Zephaniah 3:18
in Zephaniah 3“I will gather those among you who grieve over the appointed feasts, so that you will no longer suffer reproach.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I will gather them that sorrow for the solemn assembly, who were of thee; to whom the burden upon her was a reproach.
KJV
I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.
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This verse in Zephaniah 3
Commentary
11 notes on this verse(Verse 14 and following) Praise, daughter of Zion, shout for joy, Israel, rejoice and exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord has taken away your judgment, he has turned away your enemies: the Lord, the King of Israel, is in your midst, you will no longer fear evil.
This site's exposition
the solemn assembly
on Zephaniah 3:18-20
Those sorrowful for the solemn assembly are read by the bench as exiles grieving the feasts they could no longer keep, the reproach of losing Jerusalem's worship named as a burden the Lord promises specifically to lift. Verse 19's I will undo all that afflict thee, saving her that halteth and gathering her that was driven out, picks up Micah 4:6-7's same lame and driven out remnant, the Twelve's shared vocabulary for restoration. The book's last verse turns the reproach of verse 18 into praise and fame in every land, the same nations who watched Jerusalem's shame in chapter 1 becoming witnesses of her name and praise when the Lord turns back her captivity before her own eyes.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
I am aware that some commentators understood this [text to apply to] the return from Babylon and the renovation of Jerusalem, and I do not contradict their words: the prophecy applies also to what happened at that time. But you can find a more exact …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Thus the "Redeemer shall come to Zion," and to clear his own way, shall "turn away ungodliness from Jacob." These promises were to have their full accomplishment in gospel-times and gospel-graces. The Depravity of Jerusalem. 1 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly,....
Satan and his instruments having a particular spite at them, as the great support of the interest of God's kingdom among men. Black and odious characters have been put upon those assemblies; and this is a burden to all those that have a cordial concern for the glory of God and the welfare of the souls of men.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
I will gather - sorrowful - This may refer to those who, during the captivity, mourned for their former religious assemblies; and who were reproached by their enemies, because they could not enjoy their religious solemnities. See Psa 137:1-9: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song,” etc. This very circumstance may be the reference here.
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
sorrowful for the solemn assembly--pining after the solemn assembly which they cannot celebrate in exile (La 1:4; 2:6). who are of thee--that is, of thy true citizens; and whom therefore I will restore. to whom the reproach of it was a burden--that is, to whom thy reproach ("the reproach of My people," Mic 6:16; their ignominious captivity) was a burden.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
HOLY SCRIPTURE is wonderfully full and abiding in its inner sense. It is a springing well, whereat you may draw, and draw again; for as you draw, it springs up for ever new and fresh. It is a well of water springing up everlastingly. The fulfillment of a divine promise is not the exhaustion of it. When a man gives you a promise, and he keeps it, there is an end of the promise; but it is not so with God.
HOLY SCRIPTURE is wonderfully full and abiding in its inner sense. It is a springing well, whereat you may draw, and draw again; for as you draw, it springs up for ever new and fresh. It is a well of water springing up everlastingly. The fulfillment of a divine promise is not the exhaustion of it. When a man gives you a promise, and he keeps it, there is an end of the promise; but it is not so with God. When he keeps his word to the full, he has but begun: he is prepared to keep it, and keep it, and keep it for ever and ever. What would you say of a man who had wheat upon his barn floor, and threshed it until he had beaten out the last golden grain; but the next day he went and threshed again, and brought back as much as the day before; and on the day after, again taking his flail, he went to the same threshing, and again brought back his measure as full as at the first, and so on for all the days of the year? Would it not seem to you as a fairy tale? It would certainly be a surprising miracle. But what should we say if, throughout a long life, this miracle could be prolonged.? Yet we have continued to thresh the promises ever since faith was given us, and we have carried away our full portion every day.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
I will gather them that are sorrowful - for the solemn assembly, in which they were to “rejoice” Lev 23:40; Deu 12:12, Deu 12:18; Deu 16:11; Deu 27:7 before God and which in their captivity God made to cease. “They were of thee” Lam 1:4; Lam 2:6, the true Israel who were “grieved for the affliction of Joseph; to whom the reproach of it was a burden” Amo 6:6 (rather , ‘on whom reproach was laid’): for this “reproach of Christ is greater riches than the treasures of Egypt,” and such shall inherit the blessing, “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you and east out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake; rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy, for, behold your reward is great in heaven” Luk 6:22-23.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| נוּגֵ֧י | nugei | [those] grieved | H3013 → | |
| מִמּוֹעֵ֛ד | mimoed | from an appointed feast | H4150 → | |
| אָסַ֖פְתִּי | ʾasafti | I will gather | H622 → | 200 times |
| מִמֵּ֣ךְ | mimekh | from you | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הָי֑וּ | hayu | they were | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| מַשְׂאֵ֥ת | maset | tribute | H4864 → | |
| עָלֶ֖יהָ | ʾaleiha | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| חֶרְפָּֽה׃ | cherpah | reproach | H2781 → |
נוּגֵ֧י[those] grieved
nugeiH3013 →
מִמּוֹעֵ֛דfrom an appointed feast
mimoedH4150 →
אָסַ֖פְתִּיI will gather
ʾasaftiH622 →200 times
מִמֵּ֣ךְfrom you
mimekhH4480 →1188 times
הָי֑וּthey were
hayuH1961 →3559 times
מַשְׂאֵ֥תtribute
masetH4864 →
עָלֶ֖יהָon it
ʾaleihaH5921 →5755 times
חֶרְפָּֽה׃reproach
cherpahH2781 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 23:3Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands to which I have banished them, and I will return them to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and…
it leads to
- Amos 9:14–15
I will restore My people Israel from captivity; they will rebuild and inhabit the ruined cities. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 29:14
I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and places to which I have banished you, declares the LORD.…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 32:37
I will surely gather My people from all the lands to which I have banished them in My furious anger and great wrath, and I will return them to this place and make them…
- Isaiah 43:5–6
Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east and gather you from the west.
- Jeremiah 30:3
For behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will restore from captivity My people Israel and Judah, declares the LORD. I will restore them to the land that I gave to…
- Amos 9:14–15
Through
Zephaniah 3:20At that time I will bring you in; yes, at that time I will gather you. For I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore…
it leads to
- Malachi 3:12
“Then all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight,” says the LORD of Hosts.
- Isaiah 56:5
I will give them, in My house and within My walls, a memorial and a name better than that of sons and daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that will not be…
- Malachi 3:12
Through
Ezekiel 36:24For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and I will bring you back into your own land.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 37:21
you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take the Israelites out of the nations to which they have gone, and I will gather them from all…
- Ezekiel 37:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About Zephaniah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1990: “A Sermon for the Time Present” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Zephaniah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON ZEPHANIAH 3:16-18.