Zephaniah 2:4

When Yahweh punishes Philistia, Gaza and Ashkelon cities will be deserted/abandoned. Ashdod city will be attacked and the people expelled at noon when people are resting; the people of Ekron city will also be driven out.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noonday, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

In Context

3All you people in Judah who are humble, worship Yahweh, and obey what he has commanded. Try to do what is right and to be humble. If you do that, perhaps Yahweh will protect/spare you on the day when he punishes [MTY] people.

5And terrible things will happen to you people of Philistia who live near the sea, because Yahweh has decided [MTY] that he will punish [MTY] you, also. He will get rid of all of you; not one person will ◄survive/remain alive►.

Read all of Zephaniah 2

Cross References

Psalms 91:6You will not be afraid of ◄plagues/widespread sicknesses► that demons cause when they attack people at night, or of other evil forces that kill people at midday.

Jeremiah 15:8I will cause there to be more widows in Judah than there are grains of sand on the seashore [HYP]. At noontime, when people will not be expecting it to happen, I will cause an enemy army to attack you, an army that will destroy your young men and cause their mothers to weep. I will cause you to suddenly experience great suffering/pain and become very terrified.

Jeremiah 47:1Yahweh gave to the prophet Jeremiah a message about the people of Philistia. The message was given to me before Gaza city in Philistia was captured by the army of Egypt.

Amos 1:6Yahweh also said this to me: “ I will punish the people of the cities in Philistia: I will punish the people of Gaza city because of the many sins that they have committed; I will not change my mind about punishing them, because they captured large groups of people and took them to Edom and sold them to become the slaves of the people of Edom.

Matthew Henry on Zephaniah 2:2-4

The People Exhorted to Repent. ( b. c. 612.) 1 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; 2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord 's anger come upon you. 3 Seek ye the Lord , all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord 's anger. Here we see what the prophet meant in that terrible… Read the whole commentary →

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