New English Translation
Zephaniah 1:4
4“I will attack Judah and all who live in Jerusalem. I will remove from this place every trace of Baal worship, as well as the very memory of the pagan priests.
Zephaniah 1:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;
- New International Version (NIV)“I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem. I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place, the very names of the idolatrous priests—
- English Standard Version (ESV)"I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests,
- New King James Version (NKJV)“I will stretch out My hand against Judah, And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place, The names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests—
Context of Zephaniah 1:4
2“I will destroy everything from the face of the earth,” says the Lord. 3“I will destroy people and animals; I will destroy the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea. (The idolatrous images of these creatures will be destroyed along with evil people.) I will remove humanity from the face of the earth,” says the Lord. “I will attack Judah and all who live in Jerusalem. I will remove from this place every trace of Baal worship, as well as the very memory of the pagan priests. 5I will remove those who worship the stars in the sky from their rooftops, those who swear allegiance to the Lord while taking oaths in the name of their ‘king,’ 6and those who turn their backs on the Lord and do not want the Lord’s help or guidance.”
Read all of Zephaniah 1Zephaniah 1:4 word by word
וְנָטִ֤יתִי יָדִי֙ עַל־יְהוּדָ֔ה וְעַ֖ל כָּל־יוֹשְׁבֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְהִכְרַתִּ֞י מִן־הַמָּק֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ אֶת־שְׁאָ֣ר הַבַּ֔עַל אֶת־שֵׁ֥ם הַכְּמָרִ֖ים עִם־הַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- I will also stretch outנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
- mine handיָדyâd · handH3027
- upon Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- and upon all the inhabitantsיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- of Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- and I will cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: cutH3772
- the remnantשְׁאָרshe'âr · remnantH7605
- of Baalבַּעַלba‛al · BaalH1168
- from this placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
- the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- of the Chemarimsכֹּ֫מֶרkâmâr · pagan priestH3649
- with the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
Cross-references for Zephaniah 1:4
- Exodus 15:12You stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them.
- 2 Kings 21:13I will destroy Jerusalem the same way I did Samaria and the dynasty of Ahab. I will wipe Jerusalem clean, just as one wipes a plate on both sides.
- Isaiah 14:26This is the plan I have devised for the whole earth; my hand is ready to strike all the nations.”
- 2 Kings 23:4The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the high-ranking priests, and the guards to bring out of the Lord’s temple all the items that were used in the worship of Baal, Asherah, and all the stars of the sky. The king burned them outside of Jerusalem in the terraces of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel.
- 2 Chronicles 34:4He ordered the altars of the Baals to be torn down, and broke the incense altars that were above them. He smashed the Asherah poles, idols and images, crushed them up and sprinkled the dust over the tombs of those who had sacrificed to them.
- Hosea 10:5The inhabitants of Samaria will lament over the calf idol of Beth Aven. Its people will mourn over it; its idolatrous priests will wail over it, because its splendor will be taken from them into exile.
Commentaries on Zephaniah 1:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4I will cut off the remnant of Baal - I think he refers here, partly at least, to the reformation which Josiah was to bring about. See the account, 2 Kings 23:5; (note). The Chemarims - The black-robed priests of different idols. See the note on 2 Kings 23:6. These were put down by Josiah.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4I will also stretch out Mine Hand - As before on Egypt. Judah had gone in the ways of Egypt and learned her sins, and sinned worse than Egypt. “The mighty Hand and stretched-out Arm” Jeremiah 2:10-11, with which she had been delivered, shall be again “stretched out,” yet, not for her but “upon” her, “upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” In this threatened destruction of all, Judah and Jerusalem are singled out, because “judgment” shall “begin at the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4When Zephaniah made this prophecy, before Josiah's reforms in 622 BC, idolatrous priests actively promoted Baal worship and other forms of paganism (2 Kings 23:5).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. stretch out mine hand--indicating some remarkable and unusual work of vengeance (Is 5:25; 9:12, 17, 21). Judah--including Benjamin. These two tribes are to suffer, which thought themselves perpetually secure, because they escaped the captivity in which the ten tribes were involved. Jerusalem--the fountainhead of the evil. God begins with His sanctuary (Eze 9:6), and those who are nigh Him (Le 10:3). the remnant of Baal--the remains of Baal worship…Read the comment
Topics related to Zephaniah 1:4
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
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