Zephaniah 3:1-10 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Zephaniah 3:1-7

One would wonder that Jerusalem, the holy city, where God was known, and his name was great, should be the city of which this black character is here given, that a place which enjoyed such abundance of the means of grace should become so very corrupt and vicious, and that God should permit it to be so; yet so it is, to show that the law made nothing perfect; but if this be the true character of Jerusalem, as no doubt it is (for God's judgments will make none worse than they are), it is no... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Zephaniah 3:8-13

Things looked very bad with Jerusalem in the Zeph. 3:1-7; she has got into a very bad name, and seems to be incorrigible, incurable, mercy-proof and judgment-proof. Now one would think it should follow, Therefore expect no other but that she should be utterly abandoned and rejected as reprobate silver; since they will not be wrought upon by prophets or providences, let them be made a desolation as their neighbours have been. But behold and wonder at the riches of divine grace, which takes... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 3:1

Woe to her that is filthy, and polluted ,.... Meaning the city of Jerusalem, and its inhabitants; not as before the Babylonish captivity, but after their return from it, under the second temple, as Abarbinel owns; and even as in the times before and at the coming of Christ, and the preaching of his apostles among them; as the whole series of the prophecy, and the connection of the several parts of it, show; and there are such plain intimations of the conversion of the Gentiles, and of such a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 3:2

She obeyed not the voice ,.... Of his servants the prophets, as the Targum, by way of explanation, adds, who warned her of her sins and of her ruin. The inhabitants of Jerusalem hearkened not to the voice of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, who gave notice of his coming; nor to the voice of Christ himself, who stretched out his hand all the day to a disobedient and gainsaying people; nor to the voice of his apostles, whose doctrines they contradicted and blasphemed; and put away... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 3:3

Her princes within her are roaring lions ,.... Or, "as roaring lions"; there being a defect of the note of similitude; which is supplied by the Targum, Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions. This is to be understood, not of the princes of the blood; but of civil magistrates in common; the members of the grand sanhedrim; the princes of the Jewish world, that crucified the Lord of glory; and who gaped upon him with their mouths like ravening and roaring lions, as is foretold... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 3:4

Her prophets are light and treacherous persons ,.... The false prophets, as the Targum and Kimchi explain it: these seem to design the lawyers spoken of in the New Testament, whose business it was to interpret the law to the people; these were "light" men, good for nothing, of no worth and value; light in knowledge, as Kimchi gives the sense of the word; men of no brains; empty headed men, that had no substantial knowledge; giddy, unstable, and inconstant, and compliant with the humours... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 3:5

The just Lord is in the midst thereof ,.... In the midst of the city of Jerusalem, where those princes, judges, prophets and priests, were, that behaved so ill, and saw and observed all their evil actions; and yet they were not deterred from them by his presence, even though he is the "just" and Holy One, who loves righteousness, and hates iniquity, and will punish for it; nor were they directed and allured to do what is righteous and good by his example. This character of the just Lord... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 3:6

I have cut off the nations ,.... Utterly destroyed them, as the Philistines, Moabites, Ethiopians, and Assyrians, as in the preceding chapters; all which were done before the coming of Christ in the flesh; and by which instances the Jews should have took warning, lest by their sins they should provoke the Lord to destroy their nation, city, and temple: their towers are desolate ; built on their frontiers, or on the walls of their cities, to defend them; these were demolished, and laid... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 3:7

I said, Surely thou wilt fear me ,.... This is spoken after the manner of men; as if God should say within himself, and reason in his own mind, upon a view of things, surely the people of the Jews will take notice of my judgments executed on other nations, and will stand in awe of me on account of them; and fear to offend me, lest the same calamities should come upon them; this, humanly speaking, might be reasonably thought would be the case: thou wilt receive instruction ; by these... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 3:8

Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord ,.... Or "nevertheless" F6 לכן , as in Hos. ii. 14. See Noldius. : this is said to the disciples and followers of Christ among the Jews; for there were some few that did fear the Lord, and received his doctrine, and submitted to his ordinances, and walked in his ways; and these are encouraged to wait upon the Lord; upon the Word of the Lord, as the Targum; or for him, and to expect that he would appear, and work salvation and deliverance for... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Zephaniah 3:1-7

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Zephaniah 3:8-13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 3:1

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 3:2

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 3:3

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 3:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 3:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 3:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 3:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 3:8

Group of Brands