The Meaning of Zephaniah 3:7 Explained

Zephaniah 3:7

KJV: I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.

YLT: I have said: Only, ye do fear Me, Ye do accept instruction, And her habitation is not cut off, All that I have appointed for her, But they have risen early, They have corrupted all their doings.

Darby: I said, Only fear me, receive correction; so her dwelling shall not be cut off, howsoever I may punish her. But they rose early, they corrupted all their doings.

ASV: I said, Only fear thou me; receive correction; so her dwelling shall not be cut off, according to all that I have appointed concerning her: but they rose early and corrupted all their doings.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I said,  Surely thou wilt fear  me, thou wilt receive  instruction;  so their dwelling  should not be cut off,  howsoever  I punished  them: but  they rose early,  [and] corrupted  all their doings. 

What does Zephaniah 3:7 Mean?

Study Notes

fear
fear of the Lord
The "fear of the Lord," a phrase of the O.T. piety, meaning reverential trust, with hatred of evil.

Verse Meaning

The Lord expected the people of Jerusalem to learn from the fate of the Northern Kingdom and other fallen nations. They should respect Him, since He was behind the destruction, and obey His word. They should have done this so He would not similarly judge them, as He had threatened to do. But they were more eager to pursue sinful self-indulgence and to become thoroughly corrupt in their deeds.

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 3:7 mean?

I said surely you will fear Me You will receive instruction so that not would be cut off her dwelling [Despite] everything for which I punished her but they rose early and corrupted all their deeds
אָמַ֜רְתִּי אַךְ־ תִּירְאִ֤י אוֹתִי֙ תִּקְחִ֣י מוּסָ֔ר וְלֹֽא־ יִכָּרֵ֣ת מְעוֹנָ֔הּ כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־ פָּקַ֖דְתִּי עָלֶ֑יהָ אָכֵן֙ הִשְׁכִּ֣ימוּ הִשְׁחִ֔יתוּ כֹּ֖ל עֲלִילוֹתָֽם

אָמַ֜רְתִּי  I  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אַךְ־  surely 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַךְ  
Sense: indeed, surely (emphatic).
תִּירְאִ֤י  you  will  fear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
אוֹתִי֙  Me 
Parse: Direct object marker, first person common singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
תִּקְחִ֣י  You  will  receive 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
מוּסָ֔ר  instruction 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מוּסָר  
Sense: discipline, chastening, correction.
וְלֹֽא־  so  that  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִכָּרֵ֣ת  would  be  cut  off 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
מְעוֹנָ֔הּ  her  dwelling 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: מְעֹנָה  
Sense: dwelling, habitation, refuge.
כֹּ֥ל  [Despite]  everything 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁר־  for  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
פָּקַ֖דְתִּי  I  punished 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
עָלֶ֑יהָ  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הִשְׁכִּ֣ימוּ  they  rose  early 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁכַם  
Sense: to rise or start early.
הִשְׁחִ֔יתוּ  and  corrupted 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁחַת  
Sense: to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay.
עֲלִילוֹתָֽם  their  deeds 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עֲלִילָה  
Sense: wantonness, deed, doing.