English Standard Version
Zephaniah 3:8
8"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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Therefore, be patient,” says the Lord. “Soon I will stand and accuse these evil nations. For I have decided to gather the kingdoms of the earth and pour out my fiercest anger and fury on them. All the earth will be devoured by the fire of my jealousy.
Context of Zephaniah 3:8
6"I have cut off nations; their battlements are in ruins; I have laid waste their streets so that no one walks in them; their cities have been made desolate, without a man, without an inhabitant. 7I 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. "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. 9"For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord. 10From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones, shall bring my offering.
Read all of Zephaniah 3Zephaniah 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; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
- Psalms 37:7Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
- Psalms 62:1For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
- Psalms 123:2Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us.
- Psalms 130:5I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;
- Proverbs 20:22Do not say, "I will repay evil"; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.
- Isaiah 30:18Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.
- Lamentations 3:25The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
- Hosea 12:6"So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God."
- Micah 7:7But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.
- James 5:7Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.
- Psalms 12:5"Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise," says the Lord; "I will place him in the safety for which he longs."
- Psalms 78:65Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a strong man shouting because of wine.
- Isaiah 42:13The Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes.
- Isaiah 59:16He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him.
- Ezekiel 38:14"Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say to Gog, Thus says the Lord God: On that day when my people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not know it?
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
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries