God’s Word Translation
Zephaniah 3:8
8The Lord declares, “Just wait! One day I will stand up as a witness. I have decided to gather nations, to bring kingdoms together, and to pour my rage, my burning anger, on them. The whole land will be consumed by my fiery fury.
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 will cut off the nations. Their towers will be destroyed. I will demolish their streets. No one will walk through them. Their cities will be completely destroyed. Not a single person will be left. No one will be living there. 7I said ⌞to my people⌟, ‘You will fear me. You will accept correction!’ Then their homeland would not be wiped out even though I have punished them. Still, they continued to be corrupt in everything they did.” The Lord declares, “Just wait! One day I will stand up as a witness. I have decided to gather nations, to bring kingdoms together, and to pour my rage, my burning anger, on them. The whole land will be consumed by my fiery fury. 9“Then I will give all people pure lips to worship the Lord and to serve him with one purpose. 10From beyond the rivers of Sudan my worshipers, my scattered people, will 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 with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Yes, wait with hope for the Lord.
- Psalms 37:7Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Do not be preoccupied with ⌞an evildoer⌟ who succeeds in his way when he carries out his schemes.
- Psalms 62:1My soul waits calmly for God alone. My salvation comes from him.
- Psalms 123:2As servants depend on their masters, as a maid depends on her mistress, so we depend on the Lord our God until he has pity on us.
- Psalms 130:5I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and with hope I wait for his word.
- Proverbs 20:22Do not say, “I’ll get even with you!” Wait for the Lord, and he will save you.
- Isaiah 30:18The Lord is waiting to be kind to you. He rises to have compassion on you. 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 anyone who seeks help from him.
- Hosea 12:6Return to your God. Be loyal and fair, and always wait with hope for your God.
- Micah 7:7I will look to the Lord. I will wait for God to save me. I will wait for my God to listen to me.
- James 5:7Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord comes again. See how farmers wait for their precious crops to grow. They wait patiently for fall and spring rains.
- Psalms 12:5“Because oppressed people are robbed and needy people groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord. “I will provide safety for those who long for it.”
- Psalms 78:65Then the Lord woke up like one who had been sleeping, like a warrior sobering up from ⌞too much⌟ wine.
- Isaiah 42:13The Lord marches out like a warrior. He prepares himself for battle like a soldier. He shouts, gives the battle cry, and overpowers his enemies.
- Isaiah 59:16He sees that there’s no one to help. He’s astounded that there’s no one to intercede. So with his own power he wins a victory. His righteousness supports him.
- Ezekiel 38:14“So prophesy, son of man. Tell Gog, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: At that time my people Israel will live safely, and you will 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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