Zephaniah 2:7
“And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The coast will belong to the surviving remnant of Judah, whom the LORD will visit and restore.
What Does Zephaniah 2:7 Mean?
Now the promise breaks through clearly. The coast will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah. They will graze their flocks there and lie down in the evening in the very houses of Ashkelon. The reason is the sweetest part: the LORD their God will visit them and turn away their captivity. Judgment on the nations becomes inheritance for God's people.
The word remnant carries enormous hope through the prophets. Even when judgment sweeps wide, God preserves a people for Himself and restores what was lost. He visits them, drawing near in mercy, and turns their captivity into homecoming. This is the pattern fulfilled in Christ, who came to seek and save, gathering a remnant from every nation. The evening rest in Ashkelon is a picture of the peace God grants to those He redeems, a settled and unafraid belonging in His care.
In the Original Language
shub shebut (שוּב שְׁבוּת), 'turn away their captivity' -- a rich Hebrew idiom for reversing fortunes and restoring what was lost, restoring a people to wholeness.