Zephaniah Chapter Two, Nineveh

Zephaniah 2:12 “You Ethiopians also, you shall be slain by My sword. [13] And He will stretch out His hand against the north, destroy Assyria, and make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as the wilderness.

In the Old Testament the reference to Ethiopia is not what we modernly refer to in regards to geography. The OT Hebrew and contemporaneous Egyptian referred to this land as Cush, but the Septuagint–a Greek translation of the Old Testament–rendered the term “Aithiopia.” Modern English translations tend to follow the Septuagint, hence the term Ethiopia.

That being said, ancient Cush was settled between the Nile headwaters and is described as such in Isaiah 18:1-7. It was geographically close to Egypt and was often at war with them, having been conquered by Pharaoh for a period in excess of 400 years. Cush, as Scripture records, is one of the sons of Ham and grandson of Noah, Genesis 10:6. It is also noteworthy to point out that Mizraim, another son of Ham, was the patriarch of Egypt. The Cushites’ claim to fame came quickly in the form of Nimrod, the mighty hunter before the Lord. Nimrod was the son of Cush, grandson of Ham, and was the benefactor of numerous kingdoms including Assyria and Babylon. Though Cush no longer exists as a modern nation, the descendants of its people remain, and Ezekiel records that when Gog and Magog come to destroy Israel that, “Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them,” Ezekiel 38:5. This is why Ethiopia or Cush is marked for destruction; they elect to march against God’s people with a singular purpose: their utter annihilation. Ancient Cush’s borders adjoin modern Ethiopia with Sudan.

There is a correlation between verses 12 and 13, and it is found in Nimrod himself. Cush’s lineage–both biologically and in terms of geographical reach–began with Nimrod, who founded four cities in the land of Shinar before traveling to Assyria and founding Nineveh, Genesis 10:10, 11. Assyria was a powerful military leader in the ancient world, eclipsed eventually by Babylon, but not before reigning as a great power for centuries under kings the likes of Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 BC), Shalmaneser III (858-824BC), Tiglath-pileser III (744-727BC) or Sargon II (722-705 BC). Assyria had ravaged northern Samaria often. King Hoshea became a vassal king for Assyria in Shalmaneser’s reign, 2 Kings 17:3, a position first held by Ahab during the reign of Tigleth-pileser, 2 Kings 16:7, 8. Eventually Samaria was carried away into captivity by Shalmaneser, 2 Kings 18:9-12. Though history attests that Shalmaneser apparently died that same year and his successor Sargon claimed the credit for deporting nearly 28,000 inhabitants out of Samaria.

Assyria likewise vexed Judah during Hezekiah’s time, 2 Kings 18:13. They remained a great power until, in the time of Judah’s final years, Babylon and the Medes warred with them. In 614 BC Asshur, the old Assyrian capital, was sacked, and then 2 years later the city of Calah was destroyed. Months later, Nineveh, one of the oldest cities in history, fell. Assyria–along with Egyptian allies–fought at the Battle of Carchemish and fell. Assyria was no more; Babylon eclipsed them and became a world power, the first in a succession that the prophet Daniel spoke of when he interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream, Daniel chapter 2.

Nineveh was located on the Tigris River in what is now present day Iraq. The city was extremely culturally significant and a major port of trade for the ancient world. It was a veritable metropolis of its time (Jonah 3:3), boasting at least 120,000 people during the time of the prophet Jonah, Jonah 4:11. And while God had pity on the people, bringing them to repentance in Jonah’s time, this revealed not as much of a change of heart in Assyrian policy as it was a demonstration of the universality of God’s grace toward mankind. Though Nineveh escaped judgment then, God’s word would hold true, as the Babylonian empire conquered it and razed it.