Zephaniah 3:19
in Zephaniah 3Behold, at that time, I will deal with all who afflict you. I will save the lame and gather the scattered; and I will appoint praise and fame for the disgraced throughout the earth.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Behold, at that time I will deal with all them that afflict thee; and I will save that which is lame, and gather that which was driven away; and I will make them a praise and a name, whose shame hath been in all the earth.
KJV
Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.
⋯
This verse in Zephaniah 3
Commentary
9 notes on this verseBehold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee,.... Or, "I will do" (w); their business for them; "slay" them, as the Vulgate Latin version; and make an entire destruction of them, as the Targum; bring them to utter ruin.
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 Fathers2 voices
The salvation of human beings rests with divine lovingkindness alone: we do not earn it as the wages of righteousness; rather, it is a gift of divine goodness. Hence the Lord says, "on your behalf I shall save and welcome" and make my own what …
Verse 19, 20: Behold, I will kill all those who have afflicted you at that time; and I will save the lame, and gather her who was cast out; and I will make them a praise and a name in all the earth's confusion. In the time when I bring you; and in the time when I gather you: for I will give you a name and a praise to all the peoples of the earth, when I turn your captivity before your eyes, says the Lord.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The reproach brought upon them was therefore one of the sorest of their grievances (nothing cuts deeper to those that are in honour than disgrace does); and therefore when God returns, in mercy, to his church, it is here promised that she shall regain her credit; all the reproach shall be for ever rolled way, as Israel's at Gilgal, Josh. v. 9 .
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!
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Behold, at that time I will undo - (Literally, I deal with . While God punisheth not, He seemeth to sit still Isa 18:4, be silent Hab 1:13, asleep Psa 44:
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
undo--MAURER translates, "I will deal with," that is, as they deserve. Compare Eze 23:25, where the Hebrew is similarly translated. The destruction of Israel's foes precedes Israel's restoration (Isa 66:15, 16). her that halteth--all that are helpless.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
I wilt unto all that afflict thee - They who have persecuted you shall be punished for it. It shows much malignity and baseness of mind, to afflict or reproach those who are lying under the chastising hand of God. This was the conduct of the Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites, when the Jews were in adversity; and how severely did the Lord punish them for it! And he gave this as the reason for the severity of the punishment. The first clause here is translated thus by Abp. Newcome: “Behold I will work with thee for thy sake at that time.” The original is obscure; and it may bear the above sense. I wilt save her that halteth - See Mic 4:6 (note), where there is a parallel place. And gather her that was driven out - By captivity. The reference may be to renewing the covenant with the Jews, who were considered as an unfaithful spouse divorced by her husband. I will bring her back to my house. I will get them praise and fame in every land - They shall become a great, a good, and a useful people. And as they are now a proverb of reproach, full of base wiles and degrading selfishness, they shall lose this character, and be totally changed; and they shall be as eminent for excellence, as they were before for baseness in those countries where they had sojourned.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הִנְנִ֥י | hini | here I | H2005 → | |
| עֹשֶׂ֛ה | ʾoseh | [am] about to deal | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מְעַנַּ֖יִךְ | meanayikh | [those who] afflicted you | H6031 → | |
| בָּעֵ֣ת | baet | at the time | H6256 → | 296 times |
| הַהִ֑יא | hahi' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וְהוֹשַׁעְתִּ֣י | vehosha'ti | and I will save | H3467 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַצֹּלֵעָ֗ה | hatzoleah | the lame [person] | H6760 → | |
| וְהַנִּדָּחָה֙ | vehannidachah | and the outcast [person] | H5080 → | |
| אֲקַבֵּ֔ץ | ʾakabetz | I will gather | H6908 → | 127 times |
| וְשַׂמְתִּים֙ | vesamtim | and I will make them | H7760 → | |
| לִתְהִלָּ֣ה | lithilah | <into> praise | H8416 → | |
| וּלְשֵׁ֔ם | uleshem | and <into> a name | H8034 → | 864 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | [was] in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָאָ֖רֶץ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| בָּשְׁתָּֽם׃ | bashetam | shame their | H1322 → |
הִנְנִ֥יhere I
hiniH2005 →
עֹשֶׂ֛ה[am] about to deal
ʾosehH6213 →2628 times
אֶת־with
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
מְעַנַּ֖יִךְ[those who] afflicted you
meanayikhH6031 →
בָּעֵ֣תat the time
baetH6256 →296 times
הַהִ֑יא<the> that
hahi'H1931 →1879 times
וְהוֹשַׁעְתִּ֣יand I will save
vehosha'tiH3467 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַצֹּלֵעָ֗הthe lame [person]
hatzoleahH6760 →
וְהַנִּדָּחָה֙and the outcast [person]
vehannidachahH5080 →
אֲקַבֵּ֔ץI will gather
ʾakabetzH6908 →127 times
וְשַׂמְתִּים֙and I will make them
vesamtimH7760 →
לִתְהִלָּ֣ה<into> praise
lithilahH8416 →
וּלְשֵׁ֔םand <into> a name
uleshemH8034 →864 times
בְּכָל־[was] in all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
הָאָ֖רֶץthe earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
בָּשְׁתָּֽם׃shame their
bashetamH1322 →
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
Isaiah 60:14The sons of your oppressors will come and bow down to you; all who reviled you will fall facedown at your feet and call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy…
it leads to
- Revelation 3:9
Look at those who belong to the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews but are liars instead. I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know…
- Isaiah 49:23
Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD;…
- Isaiah 45:14
This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, along with the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge…
- Hebrews 12:22
Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels
- Revelation 3:9
Through
Jeremiah 30:16Nevertheless, all who devour you will be devoured, and all your adversaries—every one of them—will go off into exile. Those who plundered you will be plundered, and all who raided you will be raided.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 10:25
Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge You, and on the families that do not call on Your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have consumed him and finished…
- Isaiah 33:1
Woe to you, O destroyer never destroyed, O traitor never betrayed! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed. When you have finished betraying, you will be betrayed.
- Exodus 23:22
But if you will listen carefully to his voice and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.
- Jeremiah 10:25
Through
Zephaniah 3:15The LORD has taken away your punishment; He has turned back your enemy. Israel’s King, the LORD, is among you; no longer will you fear any harm.
it leads to
- Isaiah 51:22
Thus says your Lord, the LORD, even your God, who defends His people: “See, I have removed from your hand the cup of staggering. From that goblet, the cup of My fury, you will…
- Isaiah 51:22
Where this verse is studied
About Zephaniah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Zephaniah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON ZEPHANIAH 3:19-20.