Revised Literal Translation
Zephaniah 1:12
12And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, Yhwh will not do good, neither will he do evil.1
Zephaniah 1:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.
- New International Version (NIV)At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad.’
- English Standard Version (ESV)At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, 'The Lord will not do good, nor will he do ill.'
- New King James Version (NKJV)“And it shall come to pass at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And punish the men Who are settled in complacency, Who say in their heart, ‘The Lord will not do good, Nor will He do evil.’
Context of Zephaniah 1:12
10And it shall come to pass in that day, saith Yhwh, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills. 11Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off. And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, Yhwh will not do good, neither will he do evil. 13Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof. 14The great day of Yhwh is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of Yhwh: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
Read all of Zephaniah 1Zephaniah 1:12 word by word
וְהָיָה֙ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔יא אֲחַפֵּ֥שׂ אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם בַּנֵּר֑וֹת וּפָקַדְתִּ֣י עַל־הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים הַקֹּֽפְאִים֙ עַל־שִׁמְרֵיהֶ֔ם הָאֹֽמְרִים֙ בִּלְבָבָ֔ם לֹֽא־יֵיטִ֥יב יְהוָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א יָרֵֽעַ׃Read the interlinear
- And it shall come to pass at that timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
- I will searchחָפַשׂchâphaώ · to searchH2664
- Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- with candlesנֵרnîyr nir nêyr nêr nêrâh · lampH5216
- and punishפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: punishH6485
- the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- that are settledקָפָאqâphâ' · to congealH7087
- on their leesשֶׁ֫מֶרshemer · dregH8105
- that sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- in their heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
- Yhwhיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- will not do goodיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
- neither will he do evilרָעַעrâ‛a‛ · be evilH7489
Cross-references for Zephaniah 1:12
- Jeremiah 16:16Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith Yhwh, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.
- Amos 9:1I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.
- Obadiah 1:6How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!
- Jeremiah 48:11Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.
- Amos 6:1Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!
- Revelation 2:23And I will kill her children with death; and all the Assemblies shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
- Job 21:15What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?
- Psalms 10:11He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.
- Psalms 14:1The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
- Psalms 94:7Yet they say, Yah shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.
- Isaiah 5:19That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!
- Jeremiah 10:5They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
- Ezekiel 8:12Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, Yhwh seeth us not; Yhwh hath forsaken the earth.
- Ezekiel 9:9Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, Yhwh hath forsaken the earth, And Yhwh seeth not.
- Malachi 3:14Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before Yhwh of Armies?
- 2 Peter 3:4And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
Commentaries on Zephaniah 1:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12I will search Jerusalem with candles - I will make a universal and thorough search. That are settled on their lees - Those who are careless, satisfied with the goods of this life; who trust in their riches, and are completely irreligious; who, while they acknowledge that there is a God, think, like the Aristotelians, that he is so supremely happy in the contemplation of his own excellences, that he feels it beneath his dignity to concern himself with the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12I will search - (Literally, “diligently”). The word is always used of a minute diligent search, whereby places, persons, things, are searched and sifted one by one in every corner, until it be found whether a thing be there or no. Hence, also of the searching out of every thought of the heart, either by God Proverbs 20:27, or in repentance by the light of God Lamentations 3:40. Jerusalem with candles - so that there should be no corner, no lurking-place…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-13Verses 7-13 God's day is at hand; the punishment of presumptuous sinners is a sacrifice to the justice of God. The Jewish royal family shall be reckoned with for their pride and vanity; and those that leap on the threshold, invading their neighbours' rights, and seizing their possessions. The trading people and the rich merchants are called to account. Secure and careless people are reckoned with. They are secure and easy; they say in their heart, the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-18We should view the entire passage as one large event. Some parts were fulfilled when Jerusalem fell in 586 BC. Other parts repeated in different historical periods, like the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The whole prophecy will be fulfilled at the end of time. Then, God will fully and finally judge the world and renew creation (Revelation 19:11–22:5).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. search ... with candles--or lamps; so as to leave no dark corner in it wherein sin can escape the punishment, of which the Chaldeans are My instruments (compare Zep 1:13; Lu 15:8). settled on their lees--"hardened" or crusted; image from the crust formed at the bottom of wines long left undisturbed (Jr 48:11). The effect of wealthy undisturbed ease ("lees") on the ungodly is hardening: they become stupidly secure (compare Psa 55:19; Am 6:1). Lord will…Read the comment
Topics related to Zephaniah 1:12
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Zephaniah 1:12 settled: Heb. curded, or, thickened. ↩
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries