Zephaniah 3:3

3:3 Her princes ¹  are as fierce as roaring lions; ² 

her rulers ³  are as hungry as wolves in the desert, ⁴ 

who completely devour their prey by morning. ⁵ 

Zephaniah 3:5

3:5 The just Lord resides ⁶  within her;

he commits no unjust acts. ⁷ 

Every morning he reveals ⁸  his justice.

At dawn he appears without fail. ⁹ 

Yet the unjust know no shame.

[3:3]  ¹ tn Or “officials.”

[3:3]  ² tn Heb “her princes in her midst are roaring lions.” The metaphor has been translated as a simile (“as fierce as”) for clarity.

[3:3]  ³ tn Traditionally “judges.”

[3:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “her judges [are] wolves of the evening,” that is, wolves that prowl at night. The translation assumes an emendation to עֲרָבָה (’aravah, “desert”). For a discussion of this and other options, see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 128. The metaphor has been translated as a simile (“as hungry as”) for clarity.

[3:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “they do not gnaw [a bone] at morning.” The precise meaning of the line is unclear. The statement may mean these wolves devour their prey so completely that not even a bone is left to gnaw by the time morning arrives. For a discussion of this and other options, see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 129.

[3:5]  ⁶ tn The word “resides” is supplied for clarification.

[3:5]  ⁷ tn Or “he does no injustice.”

[3:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “gives”; or “dispenses.”

[3:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “at the light he is not missing.” Note that NASB (which capitalizes pronouns referring to Deity) has divided the lines differently: “Every morning He brings His justice to light; // He does not fail.”