Zephaniah 3:11

11 In that day thou shalt not be confounded on all thy findings, in which thou trespassedest against me; for then I shall take away from the middle of thee great speakers of thy pride, and thou shalt no more put to, for to be enhanced in mine holy hill. (On that day thou shalt no longer be ashamed for all thy doings, in which thou hast trespassed against me; for then I shall take away from thy midst all those who proclaim, or who declare, thy great pride, and thou shalt no more exalt, or no more raise up, thyselves upon my holy hill/and thou shalt no more rebel against me upon my holy hill.)

Zephaniah 3:11 Meaning and Commentary

Zephaniah 3:11

In that day shall thou not be ashamed for all thy doings,
wherein thou hast transgressed against me
Because these shall not be continued in, but repented of, and forsaken; and, besides, shall be forgiven, blotted out, covered, and remembered no more; so that they shall not be charged with them, condemned for them, or be confounded before God, angels, and men, on account of them; not but that shame always arises from a true sense of sin; and the more, as it is beheld in the glass of pardoning love, which is a branch of true evangelical repentance, at least a fruit and evidence of it, ( Ezekiel 16:63 ) but then such are not ashamed to appear before God; but can with a holy confidence stand in his sight, their sins being pardoned, and their persons justified. This respects the Christian church or churches in Judea, the few that believed in Christ, called in a following verse the remnant of Israel ( Zephaniah 3:13 ) , at the time when the generality of the people of the Jews rejected the Messiah, and their city and temple were destroyed, and the Lord turned the pure language of the Gospel to the Gentiles: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that
rejoice in thy pride;
the Scribes and Pharisees, and those that adhered to them of the Jewish nation, who rejoiced in those things which that people generally prided themselves in and boasted of; their descent from Abraham; their observance of the rites and ceremonies of the law, and the traditions of their elders, and their external legal righteousness; and they rejoiced in their boastings of these things, which rejoicing was evil; and they, in the pride of their hearts, despised Christ and his righteousness, his Gospel, ordinances, and people, which were the things in which they transgressed against the Lord, and for which they were taken away by the sword, famine, and pestilence, at the destruction of Jerusalem: this is further explained by the next clause: and thou shall no more be haughty because of mine holy mountain:
the temple; or, "in" F13 it; since it should now be destroyed: the Jews gloried in the temple, and behaved proudly and haughtily on the account of it; reckoned themselves secure, because of that; and trusted and gloried in the sacrifices there offered up, and the services there performed; see ( Jeremiah 7:4 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F13 (yvdq rhb) "in monte sancto meo", V. L. Vatablus, Cocceius; "in monte sanctitatis meae", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Calvin, Burkius.

Zephaniah 3:11 In-Context

9 For then I shall yield to peoples a chosen lip, that all call inwardly in the name of the Lord, and serve to him with one shoulder. (And then I shall give pure lips to the peoples, so that all of them can call upon the name of the Lord, and they shall serve him with one shoulder, or with one accord.)
10 Over the floods of Ethiopia, from thence my beseechers, the sons of my scattered men, shall bring gift to me. (Over the rivers of Ethiopia, from there my beseechers, the children of my scattered people, shall bring gifts to me.)
11 In that day thou shalt not be confounded on all thy findings, in which thou trespassedest against me; for then I shall take away from the middle of thee great speakers of thy pride, and thou shalt no more put to, for to be enhanced in mine holy hill. (On that day thou shalt no longer be ashamed for all thy doings, in which thou hast trespassed against me; for then I shall take away from thy midst all those who proclaim, or who declare, thy great pride, and thou shalt no more exalt, or no more raise up, thyselves upon my holy hill/and thou shalt no more rebel against me upon my holy hill.)
12 And I shall leave in the middle of thee a poor people and needy (And I shall leave in the midst of thee a poor and needy people); and they shall hope in the name of the Lord.
13 The remnants of Israel shall not do wickedness, neither shall speak leasing, and a guileful tongue shall not be found in the mouth of them; for they shall be fed, and shall rest, and there shall not be that shall make afeared. (The remnants of Israel shall not do wickedness, nor shall speak lies, and a deceitful tongue shall not be found in their mouths; for they shall be fed, and shall rest, and there shall not be anyone who shall make them afraid.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.