Zephaniah 2:12 (YLT)

Passage

Also ye, O Cushim, pierced of My sword <FI>are<Fi> they.

Nearby Context

Zephaniah 2:10 This <FI>is<Fi> to them for their arrogancy, Because they have reproached, And they magnify <FI>themselves<Fi> against the people of Jehovah of Hosts.

Zephaniah 2:11 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.

Zephaniah 2:12 Also ye, O Cushim, pierced of My sword <FI>are<Fi> they.

Zephaniah 2:13 And He stretcheth His hand against the north, And doth destroy Asshur, And he setteth Nineveh for a desolation, A dry land like a wilderness.

Zephaniah 2:14 And crouched in her midst have droves, Every beast of the nation, Both pelican and hedge-hog in her knobs lodge, A voice doth sing at the window, `Destruction <FI>is<Fi> at the threshold, For the cedar-work is exposed.'

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "cushim", "pierced", and "sword". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "cushim" and "pierced", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "Fearful FI is Fi Jehovah against them..." into verse 13's "And He stretcheth His hand against the...", so "cushim" and "pierced" belong inside that flow. In Zephaniah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "cushim" and "pierced" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.