Zephaniah 2:12
New International Version
“You Cushites, too, will be slain by my sword.”

New Living Translation
“You Ethiopians will also be slaughtered by my sword,” says the LORD.

English Standard Version
You also, O Cushites, shall be slain by my sword.

Berean Standard Bible
“You too, O Cushites, will be slain by My sword.”

King James Bible
Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.

New King James Version
“You Ethiopians also, You shall be slain by My sword.”

New American Standard Bible
“You also, Ethiopians, will be slain by My sword.”

NASB 1995
“You also, O Ethiopians, will be slain by My sword.”

NASB 1977
“You also, O Ethiopians, will be slain by My sword.”

Legacy Standard Bible
“You also, O Ethiopians, will be slain by My sword.”

Amplified Bible
“You also, O Ethiopians, will be slain by My sword.”

Christian Standard Bible
You Cushites will also be slain by my sword.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You Cushites will also be slain by My sword.

American Standard Version
Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.

Contemporary English Version
People of Ethiopia, the sword of the LORD will slaughter you!

English Revised Version
Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Even you, the people from Sudan, you will also die by my sword."

Good News Translation
The LORD will also put the people of Ethiopia to death.

International Standard Version
"Now as for you, Cush, you will surely be slain by my sword!

Majority Standard Bible
?You too, O Cushites, will be slain by My sword.?

NET Bible
"You Ethiopians will also die by my sword!"

New Heart English Bible
You Cushites also, you will be killed by my sword.

Webster's Bible Translation
Ye Cushites also, ye shall be slain by my sword.

World English Bible
You Cushites also, you will be killed by my sword.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
“Also you, O Cushim, they [are] pierced of My sword.”

Young's Literal Translation
Also ye, O Cushim, pierced of My sword are they.

Smith's Literal Translation
Also ye Cushites, they being wounded by my sword.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
You Ethiopians, also shall be slain with my sword.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Even so, you Ethiopians, you will be executed by my sword.

New American Bible
You too, O Cushites, shall be slain by the sword of the LORD.

New Revised Standard Version
You also, O Ethiopians, shall be killed by my sword.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
You Ethiopians also, you shall be slain by the sword.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Also you Kushites are killed by the sword
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Ye Ethiopians also, Ye shall be slain by My sword.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Ye Ethiopians also are the slain of my sword.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Judgment on Cush and Assyria
12“You too, O Cushites, will be slain by My sword.” 13And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as a desert.…

Cross References
Isaiah 18:1-7
Woe to the land of whirring wings, along the rivers of Cush, / which sends couriers by sea, in papyrus vessels on the waters. Go, swift messengers, to a people tall and smooth-skinned, to a people widely feared, to a powerful nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers. / All you people of the world and dwellers of the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it; when a ram’s horn sounds, you will hear it. ...

Isaiah 20:4-5
so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old alike, naked and barefoot, with bared buttocks—to Egypt’s shame. / Those who made Cush their hope and Egypt their boast will be dismayed and ashamed.

Isaiah 19:1-25
This is the burden against Egypt: Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud; He is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt will tremble before Him, and the hearts of the Egyptians will melt within them. / “So I will incite Egyptian against Egyptian; brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom. / Then the spirit of the Egyptians will be emptied out from among them, and I will frustrate their plans, so that they will resort to idols and spirits of the dead, to mediums and spiritists. ...

Jeremiah 46:1-26
This is the word of the LORD about the nations—the word that came to Jeremiah the prophet / concerning Egypt and the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah: / “Deploy your shields, small and large; advance for battle! ...

Ezekiel 30:1-26
Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, / “Son of man, prophesy and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: Wail, ‘Alas for that day!’ / For the day is near, the Day of the LORD is near. It will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. ...

Amos 9:7
“Are you not like the Cushites to Me, O children of Israel?” declares the LORD. “Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Arameans from Kir?

Nahum 3:9
Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were her allies.

Psalm 68:31
Envoys will arrive from Egypt; Cush will stretch out her hands to God.

Isaiah 45:14
This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, along with the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge behind you; they will come over in chains and bow down to you. They will confess to you: ‘God is indeed with you, and there is no other; there is no other God.’”

