The Prophets · Old Testament
Zephaniah 3
Zephaniah 3: woe to the oppressing city, then singing for the daughter of Zion
General context
Woe is spoken over the filthy, polluted, oppressing city that did not obey, receive correction, trust in the Lord or draw near to her God. Her princes are roaring lions, her judges evening wolves, her prophets light and treacherous, her priests polluters of the sanctuary who do violence to the law. The just Lord is in her midst and brings his judgment to light every morning, but the unjust know no shame. The Lord recalls that he has cut off nations and left their cities without inhabitant, and says he expected the city to fear him and receive instruction, but they rose early and corrupted all their doings. He tells them to wait until the day he rises to the prey, when he will gather nations and kingdoms to pour out his indignation and devour all the earth with the fire of his jealousy. Then he will turn to the people a pure language so all may call on his name; suppliants will bring his offering from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia. The city will not be ashamed in that day, for the proud will be removed and an afflicted and poor people left who trust in the Lord's name; the remnant of Israel will not lie and will feed and lie down unafraid. The daughter of Zion is told to sing: the Lord has taken away her judgments and cast out her enemy, the king of Israel, the Lord, is in her midst, and she will see evil no more. He will rejoice over her with joy and singing. He will gather the sorrowful, undo all who afflict her, save the lame and driven out, and make them a name and a praise among all people when he turns back their captivity before their eyes.
Cited passages: Zephaniah 3:1, Zephaniah 3:2, Zephaniah 3:3, Zephaniah 3:4, Zephaniah 3:5, Zephaniah 3:6, Zephaniah 3:7, Zephaniah 3:8, Zephaniah 3:9, Zephaniah 3:10, Zephaniah 3:11, Zephaniah 3:12, Zephaniah 3:13, Zephaniah 3:14, Zephaniah 3:15, Zephaniah 3:16, Zephaniah 3:17, Zephaniah 3:18, Zephaniah 3:19, Zephaniah 3:20
Zephaniah 3 (KJV)
1Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
2She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God.
3Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
4Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
5The just Lord is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.
6I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.
7I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.
8Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
9For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.
10From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.
11In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.
12I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.
13The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
14Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
15The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.
16In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.
17The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
18I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.
19Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.
20At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord.
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Historical context
The oppressing city of verse 1 is not named in that verse. Verse 5 places "the just Lord" in the midst of it, verses 14 and 16 name Jerusalem and Zion as the ones told to sing and not fear, and verse 11 mentions "my holy mountain," so the chapter's city is Jerusalem by its own later words rather than by a label at the start. The four groups charged, princes, judges, prophets and priests, are described but not named. Verse 6, "I have cut off the nations," follows the oracles of chapter 2 and is spoken in the past tense, while the gathering of nations in verse 8 is future; the text does not date either. "From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia" locates the suppliants only by that phrase. "The king of Israel, even the Lord" in verse 15 names the Lord himself as king; no human king is mentioned in the chapter. The captivity turned back in verse 20 is not described as to place or captor. The promise that the remnant "shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies" is stated as future fact, not as a condition. Verse 20 closes with "saith the Lord," marking the promise as the Lord's own speech.
Cited passages: Zephaniah 3:1, Zephaniah 3:5, Zephaniah 3:14, Zephaniah 3:16, Zephaniah 3:11, Zephaniah 3:3, Zephaniah 3:4, Zephaniah 3:6, Zephaniah 3:8, Zephaniah 3:10, Zephaniah 3:15, Zephaniah 3:20, Zephaniah 3:13
Literary context
The chapter carries the book from woe to singing. Verse 2 lists four failures in a row, each beginning "she ... not," and verses 3 and 4 give the four ruling classes as predators or polluters. Verse 5 sets one stable line in the middle of the corruption: the Lord in her midst, failing not, every morning. The Lord's speech in verses 6 and 7 is a rare report of his own expectation disappointed, "I said, Surely thou wilt fear me." The hinge is verse 8, "Therefore wait ye upon me," where the fire of jealousy that devoured the whole land in 1:18 is now aimed at all nations, and verse 9 begins the reversal with "For then." The commands to sing, shout and rejoice in verse 14 answer the "Hold thy peace" of 1:7, and the Lord who was to search Jerusalem with candles now "will rejoice over thee with joy" and "joy over thee with singing." The remnant that lies down unafraid recalls the flocks lying down in ruined Nineveh in 2:14, the same image turned from desolation to safety.
Cited passages: Zephaniah 3:2, Zephaniah 3:3, Zephaniah 3:4, Zephaniah 3:5, Zephaniah 3:7, Zephaniah 3:8, Zephaniah 1:18, Zephaniah 3:9, Zephaniah 3:14, Zephaniah 1:7, Zephaniah 1:12, Zephaniah 3:17, Zephaniah 3:13, Zephaniah 2:14
Key moments
- Woe to the oppressing city (Zephaniah 3:1). The filthy and polluted city is placed under woe.
- Lions, wolves, treacherous prophets (Zephaniah 3:3). Her princes and judges are pictured as predators.
- The just Lord in her midst (Zephaniah 3:5). Every morning the Lord brings his judgment to light, but the unjust know no shame.
- I said, Surely thou wilt fear me (Zephaniah 3:7). The Lord reports his expectation and the city's early rising to corrupt itself.
- A pure language (Zephaniah 3:9). The Lord will turn to the people a pure language so all may call on his name.
- Sing, O daughter of Zion (Zephaniah 3:14). Jerusalem is told to sing because her judgments are taken away.
- He will joy over thee with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). The Lord in her midst rests in his love and rejoices over her.
For reflection
The Lord says he expected the city to fear him and receive instruction, and instead they rose early to corrupt their doings. What does it mean for a book that began with total consumption to record the Lord's own disappointed expectation?
