Zephaniah 3:9-20

The Conversion of the Nations

9 "For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to ¹a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord.

10 ²From beyond the rivers ³of Cush my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones, shall bring my offering.

11 ⁴"On that day ⁵you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then ⁶I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and ⁷you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain.

12 But I will leave in your midst a people ⁸humble and lowly. ⁹They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD,

13 ¹⁰those who are left in Israel; they ¹¹shall do no injustice and speak no lies, ¹²nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. ¹³For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid."

Israel's Joy and Restoration

14 ¹⁴Sing 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. ¹⁵The King of Israel, ¹⁶the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.

16 ¹⁷On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Fear not, O Zion; ¹⁸let not your hands grow weak.

17 ¹⁹The LORD your God is in your midst, ²⁰a mighty one who will save; ²¹he 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 ²²for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach.^[a]

19 Behold, at that time ²³I will deal with all your oppressors. And ²⁴I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change ²⁵their shame into ²⁶praise and renown in all the earth.

20 ²⁷At 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, ²⁸when I restore your fortunes before your eyes," says the LORD.

Zephaniah 3:9-20 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References

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

Footnotes

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