Zephaniah 3:5
in Zephaniah 3The LORD within her is righteous; He does no wrong. He applies His justice morning by morning; He does not fail at dawn, yet the unjust know no shame.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Jehovah in the midst of her is righteous; he will not do iniquity; every morning doth he bring his justice to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.
KJV
The just Lord is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.
⋯
This verse in Zephaniah 3
Commentary
9 notes on this verse(Chapter 3, verses 1 onwards) Woe to the provoking and redeemed city: the dove did not hear the voice and did not receive discipline. It did not trust in the Lord and did not approach its God. Its princes are in its midst, like roaring lions. Its judges are wolves of the evening, they do not leave anything for the morning. Its prophets are insane, unfaithful men. Its priests have defiled the holy, they have acted unjustly against the law. The Lord is righteous; he will not do injustice.
This site's exposition
every morning doth he bring his judgment to light
Against the catalogue of corrupt officials the verse sets one contrast, the just Lord in the midst of the same city, faithful every morning where the evening wolves are faithless every night, the two clocks running side by side. The bench reads bringing his judgment to light as either the Lord's own righteous rule shown fresh daily or the exposure of Jerusalem's sin daily made plain, the readings named without a verdict since the Hebrew supports both. The unjust knoweth no shame is the verse's final charge, not ignorance of the standard but the loss of the capacity to feel it broken.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
(1.) They had the honour and privilege of the Shechinah, God's dwelling in their land, so as he dwelt not with any other people: " The just Lord is in the midst of thee, to take cognizance of all thou doest amiss and give countenance to all thou doest well; he is in the midst of thee as a holy God, and therefore thy pollutions are the more offensive, Deut. xxiii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
In the midst - Observing all. Not do iniquity - He will judge them righteously. Every morning - Daily he discovers his displeasure against the wicked.
The just Lord is in the midst thereof,.... In the midst of the city of Jerusalem, where those princes, judges, prophets and priests, were, that behaved so ill, and saw and observed all their evil actions; and yet they were not deterred from them by his presence, even though he is the "just" and Holy One, who loves righteousness, and hates iniquity, and will punish for it; nor were they directed and allured to do what is righteous and good by his example.
By way of promise of mercy and grace, which God had yet in reserve for them. Two general heads of promises here are:-- 1. That God would bring in a glorious work of reformation among them, cleanse them from their sins, and bring them home to himself; many promises of this kind here are,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
But, beside these “evening wolves in the midst of her,” there standeth Another “in the midst of her,” whom they knew not, and so, very near to them although they would not draw near to Him. But He was near, to behold all the iniquities which they did in the very city and place called by His Name and in His very presence; He was in her to protect, foster her with a father’s love, but she, presuming on His mercy, had cast it off.
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)
The just Lord--Why then are ye so unjust? is in the midst thereof--He retorts on them their own boast, "Is not the Lord among us" (Mic 3:11)? True He is, but it is for another end from what ye think [CALVIN]; namely, to lead you by the example of His righteousness to be righteous.
The just Lord is in the midst thereof - He sees, marks down, and will punish all these wickednesses. Every morning doth he bring his judgment to light - The sense is, says Bp. Newcome, “Not a day passes but we see instances of his goodness to righteous men, and of his vengeance on the wicked.”
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יְהוָ֤ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צַדִּיק֙ | tzadik | [is] righteous | H6662 → | |
| בְּקִרְבָּ֔הּ | bekirbah | in midst its | H7130 → | 227 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה | yaaseh | he does | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| עַוְלָ֑ה | ʾavlah | injustice | H5766 → | |
| בַּבֹּ֨קֶר | baboker | in the morning | H1242 → | 214 times |
| בַּבֹּ֜קֶר | baboker | in the morning | H1242 → | 214 times |
| מִשְׁפָּט֨וֹ | mishpato | judgment his | H4941 → | 422 times |
| יִתֵּ֤ן | yiten | he gives | H5414 → | |
| לָאוֹר֙ | laor | to the light | H216 → | |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| נֶעְדָּ֔ר | ne'dar | he fails | H5737 → | |
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יוֹדֵ֥עַ | yodea' | [is] knowing | H3045 → | |
| עַוָּ֖ל | ʾaval | an unrighteous person | H5767 → | |
| בֹּֽשֶׁת׃ | boshet | shame | H1322 → |
יְהוָ֤הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
צַדִּיק֙[is] righteous
tzadikH6662 →
בְּקִרְבָּ֔הּin midst its
bekirbahH7130 →227 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יַעֲשֶׂ֖הhe does
yaasehH6213 →2628 times
עַוְלָ֑הinjustice
ʾavlahH5766 →
בַּבֹּ֨קֶרin the morning
babokerH1242 →214 times
בַּבֹּ֜קֶרin the morning
babokerH1242 →214 times
מִשְׁפָּט֨וֹjudgment his
mishpatoH4941 →422 times
יִתֵּ֤ןhe gives
yitenH5414 →
לָאוֹר֙to the light
laorH216 →
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
נֶעְדָּ֔רhe fails
ne'darH5737 →
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יוֹדֵ֥עַ[is] knowing
yodea'H3045 →
עַוָּ֖לan unrighteous person
ʾavalH5767 →
בֹּֽשֶׁת׃shame
boshetH1322 →
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
Zephaniah 3:17The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.”
it leads to
- Psalms 149:4
For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the afflicted with salvation.
- Psalms 147:11
The LORD is pleased with those who fear Him, who hope in His loving devotion.
- Hebrews 7:25
Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.
- Isaiah 62:4–5
No longer will you be called Forsaken, nor your land named Desolate; but you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will…
- Jeremiah 32:41
Yes, I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.
- Psalms 149:4
Through
Lamentations 3:23They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!
it leads to
- Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.
- Psalms 30:5
For His anger is fleeting, but His favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning.
- Isaiah 33:2
O LORD, be gracious to us! We wait for You. Be our strength every morning and our salvation in time of trouble.
- Hebrews 10:23
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); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets; 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 Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.