Zephaniah 3:3

Zephaniah 3:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
• New International Version (NIV)Her officials within her are roaring lions; her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; Her judges are evening wolves That leave not a bone till morning.

Context of Zephaniah 3:3

1How horrible it will be for that rebellious and corrupt place, the city of violence. 2It obeys no one. It does not accept correction. It does not trust the Lord. It does not draw close to its God. Its officials are ⌞like⌟ roaring lions. Its judges are ⌞like⌟ wolves in the evening. They leave nothing to gnaw on for the morning. 4Its prophets are reckless and unfaithful. Its priests contaminate what is holy. They violate the teachings. 5The righteous Lord is in that city. He does no wrong. He brings his judgment to light every morning. He does not fail. But those who are perverted are shameless.

Zephaniah 3:3 word by word

שָׂרֶ֣יהָ בְקִרְבָּ֔הּ אֲרָי֖וֹת שֹֽׁאֲגִ֑ים שֹׁפְטֶ֙יהָ֙ זְאֵ֣בֵי עֶ֔רֶב לֹ֥א גָרְמ֖וּ לַבֹּֽקֶר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Her princesשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
• withinקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
• roaringשָׁאַגshâ'ag · to roarH7580
• lionsאֲרִי'ărîy 'aryêh · lionH738
• her judgesשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
• eveningעֶ֫רֶב‛ereb · eveningH6153
• wolvesזְאֵבze'êb · wolfH2061
• they gnaw not the bonesגָּרַםgâram · to reserveH1633
• till the morrowבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242

Cross-references for Zephaniah 3:3

• Job 4:8Whenever I saw those who plowed wickedness and planted misery, they gathered its harvest.
• Psalms 10:8He waits in ambush in the villages. From his hiding places he kills innocent people. His eyes are on the lookout for victims.
• Proverbs 28:15⌞Like⌟ a roaring lion and a charging bear, ⌞so⌟ a wicked ruler is a threat to poor people.
• Isaiah 1:23Your rulers are rebels, friends with thieves. They all love bribes and run after gifts. They never defend orphans. They don’t notice the widows’ pleas.
• Jeremiah 22:17“But your eyes and your mind are set on nothing but dishonest profits. You kill innocent people and violently oppress your people.”
• Ezekiel 22:6“ ‘See how all the princes of Israel who live in you have used their power to murder people.
• Micah 3:1Then I said: Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the nation of Israel. You should know justice.
• Jeremiah 5:6That is why a lion from the forest will attack them. A wolf from the wilderness will destroy them. A leopard will lie in ambush outside their cities. All who leave the cities will be torn to pieces, because they rebel so often and they become more and more unfaithful.
• Habakkuk 1:8Their horses will be faster than leopards and quicker than wolves in the evening. Their riders will gallop along proudly. Their riders will come from far away. They will fly like an eagle that swoops down for its prey.

Commentaries on Zephaniah 3:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Her princes - are roaring lions - Tearing all to pieces without shadow of law, except their own despotic power. Her judges are evening wolves - Being a little afraid of the lion-like princes, they practice their unjust dealings from evening to morning, and take the day to find their rest. They gnaw not the bones till the morrow - They devour the flesh in the night, and gnaw the bones and extract the marrow afterwards. They use all violence and predatory…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The prophet having declared the wickedness of the whole city, rehearses how each in Church and state, the ministers of God in either, who should have corrected the evil, themselves aggravated it. Not enemies, without, destroy her, but Her princes within her - In the very midst of the flock, whom they should in God‘s stead “feed with a true heart,” destroy her as they will, having no protection against them. “Her judges are evening wolves” (see Habakkuk…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4See also Ezekiel 22:23–29.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. roaring--for prey (Pr 28:15; Eze 22:27; Am 3:4; Mi 2:2). evening wolves--which are most ravenous at evening after being foodless all day (Jr 5:6; Ha 1:8). they gnaw not the bones till the morrow--rather, "they put not off till to-morrow to gnaw the bones"; but devour all at once, bones and flesh, so ragingly ravenous are they [Calvin].Read the comment

Topics related to Zephaniah 3:3

• Court
• Judge
• Rulers
• Wolf

In the dictionaries

• Pride
• Wolf
• Zephaniah, Book of
• wolf, wild dog, wild dogs

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