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KING JAMES BIBLE · PCE

Zephaniah 3:3–5

TEXT EDITION
Pure Cambridge Edition selected
Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
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.
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PASSAGE SELECTION

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3 selected · 7 available

Choose up to 10 verses in this chapter. The study tools update with the selected passage.

SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE

Cross References

15 Essential passages are open for comparison.

Reference depth

From verse 3

  1. Habakkuk 1:8Rank 1 from verse 3
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    8Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.

  2. Ezekiel 22:25–27Rank 2 from verse 3
    Open

    25There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.

    26Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

    27Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.

  3. Jeremiah 5:6Rank 3 from verse 3
    Open

    6Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

  4. Ezekiel 22:6Rank 4 from verse 3
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    6Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood.

  5. Isaiah 1:23Rank 5 from verse 3
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    23Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

From verse 4

  1. Ezekiel 22:26Rank 1 from verse 4
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    26Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

  2. Hosea 9:7Rank 2 from verse 4
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    7The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.

  3. Lamentations 2:14Rank 3 from verse 4
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    14Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.

  4. Malachi 2:8Rank 4 from verse 4
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    8But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.

  5. Isaiah 56:10–12Rank 5 from verse 4
    Open

    10His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

    11Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

    12Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.

From verse 5

  1. Deuteronomy 32:4Rank 1 from verse 5
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    4He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

  2. Lamentations 3:23Rank 2 from verse 5
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    23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

  3. Psalms 145:17Rank 3 from verse 5
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    17The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

  4. Zephaniah 3:15Rank 4 from verse 5
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    15The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.

  5. Deuteronomy 23:14Rank 5 from verse 5
    Open

    14For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.

WORDS IN THIS PASSAGE

Definitions

Open a word for its full definition and concordance.

DEFINED WORDS

Zephaniah 3:3

COMBINED MEANING

roaring

↗

Present-participial or verbal-noun form of roar, meaning to make such a sound, especially in distress or fierceness.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

lions

↗

Sense 1: Large powerful wild cats. Sense 2: Figures of strength, fierceness, danger, or royal power.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

gnaw

↗

To bite off by little and little; to bite or scrape off with the fore teeth; to wear away by biting.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

till

↗

Sense 1: To cultivate, plough, dress, and work soil for crops. Sense 2: As a time or limit word, until, up to, or as far as the stated point, condition, or event.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

morrow

↗

The next day or the time following the present day, and by extension a coming or future time.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Zephaniah 3:4

COMBINED MEANING

light

↗

Sense 1: Brightness or illumination. Sense 2: A source or opening that gives light. Sense 3: Figuratively, truth, knowledge, revelation, life, or favour contrasted with darkness. Sense 4: To illuminate or kindle. Sense 5: To alight or come upon. Sense 6: Slight, easy, swift, or not heavy.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

priests

↗

Persons set apart to religious service, sanctuary duty, sacrifice, intercession, teaching, or representation before a deity.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

polluted

↗

Past-tense, participial, or adjectival form of pollute, meaning to defile, make unclean, or profane.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

law

↗

Sense 1: An authoritative rule, command, ordinance, instruction, standard, or body of requirements. Sense 2: The writings containing such instruction. Sense 3: A governing principle, power, regular order, or civil rule. Sense 4: In family compounds, relationship by marriage.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Zephaniah 3:5

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

midst

↗

The middle, centre, interior, or intervening part of a place, body, company, or condition; among, within, surrounded by, or in the presence of persons or things.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

iniquity

↗

Wickedness, unrighteousness, transgression, or sin; the guilt or burden of such wrongdoing.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

every

↗

Each individual or member of the class, group, place, time, side, or kind named; all distributively.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

morning

↗

Sense 1: The beginning or early part of the day, including hours before daylight. Sense 2: The dawn or a beginning compared with dawn.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

judgment

↗

The act, authority, process, cause, or result of judging; discernment, legal hearing, verdict, ordinance, justice, government, vindication, condemnation, or punishment.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

light

↗

Sense 1: Brightness or illumination. Sense 2: A source or opening that gives light. Sense 3: Figuratively, truth, knowledge, revelation, life, or favour contrasted with darkness. Sense 4: To illuminate or kindle. Sense 5: To alight or come upon. Sense 6: Slight, easy, swift, or not heavy.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

but

↗

Sense 1: However; marking contrast or qualification. Sense 2: Except or unless; excluding all others or alternatives. Sense 3: Only; no more than what follows.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893 · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

unjust

↗

Sense 1: Not right, fair, lawful, honest, or equitable; unrighteous, wicked, fraudulent, partial, or withholding what is due. Sense 2: A person so acting.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893

COMBINED MEANING

shame

↗

Sense 1: A painful sense of guilt, disgrace, or dishonor. Sense 2: As a verb, to make ashamed or bring disgrace upon.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

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Surrounding Verses

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2She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God.

3Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

Selected passage

4Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

Selected passage

5The 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.

Selected passage

6I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.

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