Zephaniah 1:17

Authorized King James Version

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And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.

Original Language Analysis

וַהֲצֵרֹ֣תִי And I will bring distress H6887
וַהֲצֵרֹ֣תִי And I will bring distress
Strong's: H6887
Word #: 1 of 12
to cramp, literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive
לָאָדָ֗ם upon men H120
לָאָדָ֗ם upon men
Strong's: H120
Word #: 2 of 12
ruddy i.e., a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
וְהָֽלְכוּ֙ that they shall walk H1980
וְהָֽלְכוּ֙ that they shall walk
Strong's: H1980
Word #: 3 of 12
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
כַּֽעִוְרִ֔ים like blind men H5787
כַּֽעִוְרִ֔ים like blind men
Strong's: H5787
Word #: 4 of 12
blind (literally or figuratively)
כִּ֥י H3588
כִּ֥י
Strong's: H3588
Word #: 5 of 12
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
לַֽיהוָ֖ה against the LORD H3068
לַֽיהוָ֖ה against the LORD
Strong's: H3068
Word #: 6 of 12
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
חָטָ֑אוּ because they have sinned H2398
חָטָ֑אוּ because they have sinned
Strong's: H2398
Word #: 7 of 12
properly, to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, (causatively) lead astray, condemn
וְשֻׁפַּ֤ךְ shall be poured out H8210
וְשֻׁפַּ֤ךְ shall be poured out
Strong's: H8210
Word #: 8 of 12
to spill forth (blood, a libation, liquid metal; or even a solid, i.e., to mound up); also (figuratively) to expend (life, soul, complaint, money, etc
דָּמָם֙ and their blood H1818
דָּמָם֙ and their blood
Strong's: H1818
Word #: 9 of 12
blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshe
כֶּֽעָפָ֔ר as dust H6083
כֶּֽעָפָ֔ר as dust
Strong's: H6083
Word #: 10 of 12
dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth, mud
וּלְחֻמָ֖ם and their flesh H3894
וּלְחֻמָ֖ם and their flesh
Strong's: H3894
Word #: 11 of 12
properly, eaten, i.e., food; also flesh, i.e., body
כַּגְּלָלִֽים׃ as the dung H1561
כַּגְּלָלִֽים׃ as the dung
Strong's: H1561
Word #: 12 of 12
dung (plural balls of dung)

Analysis & Commentary

I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men—The Hebrew va'hatsarti la'adam means 'I will bring into straits/narrow places.' Blindness here is judicial—those who refused to see God's ways are struck with moral and spiritual blindness.

Their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung (דָּמָם כֶּעָפָר dam'am ke'afar)—Ultimate dehumanization. Blood, sacred and requiring burial (Genesis 9:4, Deuteronomy 21:23), becomes worthless as dust. Flesh becomes refuse (dung, צֵאוֹתָם tse'otam). This reverses the dignity of being created in God's image—the wages of covenant betrayal.

Historical Context

This prophecy was fulfilled literally during Jerusalem's 586 BC destruction, when Babylonian soldiers showed no mercy, leaving bodies unburied in the streets (Lamentations 2:21, 4:14). Josephus records similar scenes during Rome's AD 70 siege.

Questions for Reflection