Zephaniah 3:1-8

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.

Zephaniah 3:1-8 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 18

Footnotes 2

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.