Zephaniah 3:7

I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me and accept correction.’ Then her dwelling place would not be cut off despite all for which I punished her. But they rose early to corrupt all their deeds.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — God addresses Jerusalem immediately after recounting His judgments on foreign nations. He states a conditional offer of preservation that the city's inhabitants actively rejected.

The words — תִּירְאִ֤י (tir.'I) translates literally to "you will fear" and מוּסָ֔ר (mu.Sar) to "correction," establishing the required response to avoid the stated consequence.

The thread — The conditional structure mirrors Hosea 9:9 on remembered guilt, Jeremiah 36:3 on turning from impending calamity, and Jeremiah 7:7 on conditional residence in the land.

Why it lands — It presents a direct warning that divine preservation is contingent on repentance, and that habitual corruption forfeits the promise of security.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

אָמַ֜רְתִּי'a.Mar.tiI said אַךְ־'akh-surely תִּירְאִ֤יtir.'Iyou will fear אוֹתִי֙'o.T/i<obj.>/ me תִּקְחִ֣יtik.Chiyou will accept מוּסָ֔רmu.Sarcorrection וְלֹֽא־ve./lo'-and/ not יִכָּרֵ֣תyi.ka.Retit will be cut off מְעוֹנָ֔הּme.'o.Na/hdwelling/ its כֹּ֥לkolall אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-that פָּקַ֖דְתִּיpa.Kad.tiI have visited עָלֶ֑יהָ'a.Lei./haon/ it אָכֵן֙'a.Khennevertheless הִשְׁכִּ֣ימוּhish.Ki.muthey rose early הִשְׁחִ֔יתוּhish.Chi.tuthey corrupted כֹּ֖לkolall עֲלִילוֹתָֽם׃a.li.lo.Ta/mpractices/ their

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Hosea 9:9 They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their guilt; He will punish their sins.
Jeremiah 36:3 Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about all the calamity I plan to bring upon them, each of them will turn from his wicked way. Then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.”
Jeremiah 7:7 then I will let you live in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.
Jeremiah 25:5 The prophets told you, ‘Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and deeds, and you can dwell in the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers forever and ever.
Micah 2:1 Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands.
Zephaniah 3:2 She heeded no voice; she accepted no correction. She does not trust in the LORD; she has not drawn near to her God.
Genesis 6:12 And God looked upon the earth and saw that it was corrupt; for all living creatures on the earth had corrupted their ways.
Deuteronomy 4:16 that you do not act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves of any form or shape, whether in the likeness of a male or female,
2 Chronicles 28:6 For in one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 valiant men in Judah. This happened because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers.
2 Chronicles 32:1 After all these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, intending to conquer them for himself.