Zephaniah 2 11

Zephaniah 2:11 kjv

The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.

Zephaniah 2:11 nkjv

The LORD will be awesome to them, For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; People shall worship Him, Each one from his place, Indeed all the shores of the nations.

Zephaniah 2:11 niv

The LORD will be awesome to them when he destroys all the gods of the earth. Distant nations will bow down to him, all of them in their own lands.

Zephaniah 2:11 esv

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.

Zephaniah 2:11 nlt

The LORD will terrify them
as he destroys all the gods in the land.
Then nations around the world will worship the LORD,
each in their own land.

Zephaniah 2 verses

Zephaniah 2 11 Meaning

Zephaniah 2:11 prophesies a future time when the Lord Yahweh will reveal His dreadful and majestic power to the nations. This will manifest by Him stripping all other so-called "gods of the earth" of their substance, influence, and perceived power, effectively making them irrelevant and demonstrating their nullity. Consequently, every person, regardless of their nationality or geographical location, will turn to worship Him alone, each from their respective homelands, establishing a truly universal adoration of the one true God over all the earth.

Zephaniah 2 11 Context

Zephaniah's prophecy unfolds during the reign of King Josiah (640-609 BC), a period marked by an attempted religious reform yet lingering idolatry and social injustice in Judah. The prophet's primary message is one of impending judgment, often referred to as "the day of the LORD" (Zeph 1:7). Chapters 1 and early parts of chapter 2 warn Judah of severe divine retribution due to their apostasy. Chapter 2 then extends these judgments to surrounding nations: Philistia, Moab, Ammon, and Ethiopia (Cush). Verse 11, however, pivots beyond the judgment, offering a glimmer of eschatological hope and universal restoration. It suggests that these judgments serve a divine purpose: to dismantle all forms of idolatry and pave the way for a future when Yahweh's exclusive sovereignty and universal worship are established across the entire globe, reaching even the "remnant of His flock" among the nations.

Zephaniah 2 11 Word analysis

• The LORD: Refers to יהוה (Yahweh), the personal and covenant name of God, revealing His self-existent and ever-present nature. This emphasizes that it is the one true God of Israel who performs this powerful act.
• will be awesome: From נוֹרָא (nôrāʾ), meaning terrifying, dreadful, awe-inspiring. This describes Yahweh's magnificent and fearsome power, often associated with His acts of judgment and revelation (Exod 15:11, Ps 68:35). It implies that His demonstration of power will inspire fear and reverence among the nations.
• to them: Refers to the nations mentioned in Zephaniah 2:4-10 (Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Ethiopia) and by extension, all nations.
• when he will famish: From רָזָה (rāzâ), meaning to grow lean, waste away, be meager, make thin. Metaphorically, it signifies the destruction, deprivation, or complete rendering ineffective of something. Here, God causes the false gods to become insignificant, to wither away, to be stripped of their power and influence, demonstrating their nullity. It is an act of spiritual and ideological starvation for these deities.
• all the gods of the earth: Refers to the countless idols and pagan deities worshipped by various nations, and implicitly, the spiritual powers or ideologies that stood against Yahweh. It highlights the universality of God's action against idolatry, encompassing every false object of worship across the globe.
• when every man will worship him: This phrase predicts a future era of universal devotion to Yahweh, where the recognition of His singular sovereignty becomes widespread, no longer confined to Israel. It signifies a conversion of heart among humanity.
• each from his own place: This is a pivotal phrase. It contrasts with the requirement for Old Testament worshipers to travel to Jerusalem or a central sanctuary. It suggests that worship of Yahweh will no longer be geographically centralized. It implies a personal, localized worship, anticipating the spiritual and decentralized nature of New Testament worship where God can be worshipped anywhere in spirit and truth (John 4:21-24). It also signifies that nations will worship Him in their own lands, maintaining their identity while embracing the true God.
• all the lands of the nations: This reiterates the global scope of this future worship and God's sovereign reach, extending beyond Israel to encompass all Gentile territories.

• "The LORD will be awesome to them": Highlights Yahweh's supreme, terrifying, and majestic power, which will be demonstrated directly to the nations who had previously scoffed or been ignorant of Him.
• "when he will famish all the gods of the earth": Describes God's method of establishing His universal authority. By "famishing" other gods, He systematically reveals their emptiness, exposing them as powerless creations of man and utterly dependent on the true God's allowance of their momentary influence. This is a direct divine judgment against polytheism and idolatry.
• "when every man will worship him, each from his own place, all the lands of the nations": Portrays the glorious result of God's dismantling of idolatry. It envisions a global shift where worship of Yahweh becomes universal and localized. This implies a significant change in worship dynamics, moving beyond a single temple or sacred site to a broader, perhaps spiritual, form of devotion accessible from anywhere, symbolizing the inclusion of all peoples into God's true worship.

Zephaniah 2 11 Bonus section

This verse offers a glimpse into progressive revelation. The concept of "each from his own place" directly anticipates the New Testament era, where true worship is not tied to Mount Gerizim or Jerusalem but to Spirit and truth. It emphasizes that Yahweh's covenant with Abraham, which included blessings for all nations, finds its fulfillment in this universal worship. This is a vital theme demonstrating God's consistent plan for global redemption. The "famishing" of gods also highlights the ultimate victory of God's cosmic struggle against spiritual wickedness, which manifests through idolatry. It suggests that human idolatry is not merely a misguided practice but a system that God Himself actively deconstructs and renders powerless.

Zephaniah 2 11 Commentary

Zephaniah 2:11 serves as a profound theological declaration and a pinnacle of hope amidst a prophetic book largely focused on divine judgment. It unequivocally proclaims Yahweh's ultimate sovereignty over all creation, explicitly targeting the impotent "gods of the earth" which signify false deities, idols, and even the very concept of competing divine powers. The "famishing" of these gods signifies their utter reduction to nothingness, a public humiliation demonstrating their powerlessness and inability to provide substance or salvation. This divine act of emasculation clears the spiritual landscape for a singular, universal worship. The prophetic vision extends to "every man" and "all the lands of the nations" recognizing and worshipping Yahweh, moving beyond the ethnocentric focus often found in earlier prophecies. The crucial phrase "each from his own place" profoundly redefines worship, hinting at a future spiritual reality not bound by a central sanctuary in Jerusalem, but accessible from any location. This verse therefore powerfully foreshadows the global reach of God's kingdom and the New Covenant's emphasis on worship in "spirit and truth," unbound by physical geography (John 4:21-24). It is a declaration of God's eschatological triumph over all rivalries, establishing His name alone as the object of global adoration.