Ezekiel 29:10
therefore I am against you and against your rivers. I will turn the land of Egypt into a ruin, a desolate wasteland from Migdol to Syene, and as far as the border of Cush.

Acts 8:27-39
So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship, / and on his return was sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet. / The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that chariot and stay by it.” ...

Matthew 12:42
The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now One greater than Solomon is here.

Luke 11:31
The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now One greater than Solomon is here.

Acts 2:10
Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome,

Acts 13:1
Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch), and Saul.


Treasury of Scripture

You Ethiopians also, you shall be slain by my sword.

Ethiopians.

Isaiah 18:1-7
Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia: …

Isaiah 20:4,5
So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt…

Isaiah 43:3
For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

my.

Psalm 17:13
Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

Isaiah 10:5
O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.

Isaiah 13:5
They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

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Cushim Cushites Death Ethiopians Killed Pierced Slain Sword
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Cushim Cushites Death Ethiopians Killed Pierced Slain Sword
Zephaniah 2
1. An exhortation to repentance.
4. The judgment of the Philistines,
8. of Moab and Ammon,
12. of Ethiopia,
13. and of Assyria.














You too, O Cushites
The term "Cushites" refers to the people of Cush, an ancient region often associated with the area south of Egypt, which is modern-day Sudan. In the Hebrew Bible, Cush is sometimes synonymous with Ethiopia. The Cushites were known for their dark skin and were considered a distant nation by the Israelites. The inclusion of the Cushites in this prophecy highlights the universal scope of God's judgment. It serves as a reminder that no nation, regardless of its geographical distance or perceived insignificance, is beyond the reach of God's sovereign will. This phrase underscores the theme of divine justice that transcends ethnic and national boundaries, emphasizing that all nations are accountable to God.

will be slain
The Hebrew root for "slain" is often associated with a violent death, typically in the context of warfare or divine judgment. This word choice indicates the severity of the judgment that is to come upon the Cushites. It reflects the broader biblical theme that God is a righteous judge who will not overlook sin and rebellion. The use of such a strong term serves as a warning to the Cushites and, by extension, to all nations, that God's patience has limits and that His justice will ultimately prevail.

by My sword
The phrase "by My sword" is a powerful metaphor for divine judgment. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the sword was a symbol of authority and power, often used by kings and warriors. Here, it signifies God's direct intervention in human affairs. The possessive "My" emphasizes that this is not merely a natural disaster or a consequence of human conflict, but an act of divine retribution. This imagery is consistent with other biblical passages where God is depicted as a warrior who fights on behalf of His people or executes judgment on the nations. It serves as a sobering reminder of God's ultimate authority over life and death and His commitment to uphold justice in the world.

Verses 12-15. - 5. The judgment shall fall upon the Ethiopians and Assyrians, representing the south and north. Verse 12. - Ethiopians; Cushites. These are named as the most remote inhabitants of the south with which the Israelites were acquainted (Ezekiel 38:5). Ye shall be slain by my sword; the slain of my sword are they, the second person being dropped, as one cannot address the dead (Orelli). The Lord's sword is the instrument which he uses to effect his purpose of punishment (comp. Isaiah 27:1; Isaiah 34:5; Isaiah 66:16). The Ethiopians are reckoned among the forces of Egypt (2 Chronicles 12:3; Nahum 3:9, etc.). The prediction had a fulfilment when the Assyrians conquered Egypt, and again under Nebuchadnezzar. It shall have a more sublime accomplishment when the sword of the Spirit shall reduce the utmost south to the dominion of Christ (see Isaiah 45:14; Psalm 68:31). The commencement of this conversion is seen in the chamberlain of Queen Candace (Acts 8:27, etc.).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You too,
אַתֶּ֣ם (’at·tem)
Pronoun - second person masculine plural
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

O Cushites,
כּוּשִׁ֔ים (kū·šîm)
Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3569: Cushite -- descendant of Cush

will
גַּם־ (gam-)
Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

be slain
חַֽלְלֵ֥י (ḥal·lê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2491: Pierced, polluted

by My sword.
חַרְבִּ֖י (ḥar·bî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword


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OT Prophets: Zephaniah 2:12 You Cushites also you will be killed (Zeph. Zep Zp)
Zephaniah 2:11
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