Zephaniah 3:6-8

Context

The Lord’s Judgment will Purify

3:6 “I destroyed¹ nations;

their walled cities² are in ruins.

I turned their streets into ruins;

no one passes through them.

Their cities are desolate;³

no one lives there.⁴

3:7 I thought,⁵ ‘Certainly you will respect⁶ me!

Now you will accept correction!’

If she had done so, her home⁷ would not be destroyed⁸

by all the punishments I have threatened.⁹

But they eagerly sinned

in everything they did.¹⁰

3:8 Therefore you must wait patiently¹¹ for me,” says the Lord,

“for the day when I attack and take plunder.¹²

I have decided¹³ to gather nations together

and assemble kingdoms,

so I can pour out my fury on them –

all my raging anger.

For¹⁴ the whole earth will be consumed

by my fiery anger.

[3:6] ¹tn Heb “cut off.”

[3:6] ²tn Heb “corner towers”; NEB, NRSV “battlements.”

[3:6] ³tn 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] ⁴tn Heb “so that there is no man, without inhabitant.”

[3:7] ⁵tn Heb “said.”

[3:7] ⁶tn Or “fear.” The second person verb form (“you will respect”) is feminine singular, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed.

[3:7] ⁷tn Or “dwelling place.”

[3:7] ⁸tn Heb “cut off.”

[3:7] ⁹tn Heb “all which I have punished her.” The precise meaning of this statement and its relationship to what precedes are unclear.

[3:7] ¹⁰tn 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.

[3:8] ⁹tn The second person verb form (“you must wait patiently”) is masculine plural, indicating that a group is being addressed. Perhaps the humble individuals addressed earlier (see 2:3) are in view. Because of Jerusalem’s sin, they must patiently wait for judgment to pass before their vindication arrives.

[3:8] ¹⁰tn Heb “when I arise for plunder.” The present translation takes עַד (’ad) as “plunder.” Some, following the LXX, repoint the term עֵד (’ed) and translate, “as a witness” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV). In this case the Lord uses a legal metaphor to picture himself as testifying against his enemies. Adele Berlin takes לְעַד (lÿ’ad) in a temporal sense (“forever”) and translates “once and for all” (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 133).

[3:8] ¹¹tn Heb “for my decision is.”

[3:8] ¹²tn Or “certainly.”