Zephaniah 2 2

Zephaniah 2:2 kjv

Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD's anger come upon you.

Zephaniah 2:2 nkjv

Before the decree is issued, Or the day passes like chaff, Before the LORD's fierce anger comes upon you, Before the day of the LORD's anger comes upon you!

Zephaniah 2:2 niv

before the decree takes effect and that day passes like windblown chaff, before the LORD's fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the LORD's wrath comes upon you.

Zephaniah 2:2 esv

before the decree takes effect ? before the day passes away like chaff ? before there comes upon you the burning anger of the LORD, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the LORD.

Zephaniah 2:2 nlt

Gather before judgment begins,
before your time to repent is blown away like chaff.
Act now, before the fierce fury of the LORD falls
and the terrible day of the LORD's anger begins.

Zephaniah 2 verses

Zephaniah 2 2 Meaning

This verse calls for prompt and sincere repentance from the people of Judah before God's fierce anger is kindled against them, leading to their destruction. It emphasizes the urgency of seeking the Lord.

Zephaniah 2 2 Context

Zephaniah 2:1 begins with a call for the nation to gather, implying a sense of urgency and impending judgment. It addresses those who are "godless" or "nationless" – referring to Judah, the remnant that has not yet been fully destroyed or scattered. The prophet urges them to seek the Lord and to do so diligently, seeking righteousness and humility. Zephaniah 2:2, immediately following this exhortation, emphasizes the dire consequences of delaying or failing to repent before the full force of God's wrath is unleashed. This message is directed to Judah, likely in the context of Assyria's imminent threat or a general period of apostasy within the nation, where unrighteousness and pride were rampant. The historical backdrop is the Assyrian Empire's decline and the rise of Babylon, with potential pronouncements of judgment against surrounding nations also being prepared.

Zephaniah 2 2 Word analysis

• "Gather" (Hebrew: ַּקיצוּ - qutsu): To assemble, to come together. It signifies a summons or an urgent call to convene.
• "Your-selves": Emphasizes the personal responsibility and inward focus of the action.
• "O nation" (Hebrew: ַּמְלַךְ - goy): Refers to the people of Judah, described here in their collective national identity.
• "Not deserved" (Hebrew: ְּלא־נֶחְּמָדּה - lo-nechmeda): Literally "not desirable" or "not lovely." It suggests that their current state, characterized by sin and rebellion, is displeasing and repulsive to God. This implies they have forfeited God's favor.
• "Before" (Hebrew: ַּבּטֶרֶם - battrem): Indicates "before," signifying a limited time frame before an event occurs. It introduces a sense of urgency.
• "Fierce anger" (Hebrew: ּבּרוֹן־אָף - geron-aph): A strong expression of God's indignation and fury, often implying consuming or destructive wrath.
• "Kindled" (Hebrew: ְּתִּּשָּּקֵד - tishtated): From the root shakad, meaning "to be diligent" or "to pass swiftly." Here it conveys God's anger becoming intense and moving rapidly toward judgment.
• "Your": Refers back to the people of Judah.
• "As" (Hebrew: ַּכַּהּ - kah): Like; in the manner of.
• "Chaff" (Hebrew: ּמּץ - mutz): The dry, useless husks of grain, easily blown away by the wind. A metaphor for worthlessness and easy destruction.
• "Driven": Pushed away, dispersed.
• "By": Through.
• "The day" (Hebrew: ַּיוֹם - yom): Refers to the specific time of God's judgment, often used to denote the "Day of the LORD."
• "LORD's" (Hebrew: ַּיְהֹוָה - Yahweh): The covenant name of God.
• "Ndwind": The reference to wind, commonly associated with swift destruction and dispersion.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Gather yourselves... before... kindled": This sequence highlights the critical window of opportunity for repentance. The action of gathering and seeking God must happen before the unstoppable advance of divine anger.
• "O nation not deserved": This phrasing underscores Judah's apostate condition, where their present character makes them anything but pleasing to God. It emphasizes the severe spiritual decay that necessitates judgment.
• "Fierce anger... kindled... as chaff driven... Ndwind": This imagery powerfully conveys the severity and destructive nature of God's impending judgment. His anger is depicted as a rapid, unstoppable force that will utterly annihilate the unrepentant, reducing them to utter nothingness, like chaff scattered by a storm. The phrase "Ndwind" seems to be a typographical error and should likely be interpreted in the context of "wind," reinforcing the theme of scattering and destruction.

Zephaniah 2 2 Bonus section

The imagery of chaff blown by the wind is used in other parts of Scripture to depict the fate of the wicked or those who oppose God (Psalm 1:4, Psalm 35:5, Isaiah 17:13, Hosea 13:3). This verse emphasizes that God's judgment is not capricious but a just response to continued unrighteousness. The concept of "gathering" oneself for repentance aligns with the New Testament call to "draw near to God" (James 4:8). The swiftness of the "kindled" anger signifies that opportunities for repentance are finite.

Zephaniah 2 2 Commentary

Zephaniah 2:2 serves as a critical warning following the initial call to repent. It underscores that repentance is not merely an option but an urgent necessity. The "nation not deserved" highlights Judah's moral bankruptcy; they have acted in ways that render them unacceptable to God. The consequence of ignoring this plea is "fierce anger," described as a rapid, overwhelming force that will consume the unrighteous like "chaff" driven by the wind. This powerful imagery, commonly found in prophetic literature, emphasizes total and utter destruction. The verse acts as a dire premonition, urging immediate turning to the Lord for salvation from impending doom. The mention of the "Day of the LORD" further intensifies the seriousness, pointing to a time of divine reckoning.