The Meaning of Zephaniah 1:13 Explained

Zephaniah 1:13

KJV: Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.

YLT: And their wealth hath been for a spoil, And their houses for desolation, And they have built houses, and do not inhabit, And they have planted vineyards, And they do not drink their wine.

Darby: And their wealth shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation; and they shall build houses, and not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and not drink the wine thereof.

ASV: And their wealth shall become a spoil, and their houses a desolation: yea, they shall build houses, but shall not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but shall not drink the wine thereof.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore their goods  shall become a booty,  and their houses  a desolation:  they shall also build  houses,  but not inhabit  [them]; and they shall plant  vineyards,  but not drink  the wine  thereof. 

What does Zephaniah 1:13 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The treasures of the Jerusalemites and all the Judeans would become plunder for the enemy, and their houses would become vacant if not destroyed. They would build houses but not be able to live in them because the Babylonian invasion would come quickly. They would plant vineyards but not be able to drink their wine for the same reason (cf. Leviticus 26:32-33; Deuteronomy 28:30; Deuteronomy 28:39; Amos 5:11; Micah 6:15).
"Rather than condemning the use of alcohol, as the passage could be understood (NEB), Zephaniah condemns apathy." [1]

Context Summary

Zephaniah 1:1-18 - "the Great Day Of The Lord"
Zephaniah means hidden of the Lord. He lived in Josiah's reign, and cooperated with that king in his efforts to put down idolatry. His prophecy deals with the sins that were rife in Judah and the fearful retribution that would be inflicted through the Chaldeans.
Approaching destruction, Zephaniah 1:2-6. The Chemarim, r.v., were idolatrous priests dressed in black garments. Malcam is Milcom or Moloch. Notice the successive classes of those who were to suffer in the overthrow. They constitute a series of concentric circles, narrowing down at last to those who had turned back, and to those who had never sought the Lord.
The invaders, Zephaniah 1:7-18. The guests whom God invited to the banquet were Nebuchadnezzar and his soldiers! They marched in through the Fish Gate; and, as they advanced, cry after cry arose from the affrighted populace, driven from quarter to quarter. Maktesh, Zephaniah 1:11, was probably the Vale of Siloam, where the merchant princes dwelt or pursued their business. None would be able to elude the coming vengeance. Those that affected foreign attire, or leaped across the threshold in superstition, or practiced deceit, would have to pay dearly for their sins. Fulfilled in the overthrow of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and afterward by Titus, these words will always stand for the inevitable national sufferings which follow national crimes. [source]

Chapter Summary: Zephaniah 1

1  The time when Zephaniah prophesied
2  God's severe judgments against Judah

What do the individual words in Zephaniah 1:13 mean?

Therefore shall become their goods booty and their houses a desolation and they shall build houses but not inhabit [them] and they shall plant vineyards drink - their wine
וְהָיָ֤ה חֵילָם֙ לִמְשִׁסָּ֔ה וּבָתֵּיהֶ֖ם לִשְׁמָמָ֑ה וּבָנ֤וּ בָתִּים֙ וְלֹ֣א יֵשֵׁ֔בוּ וְנָטְע֣וּ כְרָמִ֔ים יִשְׁתּ֖וּ אֶת־ יֵינָֽם

וְהָיָ֤ה  Therefore  shall  become 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
חֵילָם֙  their  goods 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.
לִמְשִׁסָּ֔ה  booty 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְשִׁסָּה  
Sense: booty, spoil, plunder.
וּבָתֵּיהֶ֖ם  and  their  houses 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
לִשְׁמָמָ֑ה  a  desolation 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁמָמָה 
Sense: devastation, waste, desolation.
וּבָנ֤וּ  and  they  shall  build 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
בָתִּים֙  houses 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וְלֹ֣א  but  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יֵשֵׁ֔בוּ  inhabit  [them] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
וְנָטְע֣וּ  and  they  shall  plant 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָטַע  
Sense: to plant, fasten, fix, establish.
כְרָמִ֔ים  vineyards 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֶּרֶם 
Sense: vineyard.
יִשְׁתּ֖וּ  drink 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁתָה  
Sense: to drink.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יֵינָֽם  their  wine 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: יַיִן  
Sense: wine.