Zephaniah 2:11
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.
Study Note
Study Note
The declaration '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' integrates judgment and mission — the destruction of the nations' gods opens space for universal Yahweh-worship. The phrase 'famish all the gods' (rāzôn — make thin, enfeeble) applies alimentary metaphor to the defeat of divine pretenders: the gods will be starved of the worship-food they require as the nations turn to Yahweh. The universal scope ('every one from his place, all the isles of the heathen') anticipates Malachi 1:11 ('in every place incense shall be offered unto my name') and John 4:21-23 (worship neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem, but in Spirit and truth). The verse belongs to the gathering 'universal worship' tradition that the New Testament interprets as fulfilled in the mission to the Gentiles.
Other Translations
Jehovah 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 nations.
Fearful <FI>is<Fi> Jehovah against them, For He made bare all gods of the land, And bow themselves to Him, each from his place, Do all islanders of the nations.
The Lord will let himself be seen by them: for he will make all the gods of the earth feeble; and men will go down before him in worship, everyone from his place, even all the sea-lands of the nations.
Cross References
By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, …
Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up …
Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth …
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a …
All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations …
A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.
His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be …
All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.