New King James Version
Zephaniah 1:4
4“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—
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 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 utterly consume everything From the face of the land,” Says the Lord; 3“I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens, The fish of the sea, And the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the land,” Says the Lord. “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— 5Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; Those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord, But who also swear by Milcom; 6Those who have turned back from following the Lord, And have not sought the Lord, nor inquired 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 15:12You stretched out Your right hand; The earth swallowed them.
- 2 Kings 21:13And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab; I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.
- Isaiah 14:26This is the purpose that is purposed against the whole earth, And this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.
- 2 Kings 23:4And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers, to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the articles that were made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel.
- 2 Chronicles 34:4They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars which were above them he cut down; and the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
- Hosea 10:5The inhabitants of Samaria fear Because of the calf of Beth Aven. For its people mourn for it, And its priests shriek for it— Because its glory has departed from it.
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries