Zephaniah 3:7

Zephaniah 3:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I 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.
• New International Version (NIV)Of Jerusalem I thought, ‘Surely you will fear me and accept correction!’ Then her place of refuge would not be destroyed, nor all my punishments come upon her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I said, 'Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction. Then your dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.' But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me, You will receive instruction’— So that her dwelling would not be cut off, Despite everything for which I punished her. But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds.

Context of Zephaniah 3:7

5But the Lord is among all the people in the city. He will do what is right. He is always the honest judge. He never fails. But the bad people do not know how to be ashamed. 6‘I have destroyed nations,’ the Lord says. ‘There is nobody in their strong towers now. I have made their streets empty, so no people are there. I have destroyed their cities. So nobody lives in them now. I said, “Now people in the city will respect me! Now they will agree when people warn them.” The people would have been safe if they had accepted it. Then I would not have to destroy them. But it did not happen. I had to punish them. Still, the people got up early to do bad things. 8So wait for me, I will stand up and I will punish the nations. I have decided to bring together the nations and the people that kings rule over. Then I will punish them very, very much. They will see how angry I am. They will see it because, on that day, I will burn all the earth.’ That is what the Lord says. 9‘Then I will give to people lips that I have made pure. With those lips, they will call me Lord. And then, all the people will agree to work together for me.’

Zephaniah 3:7 word by word

אָמַ֜רְתִּי אַךְ־תִּירְאִ֤י אוֹתִי֙ תִּקְחִ֣י מוּסָ֔ר וְלֹֽא־יִכָּרֵ֣ת מְעוֹנָ֔הּ כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־פָּקַ֖דְתִּי עָלֶ֑יהָ אָכֵן֙ הִשְׁכִּ֣ימוּ הִשְׁחִ֔יתוּ כֹּ֖ל עֲלִילוֹתָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• I saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Surely thou wilt fearיָרֵאyârê' · to fear: revereH3372
• me, thou wilt receiveלָקַחlâqach · to take: recieveH3947
• instructionמוּסָרmûsâr · disciplineH4148
• so their dwellingמָעוֹןmâ‛ôn mâ‛îyn · habitationH4583
• should not be cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: eliminateH3772
• howsoeverכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• howsoeverאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• I punishedפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: overseerH6485
• them: butאָכֵן'âkên · surelyH403
• they rose earlyשָׁכַםshâkam · to riseH7925
• corruptedשָׁחַתshâchath · to ruinH7843
• all their doingsעֲלִילָה‛ălîylâh ‛ălilâh · wantonnessH5949

Cross-references for Zephaniah 3:7

• Zephaniah 3:2They do not listen to anyone's voice. Nobody can warn them that they are doing wrong things. They do not trust in the Lord. They do not come near to their God.
• Isaiah 5:4I did everything that I could to help my vineyard. I could have done no more! But when I waited to get sweet grapes from the vines, there were only bitter ones! Why was that?
• Isaiah 63:8The Lord said, ‘Surely, they are my own people. As my children, they will not turn against me.’ So he became their Saviour.
• Jeremiah 8:6I have listened carefully to them, but they do not say what is right. They are not sorry for the wicked things that they have done. None of them say, “I have done something wrong.” They all continue to do what they want to do. They are like horses that are running into a battle.
• Jeremiah 36:3That will warn the people of Judah about the very bad things that I have decided to do to them. When they hear about it, perhaps they will stop doing the evil things that they have been doing. Then I will forgive their sins and everything wrong that they have done.’
• Luke 19:42He said, ‘You need to know what would really help you. Then you could have lived without trouble. But now, you are unable to understand properly.
• 2 Peter 3:9The Lord is not being slow to do what he has promised to do. Some people may think that he is being slow to do it. But he is being patient with you. He does not want to destroy anyone. He wants all people to turn away from the wrong things that they do.
• Jeremiah 7:7If you change how you live, I will let you live in this place. It is the land that I gave to your ancestors, to be their home for ever.
• Jeremiah 17:25If you obey me, kings from David's family will continue to rule. Kings and their officers will pass through these gates, together with the people of Jerusalem and all Judah. They will ride on horses and in chariots. Many people will always live in this city.
• Jeremiah 25:5The Lord's message to you was, “Turn away from your wicked way of life. Stop doing the evil things that you are doing. If you do that, you may continue to live in this land. It is the land that the Lord gave to you and to your ancestors to be their home for ever.
• Jeremiah 38:17Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, ‘The Lord Almighty, Israel's God, says, “You must put yourself under the power of the king of Babylon's officers. If you do that, you will not die. Your enemies will not burn down this city. You and your family will continue to live.
• 2 Chronicles 28:6In one day, King Pekah of Israel, Remaliah's son, killed 120,000 of Judah's best soldiers. God punished the people of Judah because they had turned away from the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
• 2 Chronicles 32:1After King Hezekiah had done all these good things, King Sennacherib of Assyria attacked Judah. He put his soldiers in camps around all the strong cities in Judah. He wanted to take the cities for himself.
• 2 Chronicles 33:11So the Lord brought the officers of the king of Assyria's army to attack them. They took hold of Manasseh. They put metal hooks in his nose and they tied bronze chains around him. Then they took him away to Babylon.
• 2 Chronicles 36:3The king of Egypt stopped Jehoahaz from ruling in Jerusalem. He made Judah pay tax to him. It was 3,400 kilograms of silver and 34 kilograms of gold.
• Micah 2:1Micah continues: People who prepare to do bad things should be afraid. God will do bad things to them! While they lie in bed, they think about bad things to do. Then, when the morning comes, they do those bad things. They have the authority to do whatever they want to do.

Commentaries on Zephaniah 3:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Surely thou wilt fear me - After so many displays of my sovereign power and judgments. But they rose early - And instead of returning to God, they practiced every abomination. They were diligent to find out times and places for their iniquity. This is the worst state of man.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7I said, surely thou wilt fear Me - God speaks of things here, as they are in their own nature. “It could not but be,” that in the very presence of the Hand of God, destroying others but as yet sparing them, they must learn to fear Him; they must stand in awe of Him for His judgments on others; they must be in filial fear of Him for His loving longsuffering toward themselves. “Thou wilt‘ receive instruction,” corrected and taught through God‘s correction…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7rose early: The people of Jerusalem eagerly got out of bed to commit more evil deeds (compare Proverbs 1:16). They had strayed far from the path of their ancestor Abraham, who rose early to follow God's command (Genesis 22:3).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-75-7. The Jews regard not God's justice manifested in the midst of them, nor His judgments on the guilty nations around. The just Lord--Why then are ye so unjust? is in the midst thereof--He retorts on them their own boast, "Is not the Lord among us" (Mi 3:11)? True He is, but it is for another end from what ye think [Calvin]; namely, to lead you by the example of His righteousness to be righteous. Le 19:2, "Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am…Read the comment

Topics related to Zephaniah 3:7

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Fear of God
• Rising
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Pride
• How
• Zephaniah, Book of

Commentaries on Zephaniah 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings