I said, “Just fear me. Receive correction, so that her dwelling won’t be cut off, according to all that I have appointed concerning her.” But they rose early and corrupted all their doings.
Parallel Translations
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I said, “Just fear me. Receive correction, so that her dwelling won’t be cut off, according to all that I have appointed concerning her.” But they rose early and corrupted all their doings.
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I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.
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I said: 'Surely thou wilt fear Me, thou wilt receive correction; so her dwelling shall not be cut off, despite all that I have visited upon her'; but they betimes corrupted all their doings.
Cross-references (19)
Passages linked to Zephaniah 3:7 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Hosea 9:9 They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity. He will punish them for their sins.
- Jeremiah 36:3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I intend to do to them; that they may each return from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”
- Jeremiah 7:7 then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, from of old even forever more.
- Jeremiah 25:5 saying, “Return now everyone from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that Yahweh has given to you and to your fathers, from of old and even forever more.
- Micah 2:1-2 Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil on their beds! When the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand. They covet fields, and seize them; and houses, and take them away: and they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.
- Zephaniah 3:2 She didn’t obey the voice. She didn’t receive correction. She didn’t trust in Yahweh. She didn’t draw near to her God.
- Genesis 6:12 God saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
- Deuteronomy 4:16 lest you corrupt yourselves, and make yourself a carved image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
- 2 Chronicles 28:6-8 For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed in Judah one hundred twenty thousand in one day, all of them valiant men, because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers. Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the ruler of the house, and Elkanah who was next to the king. The children of Israel carried away captive of their brothers two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters, and also took away much plunder from them, and brought the plunder to Samaria.
- 2 Chronicles 32:1-2 After these things and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and intended to win them for himself. When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that he was planning to fight against Jerusalem,
- 2 Chronicles 33:11 Therefore Yahweh brought on them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
- 2 Chronicles 36:3-10 The king of Egypt removed him from office at Jerusalem, and fined the land one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. The king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Neco took Joahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt. Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did that which was evil in Yahweh his God’s sight. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him, and bound him in fetters to carry him to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also carried some of the vessels of Yahweh’s house to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah; and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place. Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight. At the return of the year, king Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the valuable vessels of Yahweh’s house, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.
- Isaiah 5:4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Why, when I looked for it to yield grapes, did it yield wild grapes?
- Isaiah 63:8 For he said, “Surely, they are my people, children who will not deal falsely;” so he became their Savior.
- Jeremiah 8:6 I listened and heard, but they didn’t say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Everyone turns to his course, as a horse that rushes headlong in the battle.
- Jeremiah 17:25-27 then there will enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on David’s throne, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city will remain forever. They will come from the cities of Judah, and from the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country, and from the South, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, meal offerings, and frankincense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving, to Yahweh’s house. But if you will not listen to me to make the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem. It will not be quenched.” ’ ”
- Jeremiah 38:17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Yahweh, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you will go out to the king of Babylon’s princes, then your soul will live, and this city will not be burned with fire. You will live, along with your house.
- Luke 19:42-44 saying, “If you, even you, had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now, they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come on you, when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, surround you, hem you in on every side, and will dash you and your children within you to the ground. They will not leave in you one stone on another, because you didn’t know the time of your visitation.”
- 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (14 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain They were most earnest and ready to do wickedly.
They were most earnest and ready to do wickedly.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Zep 3:7 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me,…
Zep 3:7 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, [and] corrupted all their doings.
Ver. 7. I said, surely thou wilt fear me] As in a school, when one boy is whipped the rest tremble; and as in the commonwealth, poena ad paucos, metus ad omnes; punishment for the few, fear for everybody so it should be in the Church. Other men’s woes should be our warnings; others’ sufferings our sermons; others’ lashes our lessons; God’s house of correction a school of instruction, where we should hear and fear, and do no more so, Deu 17:13. He that trembleth not in hearing shall be crushed to pieces in feeling, said that martyr.
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And receive instruction] This I promised myself of thee, but am disappointed, Jer 15:3. See Zep 3:2, thou art therefore ripe for destruction.
So their dwelling should not be cut off] They should have redeemed their sorrows and saved their city. And this God speaks to others, as weary of speaking any longer to them to so little purpose.
