Zephaniah 3:5-7

Context

3:5 The just Lord resides¹ within her;

he commits no unjust acts.²

Every morning he reveals³ his justice.

At dawn he appears without fail.⁴

Yet the unjust know no shame.

The Lord’s Judgment will Purify

3:6 “I destroyed⁵ nations;

their walled cities⁶ are in ruins.

I turned their streets into ruins;

no one passes through them.

Their cities are desolate;⁷

no one lives there.⁸

3:7 I thought,⁹ ‘Certainly you will respect¹⁰ me!

Now you will accept correction!’

If she had done so, her home¹¹ would not be destroyed¹²

by all the punishments I have threatened.¹³

But they eagerly sinned

in everything they did.¹⁴

[3:5] ¹tn The word “resides” is supplied for clarification.

[3:5] ²tn Or “he does no injustice.”

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

[3:5] ⁴tn 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.”

[3:6] ⁵tn Heb “cut off.”

[3:6] ⁶tn Heb “corner towers”; NEB, NRSV “battlements.”

[3:6] ⁷tn This Hebrew verb (צָדָה, tsadah) occurs only here in the OT, but its meaning is established from the context and from an Aramaic cognate.

[3:6] ⁸tn Heb “so that there is no man, without inhabitant.”

[3:7] ⁹tn Heb “said.”

[3:7] ¹⁰tn Or “fear.” The second person verb form (“you will respect”) is feminine singular, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed.

[3:7] ¹¹tn Or “dwelling place.”

[3:7] ¹²tn Heb “cut off.”

[3:7] ¹³tn Heb “all which I have punished her.” The precise meaning of this statement and its relationship to what precedes are unclear.

[3:7] ¹⁴tn Heb “But they got up early, they made corrupt all their actions.” The phrase “they got up early” probably refers to their eagerness to engage in sinful activities.