ammon, who taunted and insulted God’s people, will themselves become wastelands like Sodom and Gomorrah. In that judgment, the nations will learn to fear the Lord:
“The Lord will be awesome against them; for he will famish all the gods of the earth, and to him shall bow down, each in its place, all the lands of the nations.” (2:11).
Cush (2:12) and then finally Assyria, the dominant empire of the north, with its proud capital, Nineveh, will be reduced to desolation. The once-mighty city that said in her heart, “I am, and there is no one else” (2:15) will be utterly silenced.
Who is God
God is the universal King and Judge. He is not a local deity tied to one nation but the Lord of all the earth, who brings down the proud and vindicates His people. He alone deserves worship for He alone is the true God. He will “famish all the gods of the earth” (2:11). He is also the God of covenant promise. Even in judgment, He remembers His people and preserves a remnant (2:7).
What is our Guilt
We are guilty of pride, idolatry, and hostility toward God’s people. Moab and Ammon mocked and taunted (2:8). Assyria boasted in self-sufficiency, claiming absolute sovereignty (2:15). Pride and false worship are not limited to ancient nations. They echo in our own hearts whenever we exalt ourselves, despise others, or place trust in idols of power, security, or culture. The fact is, there's an "Assyria" in all of us.
How does Grace Shine
God promises that a remnant will inherit the land of the Philistines (2:7), showing His covenant faithfulness to His people. Second, judgment itself serves a redemptive purpose:
“The Lord will be awesome against them; for he will famish all the gods of the earth, and to him shall bow down, each in its place, all the lands of the nations” (2:11).
This anticipates the gospel promise that in Christ, people from every nation will turn from idols to serve the living God. The arrogance of Assyria is overturned by the humility of Christ, who did not say, “I am, and there is no one else,” but instead, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Prayer
Lord, you are the Judge of all the nations and the King over all the earth. We confess our pride and our idolatry, and we acknowledge how easily we mock or despise others in arrogance. Humble our hearts to bow before you alone.
Thank you that in Christ you have preserved a people for yourself, gathered from every nation, to worship you in truth. May we live as citizens of your kingdom, awaiting the day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.