The Meaning of Zephaniah 3:5 Explained

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.

YLT: Jehovah is righteous in her midst, He doth not do perverseness, Morning by morning His judgment he giveth to the light, It hath not been lacking, And the perverse doth not know shame.

Darby: The righteous Jehovah is in the midst of her: he doeth no wrong. Every morning doth he bring his judgment to light; it faileth not: but the unrighteous knoweth no shame.

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 Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Zephaniah 3:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

In contrast to these crooked leaders, Yahweh was straight, and He was still in Jerusalem. He would do no injustice, as the civil and religious leaders did. He performed justice every day as faithfully as the rising of the sun. Yet the unjust leaders of Jerusalem knew no shame for the wickedness that they consistently practiced.

Context Summary

Zephaniah 3:1-20 - Fullness Of Salvation
The sins of Jerusalem, Zephaniah 3:1-7. Uninfluenced by judgments upon other nations, Jerusalem pursued her course, morally impure, oppressive, refusing instruction, estranged from God. Yet God still dwelt in the city which He had chosen. Morning by morning His Spirit was appealing for repentance and righteousness. Through His faithful ones He was still shedding the light and glory of a holier civilization through the community, but the population at large refused to heed.
The effects of cleansing judgment, Zephaniah 3:8-20. These closing verses are marked by great tenderness, showing as they do, the results that God's dealings are designed to effect. A pure life; service with one consent; the trust of the afflicted soul in the love of God; the weaning of the heart from all iniquity-what great and lovely results of that long captivity! Let God have His way with you! He will change your sorrow into songs; will cast out your enemies and turn again your captivity; will manifest His infinite love, now in brooding tenderness, and then in outbursting songs. Those who have been filled with sorrow, and have borne the burden of reproach for God, shall be comforted. Even the halt and exiled shall participate, and become a name and a praise. The captives would be liberated and the dispersed would be gathered home [source]

Chapter Summary: Zephaniah 3

1  A sharp reproof of Jerusalem for various sins
8  An exhortation to wait for the restoration of Israel,
14  and to rejoice for their salvation by God

What do the individual words in Zephaniah 3:5 mean?

Yahweh [is] righteous in her midst no He will do unrighteousness morning every His justice He brings to light never He fails but no knows the unjust shame
יְהוָ֤ה צַדִּיק֙ בְּקִרְבָּ֔הּ לֹ֥א יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה עַוְלָ֑ה בַּבֹּ֨קֶר בַּבֹּ֜קֶר מִשְׁפָּט֨וֹ יִתֵּ֤ן לָאוֹר֙ לֹ֣א נֶעְדָּ֔ר וְלֹֽא־ יוֹדֵ֥עַ עַוָּ֖ל בֹּֽשֶׁת

יְהוָ֤ה  Yahweh  [is] 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צַדִּיק֙  righteous 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
בְּקִרְבָּ֔הּ  in  her  midst 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: קֶרֶב  
Sense: midst, among, inner part, middle.
לֹ֥א  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה  He  will  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
עַוְלָ֑ה  unrighteousness 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עָוֶל 
Sense: injustice, unrighteousness, wrong.
בַּבֹּ֨קֶר  morning 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
בַּבֹּ֜קֶר  every 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
מִשְׁפָּט֨וֹ  His  justice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
יִתֵּ֤ן  He  brings 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לָאוֹר֙  to  light 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֹור  
Sense: light.
לֹ֣א  never 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נֶעְדָּ֔ר  He  fails 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָדַר 
Sense: to help.
וְלֹֽא־  but  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יוֹדֵ֥עַ  knows 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
עַוָּ֖ל  the  unjust 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַוָּל  
Sense: unjust one, perverse one, unrighteous one.
בֹּֽשֶׁת  shame 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֹּשֶׁת  
Sense: shame.