But they rose early and corrupted, &c.] Manicabant, they made haste, that no time might be lost; they woefully wasted that best part of the day, the morning (which παν εργον οφελλει, furthereth every business), in corrupting their practices, doing evil as they could. Once (saith a reverend man) Peter’s argument was more than probable; These men are not drunk, for it is but the third hour of the day. Now, men are grown such husbands, as that by that time they will return their stocks, and have their brains crowing before day.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain I said; I thought, (speaking as man would,) I…
I said; I thought, (speaking as man would,) I concluded what was likely, what I might expect.
Surely thou, O Jerusalem, O Judah, wilt fear me, for the many and great judgments executed upon others in thy sight; thou wilt fear, by sinning still, to provoke me.
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Thou wilt receive instruction; wilt learn thy duty, to do it; thy danger, to prevent it; thy sins, to repent of them; thy ways, to amend them.
So their dwelling, houses, villages, Jerusalem,
should not be out off, sacked and burned,
howsoever I punished them; whatever I had done against them, however I had chastised them, had they been bettered, humbled, and amended, I would have spared, not destroyed utterly.
But they rose early; but they grew worse, more eager in the pursuit of their vile courses; as if the day would be too short for their sins, they rise early, and begin betimes.
Corrupted all their doings; designedly and out of set purpose did worse and worse, when smitten they revolted more and more, Isa 1:5.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain I said, Surely thou wilt fear me This is…
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 judgments, taking warning by them; repent, reform, and amend, and thereby escape the like: so their dwelling should not be cut off; or, "its dwelling"; the dwelling of the city of Jerusalem, the houses in it; the dwelling places of the inhabitants of it; the singular being put for the plural; unless the temple should be meant, as Abendana interprets it; and so it may be rendered "his dwelling" F3; their house, which was left desolate to them, because they feared not the Lord; nor received instruction by the example of others; nor repented of their sins, and altered their course of life; which, if done, their dwelling would have been preserved, ( Matthew 23:38 ) : howsoever I punished them; or "visited" F4 them; chastised them in a gentle manner, in order to reform them, but in vain. Some render it, "all which I committed to them" F5; the oracles of God, his word and ordinances, his promises, and the blessings of his goodness, which he deposited with them, in order to do them good, and bring them to repentance. The Targum is, ``all the good things which I have said unto them (or promised them), I will bring unto them;'' and to the same sense Jarchi. The goodness of God should have brought them to repentance, yet it did not: but they rose early, [and] corrupted all their doings; they were diligent and industrious eager and early, in the commission of sins, in doing corrupt and abominable works; receiving and tenaciously adhering to the traditions of the elders; seeking to establish their own righteousness, not submitting to Christ's; rejecting him the true Messiah; blaspheming his doctrines, despising his ordinances, and persecuting his people; besides other vices, which abounded among them; for which the wrath of God came upon them to the uttermost, as expressed in the following verse, ( Zephaniah 3:8 ) . FOOTNOTES: F3 (hnwem) "habitaculum; [vel] habitatio ejus", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Burkius; "mansio ejus", Cocceius. F4 (ytdqp) "visitavi", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus. F5 "Omne id quod commendavi illi", Cocceius.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain I said - I thought (speaking after the manner…
I said - I thought (speaking after the manner of men). Thou - O Jerusalem. Fear me - For the many and great judgments executed upon others. I punished them - In some measure.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 7. Surely thou wilt fear me] After so…
Verse 7. Surely thou wilt fear me] After so many displays of my sovereign power and judgments.
