Sophonias 2:13

13 And he shall stretch forth his hand against the north and destroy the Assyrian, and make Nineve a dry wilderness, as a desert.

Sophonias 2:13 Meaning and Commentary

Zephaniah 2:13

And he will stretch out his hand against the north
Either the Lord, or Nebuchadnezzar his sword; who, as he would subdue the nations that lay southward, he would lead his army northward against the land of Assyria, which lay to the north of Judea, as next explained: and destroy Assyria;
that famous monarchy, which had ruled over the kingdoms of the earth, now should come to an end, and be reduced to subjection to the king of Babylon: and will make Nineveh a desolation;
which was the capital city, the metropolis of the Assyrian monarchy: Nahum prophesies at large of the destruction of this city: [and] dry like a wilderness;
which before was a very watery place, situated by rivers, particularly the river Tigris; so that it was formerly like a pool of water, ( Nahum 2:6 Nahum 2:8 ) but now should be dry like a heath or desert, Dr. Prideaux places the destruction of Nineveh in the twenty ninth year of Josiah's reign; but Bishop Usher earlier, in the sixteenth year of his reign; and, if so, then Zephaniah, who here prophesies of it, must begin to prophesy in the former part of Josiah's reign.

Sophonias 2:13 In-Context

11 The Lord shall appear against them, and shall utterly destroy all the gods of the nations of the earth; and they shall worship him every one from his place, all the islands of the nations.

12 Ye Ethiopians also are the slain of my sword.

13 And he shall stretch forth his hand against the north and destroy the Assyrian, and make Nineve a dry wilderness, as a desert.

14 And flocks, and all the wild beasts of the land, and chameleons shall feed in the midst thereof: and hedgehogs shall lodge in the ceilings thereof; and wild beasts shall cry in the breaches thereof, and ravens in her porches, whereas her loftiness was as cedar.