New Living Translation
Zephaniah 3:7
7I thought, ‘Surely they will have reverence for me now! Surely they will listen to my warnings. Then I won’t need to strike again, destroying their homes.’ But no, they get up early to continue their evil deeds.
Zephaniah 3:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.
- New International Version (NIV)Of 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)I said, 'Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction. Then your dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.' But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt.
- New King James Version (NKJV)I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me, You will receive instruction’— So that her dwelling would not be cut off, Despite everything for which I punished her. But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds.
Context of Zephaniah 3:7
5But 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. 6“I have wiped out many nations, devastating their fortress walls and towers. Their streets are now deserted; their cities lie in silent ruin. There are no survivors— none at all. I thought, ‘Surely they will have reverence for me now! Surely they will listen to my warnings. Then I won’t need to strike again, destroying their homes.’ But no, they get up early to continue their evil deeds. 8Therefore, be patient,” says the Lord. “Soon I will stand and accuse these evil nations. For I have decided to gather the kingdoms of the earth and pour out my fiercest anger and fury on them. All the earth will be devoured by the fire of my jealousy. 9“Then I will purify the speech of all people, so that everyone can worship the Lord together.
Read all of Zephaniah 3Zephaniah 3:7 word by word
אָמַ֜רְתִּי אַךְ־תִּירְאִ֤י אוֹתִי֙ תִּקְחִ֣י מוּסָ֔ר וְלֹֽא־יִכָּרֵ֣ת מְעוֹנָ֔הּ כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־פָּקַ֖דְתִּי עָלֶ֑יהָ אָכֵן֙ הִשְׁכִּ֣ימוּ הִשְׁחִ֔יתוּ כֹּ֖ל עֲלִילוֹתָֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- I saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Surely thou wilt fearיָרֵאyârê' · to fear: revereH3372
- me, thou wilt receiveלָקַחlâqach · to take: recieveH3947
- instructionמוּסָרmûsâr · disciplineH4148
- so their dwellingמָעוֹןmâ‛ôn mâ‛îyn · habitationH4583
- should not be cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: eliminateH3772
- howsoeverכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
- howsoeverאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
- I punishedפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: overseerH6485
- them: butאָכֵן'âkên · surelyH403
- they rose earlyשָׁכַםshâkam · to riseH7925
- corruptedשָׁחַתshâchath · to ruinH7843
- all their doingsעֲלִילָה‛ălîylâh ‛ălilâh · wantonnessH5949
Cross-references for Zephaniah 3:7
- Zephaniah 3:2No one can tell it anything; it refuses all correction. It does not trust in the Lord or draw near to its God.
- Isaiah 5:4What more could I have done for my vineyard that I have not already done? When I expected sweet grapes, why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes?
- Isaiah 63:8He said, “They are my very own people. Surely they will not betray me again.” And he became their Savior.
- Jeremiah 8:6I listen to their conversations and don’t hear a word of truth. Is anyone sorry for doing wrong? Does anyone say, “What a terrible thing I have done”? No! All are running down the path of sin as swiftly as a horse galloping into battle!
- Jeremiah 36:3Perhaps the people of Judah will repent when they hear again all the terrible things I have planned for them. Then I will be able to forgive their sins and wrongdoings.”
- Luke 19:42“How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.
- 2 Peter 3:9The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
- Jeremiah 7:7Then I will let you stay in this land that I gave to your ancestors to keep forever.
- Jeremiah 17:25then kings and their officials will go in and out of these gates forever. There will always be a descendant of David sitting on the throne here in Jerusalem. Kings and their officials will always ride in and out among the people of Judah in chariots and on horses, and this city will remain forever.
- Jeremiah 25:5Each time the message was this: ‘Turn from the evil road you are traveling and from the evil things you are doing. Only then will I let you live in this land that the Lord gave to you and your ancestors forever.
- Jeremiah 38:17Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the Babylonian officers, you and your family will live, and the city will not be burned down.
- 2 Chronicles 28:6In a single day Pekah son of Remaliah, Israel’s king, killed 120,000 of Judah’s troops, all of them experienced warriors, because they had abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
- 2 Chronicles 32:1After Hezekiah had faithfully carried out this work, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified towns, giving orders for his army to break through their walls.
- 2 Chronicles 33:11So the Lord sent the commanders of the Assyrian armies, and they took Manasseh prisoner. They put a ring through his nose, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon.
- 2 Chronicles 36:3Then he was deposed by the king of Egypt, who demanded that Judah pay 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold as tribute.
- Micah 2:1What sorrow awaits you who lie awake at night, thinking up evil plans. You rise at dawn and hurry to carry them out, simply because you have the power to do so.
Commentaries on Zephaniah 3:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Surely thou wilt fear me - After so many displays of my sovereign power and judgments. But they rose early - And instead of returning to God, they practiced every abomination. They were diligent to find out times and places for their iniquity. This is the worst state of man.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7I said, surely thou wilt fear Me - God speaks of things here, as they are in their own nature. “It could not but be,” that in the very presence of the Hand of God, destroying others but as yet sparing them, they must learn to fear Him; they must stand in awe of Him for His judgments on others; they must be in filial fear of Him for His loving longsuffering toward themselves. “Thou wilt‘ receive instruction,” corrected and taught through God‘s correction…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7rose early: The people of Jerusalem eagerly got out of bed to commit more evil deeds (compare Proverbs 1:16). They had strayed far from the path of their ancestor Abraham, who rose early to follow God's command (Genesis 22:3).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 3:7
In the dictionaries
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
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