Zephaniah 3:8

Zephaniah 3:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Therefore 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.
• New International Version (NIV)Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord, “for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them— all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Therefore wait for me," declares the Lord, "for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Therefore wait for Me,” says the Lord, “Until the day I rise up for plunder; My determination is to gather the nations To My assembly of kingdoms, To pour on them My indignation, All My fierce anger; All the earth shall be devoured With the fire of My jealousy.

Context of Zephaniah 3:8

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. 7I 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. So 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.’ 10‘Some people live a long way beyond the rivers of Cush. Yes, my people who pray went away to many other countries. They will return and they will carry their gifts to me.

Zephaniah 3:8 word by word

לָכֵ֤ן חַכּוּ־לִי֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה לְי֖וֹם קוּמִ֣י לְעַ֑ד כִּ֣י מִשְׁפָּטִי֩ לֶאֱסֹ֨ף גּוֹיִ֜ם לְקָבְצִ֣י מַמְלָכ֗וֹת לִשְׁפֹּ֨ךְ עֲלֵיהֶ֤ם זַעְמִי֙ כֹּ֚ל חֲר֣וֹן אַפִּ֔י כִּ֚י בְּאֵ֣שׁ קִנְאָתִ֔י תֵּאָכֵ֖ל כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Therefore waitחָכָהchâkâh · to waitH2442
• ye upon me, saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• until the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• that I rise upקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• to the preyעַד‛ad · preyH5706
• for my determinationמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
• to gatherאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
• the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• that I may assembleקָבַץqâbats · to gatherH6908
• the kingdomsמַמְלָכָהmamlâkâh · kingdomH4467
• to pourשָׁפַךְshâphak · to pour: pourH8210
• upon them mine indignationזַ֫עַםza‛am · indignationH2195
• all my fierceחָרוֹןchârôn chârôn · burning angerH2740
• angerאַף'aph · face: angerH639
• for all the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• shall be devouredאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• with the fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
• of my jealousyקִנְאָהqin'âh · jealousyH7068

Cross-references for Zephaniah 3:8

• Psalms 27:14Wait for the Lord to help you! Be strong and brave. Yes, wait for the Lord to help you!
• Psalms 37:7Be patient as you wait for the Lord to help you. Trust him to bring help. Do not become upset when bad people seem to do well, when their wicked ideas really happen.
• Psalms 62:1I will be patient as I wait for God to help me. He is the only one who can make me safe.
• Psalms 123:2Yes, our eyes look up to the Lord our God. We want him to be kind to us, so we wait for his help. We wait like servants who want help from their master.
• Psalms 130:5I will wait for the Lord to help me. I trust him completely. So I wait for him to do what he has promised.
• Proverbs 20:22Do not say, ‘I will pay you back for the evil thing you did to me.’ Trust the Lord to make it right for you.
• Isaiah 30:18So the Lord is waiting for the right time to be kind to you. He is ready to show his great love for you. The Lord God does what is right and fair. Everyone who waits for him to come and help them is a happy person!
• Lamentations 3:25The Lord does good things for people who wait for him. He is kind to everyone who looks for him.
• Hosea 12:6So now, you must return to your God. You must show faithful love for each other. You must judge people in a fair way. You must be patient. Trust God to come and help you.
• Micah 7:7But as for me, I will watch for what the Lord will do. I will wait for God, who saves me. I know that he hears me.
• James 5:7So, my Christian friends, be patient until the Lord Jesus returns. Think about how a farmer is patient. He waits for the ground to give him valuable food to eat. He waits patiently for the rain to come in the autumn and in the spring.
• Psalms 12:5But the Lord says: ‘Now I will do something! I know the cruel things that wicked people do to poor people. When weak people cry with pain, I hear them. So I will make them safe, as they want me to do for them.’
• Psalms 78:65Then the Lord woke up, like someone had woken him from sleep. He shouted loudly, like a soldier who has drunk a lot of wine.
• Isaiah 42:13The Lord marches out to battle, like a brave soldier. He is angry with his enemies, and he is ready to attack them. He shouts loudly as he attacks, and he shows his power over them.
• Isaiah 59:16He saw that there was nobody who would help, and he was very upset. So he used his own strength to help. Because he had to do what was right, he made his people safe.
• Ezekiel 38:14So, son of man, you must prophesy to Gog. Say to him, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: That is what you will decide to do at that time. You will do it when you see that my people, the Israelites, are living safely.

Commentaries on Zephaniah 3:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Wait ye upon me - Expect the fulfilment of all my promises and threatenings: I am God, and change not. For all the earth - All the land of Judah.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Therefore wait ye upon - (for) Me God so willeth not to punish, but that all should lay hold of His mercy, that He doth not here even name punishment. Judah had slighted His mercies; He was ready to forgive all they had sinned, if they would “now” receive instruction; they in return set themselves to corrupt “all” their doings. They had wholly forsaken Him. “Therefore” - we should have expected, as elsewhere, “Therefore I will visit all your iniquities…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-13Verses 8-13 The preaching of the gospel is predicted, when vengeance would be executed on the Jewish nation. The purifying doctrines of the gospel, or the pure language of the grace of the Lord, would teach men to use the language of humility, repentance, and faith. Purity and piety in common conversation is good. The pure and happy state of the church in the latter days seems intended. The Lord will shut out boasting, and leave men nothing to glory in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8wait for Me: See Habakkuk 2:3. rise to testify: The prophet describes a courtroom scene. God first acts as a witness (see also Jeremiah 29:23; Malachi 3:5) on his own behalf, then serves as judge (see also Job 9:15; Psalm 50:6) to give his fair sentence. The fire of my jealousy refers to the Lord’s rightful anger against sin. It also shows his care for his holy name and his people's well-being (see Isaiah 66:13–16).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. wait ye upon me--Here Jehovah turns to the pious Jews. Amidst all these judgments on the Jewish nation, look forward to the glorious time of restoration to be ushered in by God's precious outpouring of wrath on all nations, Is 30:18-33; where the same phrase, "blessed are all they that wait for Him," is used as to the same great event. Calvin erroneously makes this verse an address to the ungodly; and so Maurer, "Ye shall not have to wait for Me in…Read the comment

Topics related to Zephaniah 3:8

• Jealousy
• Nation
• Waiting

In the dictionaries

• Pride
• 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