English Standard Version
Zephaniah 1:12
12At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, 'The Lord will not do good, nor will he do ill.'
Zephaniah 1:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.
- New International Version (NIV)At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad.’
- New King James Version (NKJV)“And it shall come to pass at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And punish the men Who are settled in complacency, Who say in their heart, ‘The Lord will not do good, Nor will He do evil.’
- New Living Translation (NLT)“I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem’s darkest corners to punish those who sit complacent in their sins. They think the Lord will do nothing to them, either good or bad.
Context of Zephaniah 1:12
10"On that day," declares the Lord, "a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second Quarter, a loud crash from the hills. 11Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar! For all the traders are no more; all who weigh out silver are cut off. At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, 'The Lord will not do good, nor will he do ill.' 13Their goods shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them." 14The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there.
Read all of Zephaniah 1Zephaniah 1:12 word by word
וְהָיָה֙ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔יא אֲחַפֵּ֥שׂ אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם בַּנֵּר֑וֹת וּפָקַדְתִּ֣י עַל־הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים הַקֹּֽפְאִים֙ עַל־שִׁמְרֵיהֶ֔ם הָאֹֽמְרִים֙ בִּלְבָבָ֔ם לֹֽא־יֵיטִ֥יב יְהוָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א יָרֵֽעַ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And it shall come to pass at that timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
- I will searchחָפַשׂchâphaώ · to searchH2664
- Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- with candlesנֵרnîyr nir nêyr nêr nêrâh · lampH5216
- and punishפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: punishH6485
- the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- that are settledקָפָאqâphâ' · to congealH7087
- on their leesשֶׁ֫מֶרshemer · dregH8105
- that sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- in their heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
- The Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- will not do goodיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
- neither will he do evilרָעַעrâ‛a‛ · be evilH7489
Cross-references for Zephaniah 1:12
- Jeremiah 16:16"Behold, I am sending for many fishers, declares the Lord, and they shall catch them. And afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks.
- Amos 9:1I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said: "Strike the capitals until the thresholds shake, and shatter them on the heads of all the people; and those who are left of them I will kill with the sword; not one of them shall flee away; not one of them shall escape.
- Obadiah 1:6How Esau has been pillaged, his treasures sought out!
- Jeremiah 48:11"Moab has been at ease from his youth and has settled on his dregs; he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into exile; so his taste remains in him, and his scent is not changed.
- Amos 6:1"Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes!
- Revelation 2:23and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.
- Job 21:15What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?'
- Psalms 10:11He says in his heart, "God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it."
- Psalms 14:1The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.
- Psalms 94:7and they say, "The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive."
- Isaiah 5:19who say: "Let him be quick, let him speed his work that we may see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that we may know it!"
- Jeremiah 10:5Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good."
- Ezekiel 8:12Then he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say, 'The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.'"
- Ezekiel 9:9Then he said to me, "The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For they say, 'The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see.'
- Malachi 3:14You have said, 'It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts?
- 2 Peter 3:4They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation."
Commentaries on Zephaniah 1:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12I will search Jerusalem with candles - I will make a universal and thorough search. That are settled on their lees - Those who are careless, satisfied with the goods of this life; who trust in their riches, and are completely irreligious; who, while they acknowledge that there is a God, think, like the Aristotelians, that he is so supremely happy in the contemplation of his own excellences, that he feels it beneath his dignity to concern himself with the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12I will search - (Literally, “diligently”). The word is always used of a minute diligent search, whereby places, persons, things, are searched and sifted one by one in every corner, until it be found whether a thing be there or no. Hence, also of the searching out of every thought of the heart, either by God Proverbs 20:27, or in repentance by the light of God Lamentations 3:40. Jerusalem with candles - so that there should be no corner, no lurking-place…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-13Verses 7-13 God's day is at hand; the punishment of presumptuous sinners is a sacrifice to the justice of God. The Jewish royal family shall be reckoned with for their pride and vanity; and those that leap on the threshold, invading their neighbours' rights, and seizing their possessions. The trading people and the rich merchants are called to account. Secure and careless people are reckoned with. They are secure and easy; they say in their heart, the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-18We should view the entire passage as one large event. Some parts were fulfilled when Jerusalem fell in 586 BC. Other parts repeated in different historical periods, like the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The whole prophecy will be fulfilled at the end of time. Then, God will fully and finally judge the world and renew creation (Revelation 19:11–22:5).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. search ... with candles--or lamps; so as to leave no dark corner in it wherein sin can escape the punishment, of which the Chaldeans are My instruments (compare Zep 1:13; Lu 15:8). settled on their lees--"hardened" or crusted; image from the crust formed at the bottom of wines long left undisturbed (Jr 48:11). The effect of wealthy undisturbed ease ("lees") on the ungodly is hardening: they become stupidly secure (compare Psa 55:19; Am 6:1). Lord will…Read the comment
Topics related to Zephaniah 1:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Zephaniah 1
- 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
- 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries