Zephaniah 3:5

Zephaniah 3:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The just Lord is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The Lord within her is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The Lord is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails, But the unjust knows no shame.
• New Living Translation (NLT)But the Lord is still there in the city, and he does no wrong. Day by day he hands down justice, and he does not fail. But the wicked know no shame.

Context of Zephaniah 3:5

3Her 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. The 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. 6“I have destroyed nations; their strongholds are demolished. I have left their streets deserted, with no one passing through. Their cities are laid waste; they are deserted and empty. 7Of Jerusalem I thought, ‘Surely you will fear me and accept correction!’ Then her place of refuge would not be destroyed, nor all my punishments come upon her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did.

Zephaniah 3:5 word by word

יְהוָ֤ה צַדִּיק֙ בְּקִרְבָּ֔הּ לֹ֥א יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה עַוְלָ֑ה בַּבֹּ֨קֶר בַּבֹּ֜קֶר מִשְׁפָּט֨וֹ יִתֵּ֤ן לָאוֹר֙ לֹ֣א נֶעְדָּ֔ר וְלֹֽא־יוֹדֵ֥עַ עַוָּ֖ל בֹּֽשֶׁת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The justצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
• Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• in the midstקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
• thereof; he will not doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• iniquityעַוְלָה‛evel ‛âvel ‛avlâh ‛ôlâh ‛ôlâh · injusticeH5766
• everyבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242
• doth he bringנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• his judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
• to lightאוֹר'ôr · lightH216
• he failethעָדַר‛âdar · to lackH5737
• not; but the unjustעַוָּל‛avvâl · unjustH5767
• knowethיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• no shameבֹּ֫שֶׁתbôsheth · shameH1322

Cross-references for Zephaniah 3:5

• Deuteronomy 32:4He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.
• Psalms 99:3Let them praise your great and awesome name— he is holy.
• Psalms 145:17The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.
• Ecclesiastes 3:16And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment—wickedness was there, in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
• Isaiah 45:21Declare what is to be, present it— let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me.
• Habakkuk 1:3Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.
• Zechariah 9:9Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
• Romans 3:26he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
• 1 Peter 1:17Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.
• Zephaniah 3:15The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.
• Deuteronomy 23:14For the Lord your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.
• Isaiah 12:6Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”
• Ezekiel 48:35“The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits. “And the name of the city from that time on will be: the Lord is there.”
• Micah 3:11Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they look for the Lord’s support and say, “Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us.”
• Zechariah 2:5And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’
• Genesis 18:25Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

Commentaries on Zephaniah 3:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5The just Lord is in the midst thereof - He sees, marks down, and will punish all these wickednesses. Every morning doth he bring his judgment to light - The sense is, says Bp. Newcome, "Not a day passes but we see instances of his goodness to righteous men, and of his vengeance on the wicked."Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5But, beside these “evening wolves in the midst of her,” there standeth Another “in the midst of her,” whom they knew not, and so, very near to them although they would not draw near to Him. But He was near, to behold all the iniquities which they did in the very city and place called by His Name and in His very presence; He was in her to protect, foster her with a father‘s love, but she, presuming on His mercy, had cast it off. And so He was near to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5He does nothing wrong, unlike those mentioned in Zephaniah 3:3–4.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-75-7. The Jews regard not God's justice manifested in the midst of them, nor His judgments on the guilty nations around. The just Lord--Why then are ye so unjust? is in the midst thereof--He retorts on them their own boast, "Is not the Lord among us" (Mi 3:11)? True He is, but it is for another end from what ye think [Calvin]; namely, to lead you by the example of His righteousness to be righteous. Le 19:2, "Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am…Read the comment

Topics related to Zephaniah 3:5

• God Continued...
• Injustice
• Shame
• Wicked (People)

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