But they rose early] And instead of returning to God, they practised every abomination. They were diligent to find out times and places for their iniquity. This is the worst state of man.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain I said, surely thou wilt fear Me - God…
I said, surely thou wilt fear Me - God speaks of things here, as they are in their own nature. “It could not but be,” that in the very presence of the Hand of God, destroying others but as yet sparing them, they must learn to fear Him; they must stand in awe of Him for His judgments on others; they must be in filial fear of Him for His loving longsuffering toward themselves. “Thou ‘wilt’ receive instruction,” corrected and taught through God’s correction of others and the lighter judgments on themselves, as Solomon says, “I looked, I set my heart: I saw, I received instruction” Pro 24:32. He saith, “receive,” making it man’s free act. God brings it near, commends it to him, exhorts, entreats, but leaves him the awful power to “receive” or to refuse. God speaks with a wonderful tenderness. “Surely thou ‘wilt’ stand in awe of Me; thou ‘wilt’ receive instruction; thou wilt now do what hitherto thou hast refused to do.” There was (so to speak) nothing else left for them, in sight of those judgments. He pleads their own interests. The lightning was ready to fall. The prophet had, in vision, seen the enemy within the city. Yet even now God lingers, as it were, “If thou hadst known in this thy day, the things which are for thy peace” Luk 19:42.
So their - (her) dwelling should not be cut off His own holy land which He had given them. A Jew paraphrases , “And He will not cut off their dwellings from the land of the house of My Shechinah” (God’s visible presence in glory). Judah, who was before addressed “thou,” is now spoken of in the third person, “her;” and this also had wonderful tenderness. It is as though God were musing over her and the blessed fruits of her return to Him; “it shall not be needed to correct her further.” “Howsoever I punished them:” literally, “all” (that is, ‘all’ the offences) “which I visited upon her,” as God saith of Himself, “‘visiting’ the ‘sins’ of the fathers ‘upon’ the children” Exo 20:5; Exo 34:7; Num 14:18, and this is mostly the meaning of the words “visit upon.” Amid and not withstanding all the offences which God had already chastised, He, in His love and compassion, still longeth, not utterly to remove them from His presence, if they would but receive instruction “now;” but they would not. “How often,” our Lord says, “would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not” Mat 23:37. “But indeed,” “probably, Of a truth” (it is a word strongly affirming what follows) “they rose early, they corrupted all their doings;” God gave them His warnings, awaited the result; they lost no time, they began with morning light; they hasted to rise, burdened themselves, made sure of having the whole day before them, to - seek God as He had sent His prophets, “rising early and sending them?” Jer 7:13, Jer 7:25; Jer 11:7; Jer 26:5; Jer 29:19.
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No, nor even simply to do ill, but of set purpose. to do, not this or that corruptly, but “to corrupt all their doings.” Jerome: “They with diligence and eagerness rose early, that, with the same haste wherewith they ought to have returned to Me, they might shew forth in deed what they had conceived amiss in their mind.” There are as many aggravations of their sin as there are words. The four Hebrew words bespeak eagerness, willfulness, completeness enormity, in sin. They “rose early,” themselves deliberately “corrupted,” of their own mind made offensive, “all” their “doings,” not slight acts, but “deeds,” great works done with a high hand .
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain But. Septuagint, "be prepared, rise early, all their grapes…
But. Septuagint, "be prepared, rise early, all their grapes are corrupt." (Haydock) --- I had reason to expect an amendment, when so many nations had perished before their eyes. (Calmet) --- They however sinned out of malice, and strove to provoke me in all their ways.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain I said, Surely, &c.--God speaks after the manner of…
I said, Surely, &c.--God speaks after the manner of men in condescension to man's infirmity; not as though God was ignorant of the future contingency, but in their sense, Surely one might have expected ye would under such circumstances repent: but no!
thou--at least, O Jerusalem! Compare "thou, even thou, at least in this thy day" (Luk 19:42).
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their dwelling--the sanctuary [BUXTORF]. Or, the city. Compare Jesus' words (Luk 13:35), "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate" (Lev 26:31-32; Psa 69:25); and used as to the temple (Mic 3:12). "Their" is used instead of "thy"; this change of person implies that God puts them to a greater distance.
howsoever I punished them--Howsoever I might have punished them, I would not have cut off their dwelling. CALVIN, "Howsoever I had marked them out for punishment" because of their provocations, still, if even then they had repented, taught by My corrections, I was ready to have pardoned them. MAURER, "Altogether in accordance with what I had long ago decreed (ordained) concerning you" (Deu 28:1-14, and, on the other hand, Deu. 28:15-68; Deu 27:15-26). English Version, or CALVIN'S view, is better.
rose early, and corrupted, &c.--Early morning is in the East the best time for transacting serious business, before the relaxing heat of midday comes on. Thus it means, With the greatest earnestness they set themselves to "corrupt all their doings" (Gen 6:12; Isa 5:11; Jer 11:7; Jer 25:3).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 7. God’s purpose in these judgments on the nations…
7. God’s purpose in these judgments on the nations was that Israel should take warning from them and receive instruction.
