Zephaniah 1:17

““And I will bring distress on human beings, and they will walk like the blind, for against YHWH they have sinned; and their blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.””

Zephaniah 1:17 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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With the Hebrew beneath

17

Zephaniah 1:17, word by word

“And I will bring distressהֲצֵרֹתִיhatseroti

distress

To be in a tight spot, or to leave others no way out, like a besieged city.

Where else “hatseroti” appears
on human beingsאָדָםadam

human being

All humankind, men and women, as creatures God formed.

Where else “adam” appears
and they will walkהָלְכוּhalchu

go

To move on foot from place to place; to set out.

Where else “halchu” appears
like the blindעִוְרִיםivrim

blind

Someone who cannot see.

Where else “ivrim” appears
against YHWHיהוָהyhva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yhva” appears
they have sinnedחָטָאוּchatau

sin

To do wrong, fail God or another.

Where else “chatau” appears
and their bloodדָּמָdama

blood

The red fluid that runs through the body and carries the life of people and animals.

Where else “dama” appears
will be poured outשֻׁפַּךְshupach

spill

To empty out water or blood; "spill blood" is to kill.

Where else “shupach” appears
like dustעָפָרafar

dust

Dry, loose earth, fine as dust; God formed man from it.

Where else “afar” appears
and their fleshלְחֻמָlechuma

flesh, food

Flesh, body; also food. A rare word of uncertain sense.

Where else “lechuma” appears
like dungגְּלָלִיםgelalim

dung

Dung, excrement.

Where else “gelalim” appears

The context

16a day of the horn and of the alarm cry against the fortified cities and against the high corners.

17 · This verse (above)

18Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of YHWH; and by the fire of his jealousy all the earth will be devoured; for an extermination, yes, a terrifying one, he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Read all of Zephaniah 1

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