Zefanja 3:5

5 De rechtvaardige HEERE is in het midden van haar, Hij doet geen onrecht; allen morgen geeft Hij Zijn recht in het licht, er ontbreekt niet; doch de verkeerde weet van geen schaamte.

Zefanja 3:5 Meaning and Commentary

Zephaniah 3:5

The just Lord [is] in the midst thereof
In the midst of the city of Jerusalem, where those princes, judges, prophets and priests, were, that behaved so ill, and saw and observed all their evil actions; and yet they were not deterred from them by his presence, even though he is the "just" and Holy One, who loves righteousness, and hates iniquity, and will punish for it; nor were they directed and allured to do what is righteous and good by his example. This character of the just Lord well agrees with Christ, who is perfectly righteous in both his natures, and in the execution of his offices; and is the author of righteousness to his people; and this is to be understood of his incarnation and personal presence in human nature in Jerusalem, and in the temple, where he taught his doctrine, and wrought his miracles: he will not do iniquity;
Christ was holy in his nature, harmless in his life; he knew no sin; he did not commit any; no violence was done by him, or guile found in him; he was not guilty of sin against God, nor of doing any injury to men; and should have been imitated by the men of the age in which he lived, as well as by others; and should have been valued and esteemed, and not traduced and vilified as he was, as if he had been the worst of men: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light;
the doctrine of the Gospel, which he set in the clearest light, and preached with the greatest constancy, day after day, morning by morning, and very early in the morning, when the people came to hear him in the temple; and he continued in it all the day; he waking morning by morning to this service, as was predicted of him, ( Isaiah 1:4 ) see ( Luke 21:37 Luke 21:38 ) : he faileth not;
in this work of preaching the word, with the greatest evidence and assiduity: but the unjust knoweth no shame:
those unjust persons, who aspersed the character of Christ, and traduced his doctrine and miracles; though there was nothing in his life, nor in his ministry, that could be justly blamed, yet they blushed not at their sin and wickedness; and though they were sharply reproved by him, and their errors in principle, and sins in practice, were exposed by him, yet they were not ashamed; such were the hardness and obduracy of their hearts.

Zefanja 3:5 In-Context

3 Haar vorsten zijn brullende leeuwen in het midden van haar; haar rechters zijn avondwolven, die de beenderen niet breken tot aan den morgen.

4 Haar profeten zijn lichtvaardig, gans trouweloze mannen; haar priesters verontreinigen het heilige, zij doen der wet geweld aan.

5 De rechtvaardige HEERE is in het midden van haar, Hij doet geen onrecht; allen morgen geeft Hij Zijn recht in het licht, er ontbreekt niet; doch de verkeerde weet van geen schaamte.

6 Ik heb de heidenen uitgeroeid, hun hoeken zijn verwoest, Ik heb hun straten eenzaam gemaakt, dat niemand daardoor gaat; hun steden zijn verstoord, zodat er niemand is, dat er geen inwoner is.

7 Ik zeide: Immers zult gij Mij vrezen, gij zult de tucht aannemen, opdat haar woning niet uitgeroeid zou worden; al wat Ik haar bezocht hebbe, waarlijk, zij hebben zich vroeg opgemaakt, zij hebben al hun handelingen verdorven.