Zephaniah 1:12

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.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.'
• 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.’

Context of Zephaniah 1:12

10On that day,” declares the Lord, “There will be the sound of a cry from the Fish Gate, A wail from the Second Quarter, And a loud crash from the hills. 11Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar, For all the people of Canaan will be silenced; All who weigh out silver will be cut off. It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, ‘The Lord will not do good or evil!’ 13Moreover, their wealth will become plunder And their houses desolate; Yes, they will build houses but not inhabit them, And plant vineyards but not drink their wine.” 14Near is the great day of the Lord, Near and coming very quickly; Listen, the day of the Lord! In it the warrior cries out bitterly.

Zephaniah 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

• It will comeהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• about at that timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• searchחָפַשׂchâphaώ · to searchH2664
• Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
• with lampsנֵרnîyr nir nêyr nêr nêrâh · lampH5216
• And I will punishפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: punishH6485
• the menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• stagnantקָפָאqâphâ' · to congealH7087
• in spiritשֶׁ֫מֶרshemer · dregH8105
• Who sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• in their heartsלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
• The Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• not doיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
• or evilרָעַעrâ‛a‛ · be evilH7489

Cross-references for Zephaniah 1:12

• Jeremiah 16:16“Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks.
• Amos 9:1I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said, “Smite the capitals so that the thresholds will shake, And break them on the heads of them all! Then I will slay the rest of them with the sword; They will not have a fugitive who will flee, Or a refugee who will escape.
• Obadiah 1:6O how Esau will be ransacked, And his hidden treasures searched out!
• Jeremiah 48:11“Moab has been at ease since his youth; He has also been undisturbed, like wine on its dregs, And he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into exile. Therefore he retains his flavor, And his aroma has not changed.
• Amos 6:1Woe to those who are at ease in Zion And to those who feel secure in the mountain of Samaria, The distinguished men of the foremost of nations, To whom the house of Israel comes.
• Revelation 2:23And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.
• Job 21:15Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, And what would we gain if we entreat Him?’
• Psalms 10:11He says to himself, “God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”
• Psalms 14:1The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good.
• Psalms 94:7They have said, “The Lord does not see, Nor does the God of Jacob pay heed.”
• Isaiah 5:19Who say, “Let Him make speed, let Him hasten His work, that we may see it; And let the purpose of the Holy One of Israel draw near And come to pass, that we may know it!”
• Jeremiah 10:5Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good.”
• Ezekiel 8:12Then He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are committing in the dark, each man in the room of his carved images? For they say, ‘The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land.’”
• Ezekiel 9:9Then He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land is filled with blood and the city is full of perversion; 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; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of hosts?
• 2 Peter 3:4and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was 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

• Blasphemy
• Confidence
• Infidelity
• Lamp
• Lees
• Skepticism
• Symbols and Similitudes
• War
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Jerusalem
• Crashing
• Lees
• Wasteness
• Josiah
• Molech; Moloch
• Wine; Wine Press
• Zephaniah, Book of

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