Zephaniah 3:8

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 destroyed nations; their walled cities are in ruins. I turned their streets into ruins; no one passes through them. Their cities are desolate; no one lives there. 7I thought, ‘Certainly you will respect me! Now you will accept correction!’ If she had done so, her home would not be destroyed by all the punishments I have threatened. But they eagerly sinned in everything they did. Therefore you must wait patiently for me,” says the Lord, “for the day when I attack and take plunder. I have decided to gather nations together and assemble kingdoms, so I can pour out my fury on them – all my raging anger. For the whole earth will be consumed by my fiery anger. 9Know for sure that I will then enable the nations to give me acceptable praise. All of them will invoke the Lord’s name when they pray, and will worship him in unison. 10From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, those who pray to me will bring me tribute.

Zephaniah 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 27:14Rely on the Lord! Be strong and confident! Rely on the Lord!
• Psalms 37:7Wait patiently for the Lord! Wait confidently for him! Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner, a man who carries out wicked schemes!
• Psalms 62:1For God alone I patiently wait; he is the one who delivers me.
• Psalms 123:2Look, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female servant look to the hand of her mistress, so my eyes will look to the Lord, our God, until he shows us favor.
• Psalms 130:5I rely on the Lord, I rely on him with my whole being; I wait for his assuring word.
• Proverbs 20:22Do not say, “I will pay back evil!” Wait for the Lord, so that he may vindicate you.
• Isaiah 30:18For this reason the Lord is ready to show you mercy; he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you. Indeed, the Lord is a just God; all who wait for him in faith will be blessed.
• Lamentations 3:25The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to the one who seeks him.
• Hosea 12:6But you must return to your God, by maintaining love and justice, and by waiting for your God to return to you.
• Micah 7:7But I will keep watching for the Lord; I will wait for the God who delivers me. My God will hear my lament.
• James 5:7So be patient, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s return. Think of how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient for it until it receives the early and late rains.
• Psalms 12:5“Because of the violence done to the oppressed, because of the painful cries of the needy, I will spring into action,” says the Lord. “I will provide the safety they so desperately desire.”
• Psalms 78:65But then the Lord awoke from his sleep; he was like a warrior in a drunken rage.
• Isaiah 42:13The Lord emerges like a hero, like a warrior he inspires himself for battle; he shouts, yes, he yells, he shows his enemies his power.
• Isaiah 59:16He sees there is no advocate; he is shocked that no one intervenes. So he takes matters into his own hands; his desire for justice drives him on.
• Ezekiel 38:14“Therefore, prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: On that day when my people Israel are living securely, you will take notice

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

• Jealousy
• Nation
• Waiting

In the dictionaries

• Pride
• Zephaniah, Book of

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