Zephaniah3
New American Standard
1Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, The oppressive city!
2She obeyed no voice, She accepted no discipline. She did not trust in the Lord, She did not approach her God.
3Her leaders within her are roaring lions, Her judges are wolves at evening; They have no bones to gnaw in the morning.
4Her prophets are insolent, treacherous men; Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the Law.
5The Lord is righteous within her; He will do no injustice. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He does not fail. But the criminal knows no shame.
6“I have eliminated nations; Their corner towers are deserted. I have laid waste their streets, With no one passing by; Their cities have been laid waste, Without a person, without an inhabitant.
7I said, ‘You will certainly revere Me, You will accept discipline.’ So her dwelling will not be eliminated In accordance with everything that I have stipulated for her. Instead, they were eager to corrupt all their deeds.
8“Therefore wait for Me,” declares the Lord, “For the day when I rise up as a witness. Indeed, My decision is to gather nations, To assemble kingdoms, To pour out on them My indignation, All My burning anger; For all the earth will be devoured By the fire of My zeal.
9For then I will restore to the peoples pure lips, So that all of them may call on the name of the Lord, To serve Him shoulder to shoulder.
10From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My dispersed ones, Will bring My offerings.
11On that day you will feel no shame Because of all your deeds By which you have rebelled against Me; For then I will remove from your midst Your proud, arrogant ones, And you will never again be haughty On My holy mountain.
12But I will leave among you A humble and lowly people, And they will take refuge in the name of the Lord.
13The remnant of Israel will do no wrong And tell no lies, Nor will a deceitful tongue Be found in their mouths; For they will feed and lie down With no one to frighten them.”
14Shout for joy, daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, Israel! Rejoice and triumph with all your heart, Daughter of Jerusalem!
15The Lord has taken away His judgments against you, He has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; You will no longer fear disaster.
16On that day it will be said to Jerusalem: “Do not be afraid, Zion; Do not let your hands fall limp.
17The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will rejoice over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.
18I will gather those who are worried about the appointed feasts— They came from you, Zion; The disgrace of exile is a burden on them.
19Behold, I am going to deal at that time With all your oppressors; I will save those who limp And gather the scattered, And I will turn their shame into praise and fame In all the earth.
20At that time I will bring you in, Even at the time when I gather you together; Indeed, I will make you famous and praiseworthy Among all the peoples of the earth, When I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” Says the Lord.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Zephaniah 3.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Further reproofs for sin. (1–7). Encouragement to look for mercy. (8–13). Promises of future favour and prosperity. (14–20).
vv1-7
The holy God hates sin most in those nearest to him. A sinful state is, and will be, a woful state. Yet they had the tokens of God's presence, and all the advantages of knowing his will, with the strongest reasons to do it; still they persisted in disobedience. Alas, that men often are more active in doing wickedness than believers are in doing good.
vv8-13
The preaching of the gospel is predicted, when vengeance would be executed on the Jewish nation. The purifying doctrines of the gospel, or the pure language of the grace of the Lord, would teach men to use the language of humility, repentance, and faith. Purity and piety in common conversation is good. The pure and happy state of the church in the latter days seems intended. The Lord will shut out boasting, and leave men nothing to glory in, save the Lord Jesus, as made of God to them wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Humiliation for sin, and obligations to the Redeemer, will make true believers upright and sincere, whatever may be the case among mere professors.
vv14-20
After the promises of taking away sin, follow promises of taking away trouble. When the cause is removed, the effect will cease. What makes a people holy, will make them happy. The precious promises made to the purified people, were to have full accomplishment in the gospel. These verses appear chiefly to relate to the future conversion and restoration of Israel, and the glorious times which are to follow. They show the abundant peace, comfort, and prosperity of the church, in the happy times yet to come. He will save; he will be Jesus; he will answer the name, for he will save his people from their sins. Before the glorious times foretold, believers would be sorrowful, and objects of reproach. But the Lord will save the weakest believer, and cause true Christians to be greatly honoured where they had been treated with contempt. One act of mercy and grace shall serve, both to gather Israel out of their dispersions and to lead them to their own land. Then will God's Israel be made a name and a praise to eternity. The events alone can fully answer the language of this prophecy. Many are the troubles of the righteous, but they may rejoice in God's love. Surely our hearts should honour the Lord, and rejoice in him, when we hear such words of condescension and grace. If now kept from his ordinances, it is our trial and grief; but in due time we shall be gathered into his temple above. The glory and happiness of the believer will be perfect, unchangeable, and eternal, when he is freed from earthly sorrows, and brought to heavenly bliss.
Key Words
הוֹי: oh!
מָרָא: to rebel; hence (through the idea of maltreating) to whip, i.e. lash (self with wings, as the ostrich in running)
גָּאַל: to soil or (figuratively) desecrate
יָנָה: to rage or be violent; by implication, to suppress, to maltreat
עִיר: a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)
שָׁמַע: to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
לֹא: not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
קוֹל: a voice or sound
לָקַח: to take (in the widest variety of applications)
מוּסָר: properly, chastisement; figuratively, reproof, warning or instruction; also restraint
Cross References
Zephaniah 3Direct thematic parallel to 'The just Lord... he will not do iniquity,' echoing Deuteronomy's description of God.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Echoes the characterization of wicked rulers within Jerusalem as roaring lions and ravenous beasts.
Supported by JFB
Explicitly parallels 'evening wolves,' a rare and distinct prophetic description of rapacious, hungry judges.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels Jerusalem refusing to receive correction or obey the voice of her God.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Verbal link showing Jerusalem refused to receive correction even when stricken.
Supported by JFB
Identifies the false prophets as 'light' and 'treacherous' in their unstable, deceptive ministries.
Supported by JFB
Contrasts the corrupt leaders' false boast ('Is not the Lord among us?') with God's actual presence for judgment.
Supported by JFB
Parallels 'the unjust knoweth no shame' with Jeremiah's description of Jerusalem's unblushing impudence.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallels the divine grief over Jerusalem's failure to recognize her day of visitation and instruction.
Supported by JFB
The phrase 'corrupted all their doings' directly echoes the language of universal degeneracy before the flood.
Supported by JFB
Parallels God's frustrated expectation of fruit and repentance after taking meticulous care of His people.
Supported by JFB
Parallels the call to the daughter of Zion to sing and rejoice because Jehovah dwells within.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Echoes God's intense delight in his people, promising to rejoice over them with singing and goodness.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallels the condemnation of the 'oppressing city' that crushes the needy and lives in luxury.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallels priests violating the law, profaning holy things, and offering no distinction between clean and unclean.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Fulfillment of the promise to leave 'an afflicted and poor people' who receive the gospel.
Supported by Matthew Henry