New International Version
Zephaniah 1:4
4“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—
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;
- 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—
- New Living Translation (NLT)“I will crush Judah and Jerusalem with my fist and destroy every last trace of their Baal worship. I will put an end to all the idolatrous priests, so that even the memory of them will disappear.
Context of Zephaniah 1:4
2“I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord. 3“I will sweep away both man and beast; I will sweep away the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea— and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble.” “When I destroy all mankind on the face of the earth,” declares the Lord, “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— 5those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host, those who bow down and swear by the Lord and who also swear by Molek, 6those who turn back from following the Lord and neither seek the Lord nor inquire of him.”
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 15:12“You stretch out your right hand, and the earth swallows your enemies.
- 2 Kings 21:13I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.
- Isaiah 14:26This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations.
- 2 Kings 23:4The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the Lord all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel.
- 2 Chronicles 34:4Under his direction the altars of the Baals were torn down; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles and the idols. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
- Hosea 10:5The people who live in Samaria fear for the calf-idol of Beth Aven. Its people will mourn over it, and so will its idolatrous priests, those who had rejoiced over its splendor, because it is 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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