Tree of Life Version
Zephaniah 1:12
12At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men whose spirits have hardened, who say in their hearts, ‘Adonai will do neither good nor evil.’
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
10In that day—declares Adonai— there will be the sound of screaming from the Fish Gate, wailing from the second district and a loud crash from the heights. 11Howl, inhabitants of Maktesh! For all the people of Canaan are destroyed. All who weigh out silver are cut off. At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men whose spirits have hardened, who say in their hearts, ‘Adonai will do neither good nor evil.’ 13Their wealth will become plunder, their houses a ruin. They will build houses but not live in them. They will plant vineyards but not drink their wine. 14The great day of Adonai is near— near and coming very quickly! The sound of the day of Adonai is bitter— the shouting of the warrior is there.
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- 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
- The Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- will not do goodיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
- neither will he do evilרָעַעrâ‛a‛ · be evilH7489
Cross-references for Zephaniah 1:12
- Jeremiah 16:16“Behold, I will send for many fishers,” says Adonai, “and they will fish for them. After that, I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down from every mountain and from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks.
- Amos 9:1I saw my Lord standing by the altar, and He said: “Strike the tops of the pillars, so the porches shake! Break all of them off at the head! Then the last of them I will slay with the sword— none of them fleeing will escape and no fugitive will slip away.
- Obadiah 1:6How Esau will be ransacked, and how his hidden treasures searched out!
- Jeremiah 48:11Moab has been at ease since his youth. He has settled like wine on its dregs. He has not been emptied from jar to jar, nor gone into exile. Therefore he retains his flavor, and his aroma has not changed.
- Amos 6:1Oy ! You who are at ease in Zion, trusting in Samaria’s hill! Distinguished ones of the foremost of nations— to whom the house of Israel comes
- Revelation 2:23I will also strike her children with a deadly disease. Then all of Messiah’s communities will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your deeds.
- Job 21:15Who is Shaddai that we should serve Him? What would we gain if we pray to Him?’
- Psalms 10:11He says in his heart: “God has forgotten. He hides His face—He will never see it.”
- Psalms 14:1For the music director, of David. The fool said in his heart: “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.
- Psalms 94:7So they say: “Adonai does not see— the God of Jacob pays no attention.”
- Isaiah 5:19They say: “Let Him hurry up and hasten His work, so we may see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, so we may know it!”
- Jeremiah 10:5Like a scarecrow in a cucumber garden, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk! Do not fear them for they can do no harm —nor do any good.”
- Ezekiel 8:12Then He said to me: “Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his chamber of his carved idol? For they say, ‘Adonai does not see us. Adonai has forsaken the land.’”
- Ezekiel 9:9He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great; the land is full of blood and the city is full of corruption. For they say, ‘Adonai has forsaken the land, Adonai does not see!’
- Malachi 3:14You say: “Serving God is worthless.” Also: “What good is it that we kept His service or that we walked as mourners before Adonai-Tzva’ot?
- 2 Peter 3:4and saying, “Where is this promise of His coming? Ever since the fathers died, everything goes on just as it has from the beginning of 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
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
Tree of Life Version — © 2015 The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Commentaries