Zephaniah 3:5 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.
Zephaniah 3:5 nkjv
The LORD is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails, But the unjust knows no shame.
Zephaniah 3:5 niv
The LORD within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame.
Zephaniah 3:5 esv
The LORD within her is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame.
Zephaniah 3:5 nlt
But the LORD is still there in the city,
and he does no wrong.
Day by day he hands down justice,
and he does not fail.
But the wicked know no shame.
Zephaniah 3 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Zephaniah 3:5 | The Lord within her is righteous; He does no injustice. | Zephaniah 3:5 |
| Psalm 11:7 | For the righteous Lord loves righteousness; the upright shall see His face. | Psalm 11:7 |
| Deuteronomy 32:4 | He is the Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. | Deuteronomy 32:4 |
| Jeremiah 9:24 | "but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord; I exercise steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight," declares the Lord. | Jeremiah 9:24 |
| Isaiah 45:21 | "Declare and bring forth your counsel; let them take counsel together: who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me." | Isaiah 45:21 |
| Acts 17:31 | "by the appointed time when he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed. Having given proof of this to all by raising him from the dead.” | Acts 17:31 |
| Romans 2:5 | But because of your hard and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. | Romans 2:5 |
| Romans 2:13 | For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. | Romans 2:13 |
| 1 John 1:9 | If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. | 1 John 1:9 |
| Psalm 5:8 | Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me. | Psalm 5:8 |
| Isaiah 30:18 | Yet the Lord waits to be gracious to you; yet he rises to give you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him! | Isaiah 30:18 |
| Habakkuk 2:20 | "But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him." | Habakkuk 2:20 |
| Revelation 19:11 | Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. | Revelation 19:11 |
| John 8:16 | "Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me." | John 8:16 |
| Ephesians 4:24 | and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. | Ephesians 4:24 |
| Colossians 3:10 | and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. | Colossians 3:10 |
| Proverbs 2:6 | For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. | Proverbs 2:6 |
| Lamentations 3:23 | They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. | Lamentations 3:23 |
| 1 Peter 1:24-25 | For “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” | 1 Peter 1:24-25 |
| 1 John 3:12 | We are to continue to do the very things that are not like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. | 1 John 3:12 |
| Jeremiah 23:5-6 | "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and act wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." | Jeremiah 23:5-6 |
Zephaniah 3 verses
Zephaniah 3 5 Meaning
The Lord within her is righteous; He does no injustice. Every morning He brings His justice to light, never failing. But the wicked know no shame.
Zephaniah 3 5 Context
Zephaniah prophesies to Jerusalem, which is surrounded by the invading armies of Babylon and other surrounding nations. The chapter begins with a denunciation of Jerusalem's sinfulness and the impending judgment. However, verse 5 shifts in focus, proclaiming the Lord's presence and inherent righteousness within Zion despite the surrounding destruction. It assures that despite the immediate doom facing the wicked nations and the unrighteous in Jerusalem, God's ultimate justice and faithfulness will prevail. This verse is a pivotal point, transitioning from the judgment on sin to the promise of a purified remnant and future restoration under a righteous King.
Zephaniah 3 5 Word analysis
- The Lord (Yahweh): The personal covenantal name of God, emphasizing His relationship with His people and His faithfulness.
- within her: Refers to Jerusalem, Zion, the dwelling place of God's presence.
- is: Connects the subject (The Lord) to His nature.
- righteous (tsaddiq): Characterized by justice, fairness, uprightness, moral integrity. It signifies conformity to God’s standards.
- He: Refers to the Lord.
- does (yap̄aʿ): Accomplishes, perpetrates, makes.
- no (lo'): A strong negation.
- injustice (ʿāwel): Wrongdoing, perversity, inequity, unrighteousness. The opposite of righteousness.
- Every morning (boqer bōqer): Repeated for emphasis, signifying constancy and unfailing renewal of His justice.
- He brings forth (yaḵliym): Causes to come forth, reveals, presents.
- His justice (mišpāṭō): God's judicial decisions, His righteousness in action, His governing principle of rightness.
- to light (ōr): Illumination, clarity, open manifestation. His justice is not hidden but revealed.
- But (wě-): Introduces a contrast.
- the wicked (ʿawwel): Those who practice injustice and perversity.
- know no shame (bōšat lo'-yāḏaʿ): They are shameless, unrepentant, lacking a sense of disgrace for their sinful actions. This implies a hardened heart.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- The Lord within her is righteous; He does no injustice: This clause affirms God's inherent character and presence in Zion. His righteousness is not absent or compromised, even in a time of judgment. He acts according to His perfect standard of rightness.
- Every morning He brings His justice to light: This highlights the constant and revealed nature of God's justice. It is not intermittent or hidden, but consistently manifested and understood, likely through His actions and decrees.
- But the wicked know no shame: This points to the opposite character of the unrighteous. They are not only doers of injustice but are also devoid of remorse or the proper fear of God, indicating a state of moral bankruptcy.
Zephaniah 3 5 Bonus section
The concept of God's "morning" justice appearing consistently echoes the daily newness of God's faithfulness found in Lamentations 3:23. This emphasizes that God's character and actions are not static but are actively and reliably present in His relationship with His people. The contrast with the "wicked" who "know no shame" points to a perversion of the God-given faculty of conscience, which is designed to lead to repentance and recognition of sin. Scholars often connect this verse to the future reign of the Messiah, who will execute justice and righteousness on the earth, bringing God's revealed justice to its ultimate fulfillment.
Zephaniah 3 5 Commentary
This verse is a profound assurance of God's unwavering righteousness and justice amidst the impending doom for Jerusalem and the surrounding nations. Even as judgment falls, God's essential character as perfectly just remains the cornerstone of His being and His interaction with the world. His justice is consistently revealed, like the rising sun, showing that His moral order prevails. In stark contrast, the wicked remain unmoved by impending judgment, showing a profound spiritual blindness and lack of shame, indicating their finality in sin. This verse also anticipates the coming Messianic age, where God's righteous reign would be fully established, fulfilling His promise of justice.