Zephaniah 3:3

Zephaniah 3:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; Her judges are evening wolves That leave not a bone till morning.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Its leaders are like roaring lions hunting for their victims. Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time, who by dawn have left no trace of their prey.

Context of Zephaniah 3:3

1Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! 2She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God. Her officials within her are roaring lions; her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning. 4Her prophets are unprincipled; they are treacherous people. Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law. 5The Lord within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame.

Zephaniah 3:3 word by word

שָׂרֶ֣יהָ בְקִרְבָּ֔הּ אֲרָי֖וֹת שֹֽׁאֲגִ֑ים שֹׁפְטֶ֙יהָ֙ זְאֵ֣בֵי עֶ֔רֶב לֹ֥א גָרְמ֖וּ לַבֹּֽקֶר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Her princesשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
• withinקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
• roaringשָׁאַגshâ'ag · to roarH7580
• lionsאֲרִי'ărîy 'aryêh · lionH738
• her judgesשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
• eveningעֶ֫רֶב‛ereb · eveningH6153
• wolvesזְאֵבze'êb · wolfH2061
• they gnaw not the bonesגָּרַםgâram · to reserveH1633
• till the morrowבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242

Cross-references for Zephaniah 3:3

• Job 4:8As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.
• Psalms 10:8He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent. His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
• Proverbs 28:15Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.
• Isaiah 1:23Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them.
• Jeremiah 22:17“But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion.”
• Ezekiel 22:6“ ‘See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood.
• Micah 3:1Then I said, “Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel. Should you not embrace justice,
• Jeremiah 5:6Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many.
• Habakkuk 1:8Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like an eagle swooping to devour;

Commentaries on Zephaniah 3:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Her princes - are roaring lions - Tearing all to pieces without shadow of law, except their own despotic power. Her judges are evening wolves - Being a little afraid of the lion-like princes, they practice their unjust dealings from evening to morning, and take the day to find their rest. They gnaw not the bones till the morrow - They devour the flesh in the night, and gnaw the bones and extract the marrow afterwards. They use all violence and predatory…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The prophet having declared the wickedness of the whole city, rehearses how each in Church and state, the ministers of God in either, who should have corrected the evil, themselves aggravated it. Not enemies, without, destroy her, but Her princes within her - In the very midst of the flock, whom they should in God‘s stead “feed with a true heart,” destroy her as they will, having no protection against them. “Her judges are evening wolves” (see Habakkuk…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4See also Ezekiel 22:23–29.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. roaring--for prey (Pr 28:15; Eze 22:27; Am 3:4; Mi 2:2). evening wolves--which are most ravenous at evening after being foodless all day (Jr 5:6; Ha 1:8). they gnaw not the bones till the morrow--rather, "they put not off till to-morrow to gnaw the bones"; but devour all at once, bones and flesh, so ragingly ravenous are they [Calvin].Read the comment

Topics related to Zephaniah 3:3

• Court
• Judge
• Rulers
• Wolf

In the dictionaries

• Pride
• Wolf
• Zephaniah, Book of
• wolf, wild dog, wild dogs

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