Zephaniah 3

Judgment on Jerusalem and the Nations

1 Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, ¹the oppressing city!

2 She listens to no voice; ²she accepts no correction. ³She does not trust in the LORD; she does not draw near to her God.

3 ⁴Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are ⁵evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning.

4 ⁶Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men; ⁷her priests ⁸profane what is holy; they do violence to the law.

5 The LORD within her ⁹is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail; but ¹⁰the unjust knows no shame.

6 ¹¹"I have cut off nations; their battlements are in ruins; I have laid waste their streets ¹²so that no one walks in them; their cities have been made desolate, without a man, without an inhabitant.

7 ¹³I said, 'Surely you will fear me; ¹⁴you will accept correction. Then your^[a] dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.'^[b] But ¹⁵all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt.

8 "Therefore ¹⁶wait for me," declares the LORD, "for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is ¹⁷to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy ¹⁸all the earth shall be consumed.

The Conversion of the Nations

9 "For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to ¹⁹a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord.

10 ²⁰From beyond the rivers ²¹of Cush my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones, shall bring my offering.

11 ²²"On that day ²³you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then ²⁴I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and ²⁵you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain.

12 But I will leave in your midst a people ²⁶humble and lowly. ²⁷They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD,

13 ²⁸those who are left in Israel; they ²⁹shall do no injustice and speak no lies, ³⁰nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. ³¹For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid."

Israel's Joy and Restoration

14 ³²Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!

15 The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. ³³The King of Israel, ³⁴the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.

16 ³⁵On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Fear not, O Zion; ³⁶let not your hands grow weak.

17 ³⁷The LORD your God is in your midst, ³⁸a mighty one who will save; ³⁹he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

18 I will gather those of you who mourn ⁴⁰for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach.^[c]

19 Behold, at that time ⁴¹I will deal with all your oppressors. And ⁴²I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change ⁴³their shame into ⁴⁴praise and renown in all the earth.

20 ⁴⁵At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, ⁴⁶when I restore your fortunes before your eyes," says the LORD.

Zephaniah 3 Commentary

Chapter 3

Further reproofs for sin. (1-7) Encouragement to look for mercy. (8-13) Promises of future favour and prosperity. (14-20)

Verses 1-7 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.

Verses 8-13 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.

Verses 14-20 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.

Cross References

• 1. Jeremiah 6:6
• 2. Jeremiah 5:3
• 3. [ver. 12]
• 4. Ezekiel 22:27; [Micah 3:9, 10]
• 5. Habakkuk 1:8
• 6. Jeremiah 23:11; Hosea 9:7
• 7. Jeremiah 23:11; Hosea 9:7
• 8. Ezekiel 22:26
• 9. [Jeremiah 12:1]
• 10. [Zephaniah 2:1]
• 11. See Zephaniah 2:4-15
• 12. [Zechariah 7:14; Zechariah 9:8]
• 13. [Jeremiah 36:3]
• 14. [ver. 2]
• 15. [Micah 7:3]
• 16. Habakkuk 2:3; See Isaiah 8:17
• 17. Joel 3:2
• 18. [Zephaniah 1:18]
• 19. Isaiah 19:18
• 20. Psalms 68:31; Isaiah 11:11; Isaiah 60:4
• 21. [Zephaniah 2:12]
• 22. Isaiah 2:11
• 23. [Isaiah 54:4]
• 24. [Malachi 4:1]
• 25. Jeremiah 7:4; [Matthew 3:9]
• 26. Isaiah 14:32; [Matthew 5:3]
• 27. [ver. 2]
• 28. [Zephaniah 2:7]
• 29. Isaiah 60:21
• 30. [Revelation 14:5]
• 31. See Micah 5:4
• 32. Isaiah 12:6; Isaiah 54:1; Zechariah 2:10; Zechariah 9:9
• 33. Matthew 27:42; John 1:49
• 34. Psalms 46:5; Zechariah 2:10; [Revelation 21:3]
• 35. [See ver. 11 above]
• 36. [Isaiah 35:3; Hebrews 12:12]
• 37. [See ver. 15 above]
• 38. [Isaiah 63:1]
• 39. Isaiah 62:5; Jeremiah 32:41
• 40. Lamentations 1:4; Lamentations 2:6
• 41. [Isaiah 60:14]
• 42. Micah 4:6, 7
• 43. Isaiah 61:7
• 44. [Jeremiah 13:11; Jeremiah 33:9]
• 45. Isaiah 11:12; Jeremiah 32:37; Ezekiel 11:17
• 46. Zephaniah 2:7

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew her
• [b]. Hebrew her
• [c]. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ZEPHANIAH 3

In this chapter the character of the city of Jerusalem, and its inhabitants in general, is drawn, as it would be, and as it was, in the times of Christ and his apostles, Zep 3:1,2 and of the principal persons of it in particular, its princes, judges, prophets, and priests, Zep 3:3,4. The hardness, impenitence, and shamelessness of this people, are exposed and aggravated by the just Lord being among them; who, by his example and doctrine, taught them otherwise; yet they were not amended or made ashamed, Zep 3:5 nor received instruction, nor took warning by the judgments of God on other nations, Zep 3:6,7 wherefore the followers of God are called upon to wait his time, who would gather many people together, and destroy the whole land of Judea, Zep 3:8 at which time he would send his Gospel among the Gentiles, who should thereby be brought to the true worship and service of God, Zep 3:9,10 though there should be a remnant among the Jews, according to the election of grace, that should be saved from that general calamity, Zep 3:11-13 and the spiritual Israel are encouraged with promises of better times, when the Jews in general should be converted and gathered into the church of God, have the presence and protection of God with them, and deliverance from all their enemies, and be a praise among all people of the earth, Zep 3:14-20.