Bible Strands
Zephaniah 2:11
The LORD will be terrifying to them when He starves all the gods of the earth. Then the nations of every shore will bow in worship to Him, each in its own place.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The prophet issues a divine declaration against the surrounding nations, situated immediately after their judgment for mocking Judah and directly before the specific warning to Cushites.
The words — The passage foregrounds נוֹרָא (no.Ra'), literally "awesome" or "terrifying," and רָזָה (ra.Zah), meaning "he will make lean" or "starve."
The thread — This trajectory of divine supremacy and universal submission runs through Zechariah 13:2, where idol names are erased, and Zechariah 14:9, which declares Yahweh as King over the entire earth.
Why it lands — The text states that Yahweh will remove the sustenance and authority of all false gods, compelling every nation to bow in worship. It requires the reader to replace prideful mockery with concrete acknowledgment of His exclusive rule.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Micah 4:1 In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it.
- Zechariah 13:2 And on that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land.
- Zechariah 14:9 On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone.
- Genesis 10:5 From these, the maritime peoples separated into their territories, according to their languages, by clans within their nations.
- Psalms 72:8 May he rule from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
- Psalms 117:1 Praise the LORD, all you nations! Extol Him, all you peoples!
- Psalms 138:4 All the kings of the earth will give You thanks, O LORD, when they hear the words of Your mouth.
- Isaiah 2:2 In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
- Isaiah 24:14 They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they proclaim the majesty of the LORD.
- Hosea 2:17 For I will remove from her lips the names of the Baals; no longer will their names be invoked.