I said] Or, I thought; Jer_3:19. For their dwelling read her dwelling.
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howsoever I punished them] Perhaps: according to all that I have appointed concerning her. The words seem to explain the preceding “that her dwelling should not be cut off.” This destruction of her place of abode is what the Lord has appointed for her. His desire and nope was that she would receive instruction so that her dwelling place should remain for ever. Instead of “her dwelling-place” Sept. reads “from her eyes” (with a difference of one letter). So Wellhausen: she will receive instruction, and that which I have commanded her will never be cut off (fade) from her sight, i.e. she will continually keep before her eyes God’s commandments. For the meaning “I have commanded her” instead of “appointed concerning her” he cites Job_36:23; 2Ch_36:23; Ezr_1:2.
rose early, and corrupted] i.e. corrupted with eagerness. The phrase is a favourite one with Jeremiah, e.g. Jer_7:13.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (7) I said, Surely thou wilt fear me .…
(7) I said, Surely thou wilt fear me . . .—Better, I said, Wouldest thou only fear me? wouldest thou receive correction? then should her dwelling-place not be destroyed, according to all that I have appointed for them; but they only speeded their infamous doings. Our Saviour’s lamentation over Jerusalem in Mat_23:37 naturally suggests itself.
All that I have appointed—i.e., in the way of punishment.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Taught by such examples, the Jews might have learned…
Taught by such examples, the Jews might have learned to repent and amend their ways. I said. God represents himself as reasoning as a man would reason. Surely thou wilt fear me; Septuagint, "only fear me." This is the one condition for salvation. Or, according to our version, Judah must learn experience from my threats and visitations, and return unto me. Thou wilt.., receive instruction; Septuagint, "receive ye discipline," accept the correction and learn the lesson which it is meant to teach. (Pro_24:32) Their (her) dwelling. Jerusalem or Judaea. The temple is never called the dwelling place of the people. This sudden change of person is very common in the prophets. Howsoever I punished them; rather, according to all that I appointed concerning her. God had ordained certain punishment for Jerusalem if she reformed not. The Anglican Version means that God would never cut them off wholly, however severely he might chastise them. The Hebrew will not carry this; nor are the Greek and Latin Versions quite correct. Septuagint, Ou mh exoloyreuyhte ex ofyalmwn authv panta doa exedikhsa ep authn , "And ye shall not be cut off from the face thereof for all the punishment that I inflicted upon it;" Vulgate, Propter omnia in quibus visitavi earn. But they rose early. Warning, reproof, and chastisement were expended in vain; the people only gave themselves up more ardently to their evil doings. "To rise early to do a thing" is a phrase used to signify the acting with zeal and full purpose. (comp. Jer_7:13, 25 11:7, etc.) Corrupted all their doings. Like the inhabitants of the earth before the Flood. (1Co_6:12; comp. Psa_14:1) The Septuagint rendering is peculiar, Etoi mazou oryison efyartai pasa h epifulli "Prepare thyself, rise early, all their produce is spoiled." St. Jerome, moralizing on this, adds, "Nisi praeparati fuerimus, non nobis orietur sol justitiae. Orto autem sole, omnes racemi de vinea Sodomorum dissipantur et pereunt; ut non solum grandes botri, sed etiam quod parvum esse videbatur in nobis, Christi lucerna radiante dispereat."
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain (See Scofield "Psa 19:9")
fear
(See Scofield "Psa 19:9")
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 3:7 get up early: Jerusalem’s citizens couldn’t wait to…
3:7 get up early: Jerusalem’s citizens couldn’t wait to jump out of bed in the morning and do more evil deeds (cp. Prov 1:16). They had moved far from the ways of their ancestor Abraham, who arose early to obey God’s command (Gen 22:3).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.