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the Week of Proper 24 / Ordinary 29
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New Living Translation

Zephaniah 3:3

Its leaders are like roaring lions hunting for their victims. Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time, who by dawn have left no trace of their prey.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Court;   Judge;   Rulers;   Wolf;   Thompson Chain Reference - Courts;   The Topic Concordance - Priests;   Prophecy and Prophets;   Unjustness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Wolf, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Government;   Judge;   Priest;   Ruler;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Lion;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Wolf;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Zephaniah, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Animals;   Zephaniah, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Wolf;   Zephaniah (1);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Wolf;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Bone;   Wolf;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Blindness, Judicial;   Even;   Wolf;   Zephaniah, Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Lion;   Wolf;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for February 19;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Jerusalem's leaders are like roaring lions. Her judges are like hungry wolves that come in the evening to attack the sheep—and in the morning nothing is left.
New American Standard Bible
Her leaders within her are roaring lions, Her judges are wolves at evening; They have no bones to gnaw in the morning.
New Century Version
Its officers are like roaring lions. Its rulers are like hungry wolves that attack in the evening, and in the morning nothing is left of those they attacked.
Update Bible Version
Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they leave nothing until the next day.
Webster's Bible Translation
Her princes within her [are] roaring lions; her judges [are] evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
Amplified Bible
Her officials within her are roaring lions; Her judges are [as hungry as] the wolves at evening, They leave nothing for the morning.
English Standard Version
Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning.
World English Bible
Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves. They leave nothing until the next day.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Princes therof in myddil therof weren as liouns rorynge; iugis therof weren wolues, in the euentid thei leften not in to morewe.
English Revised Version
Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they leave nothing till the morrow.
Berean Standard Bible
Her princes are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves, leaving nothing for the morning.
Contemporary English Version
Its officials are roaring lions, its judges are wolves; in the evening they attack, by morning nothing is left.
American Standard Version
Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they leave nothing till the morrow.
Bible in Basic English
Her rulers are like loud-voiced lions in her; her judges are wolves of the evening, crushing up the bones before the morning.
Complete Jewish Bible
Her leaders there with her are roaring lions, her judges desert wolves, who don't leave even a bone for tomorrow.
Darby Translation
Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves, that leave nothing for the morning.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are wolves of the desert, they leave not a bone for the morrow.
King James Version (1611)
Her princes within her are roaring lyons; her Iudges are euening wolues, they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
New Life Bible
Her leaders are lions that make a loud noise. Her judges are wolves at evening. They leave nothing for the morning.
New Revised Standard
The officials within it are roaring lions; its judges are evening wolves that leave nothing until the morning.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Her princes within her are as roaring lyons: her iudges are as wolues in the euening, which leaue not the bones till the morow.
George Lamsa Translation
Her princes within her are roaring like lions; her judges are like evening wolves; they wait not for the morning.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Her rulers in her midst, are roaring lions, - her judges, evening wolves, they have left nothing until morning!
Douay-Rheims Bible
Her princes are in the midst of her as roaring lions: her judges are evening wolves, they left nothing for the morning.
Revised Standard Version
Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Her rulers within her are as roaring lions, her iudges are as wolues in the euening, whiche leaue nothing behinde them till the morowe.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Her princes within her were as roaring lions, her judges as the wolves of Arabia; they remained not till the morrow.
Good News Translation
Its officials are like roaring lions; its judges are like hungry wolves, too greedy to leave a bone until morning.
Christian Standard Bible®
The princes within her are roaring lions;her judges are wolves of the night,which leave nothing for the morning.
Hebrew Names Version
Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves. They leave nothing until the next day.
King James Version
Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
Lexham English Bible
Her officials in her midst are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they leave nothing until the morning.
Literal Translation
Her rulers within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they do not gnaw bones for the morning.
Young's Literal Translation
Her heads in her midst [are] roaring lions, Her judges [are] evening wolves, They have not gnawn the bone in the morning.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Hir rulers within her are as roaringe lyons: hir iudges are as wolues in the euenynge, which leaue nothinge behynde them till the morow.
New English Translation
Her princes are as fierce as roaring lions; her rulers are as hungry as wolves in the desert, who completely devour their prey by morning.
New King James Version
Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; Her judges are evening wolves That leave not a bone till morning.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Her princes within her are roaring lions, Her judges are wolves at evening; They leave nothing for the morning.
Legacy Standard Bible
Her princes in her midst are roaring lions;Her judges are wolves at evening;They leave nothing to gnaw for the morning.

Contextual Overview

1 What sorrow awaits rebellious, polluted Jerusalem, the city of violence and crime! 2 No one can tell it anything; it refuses all correction. It does not trust in the Lord or draw near to its God. 3 Its leaders are like roaring lions hunting for their victims. Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time, who by dawn have left no trace of their prey. 4 Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain. Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God's instructions. 5 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. 6 "I have wiped out many nations, devastating their fortress walls and towers. Their streets are now deserted; their cities lie in silent ruin. There are no survivors— none at all. 7 I thought, ‘Surely they will have reverence for me now! Surely they will listen to my warnings. Then I won't need to strike again, destroying their homes.' But no, they get up early to continue their evil deeds.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

princes: Job 4:8-11, Psalms 10:8-10, Proverbs 28:15, Isaiah 1:23, Jeremiah 22:17, Ezekiel 22:6, Ezekiel 22:25-27, Micah 3:1-4, Micah 3:9-11

evening: Jeremiah 5:6, Habakkuk 1:8

Reciprocal: Genesis 49:27 - at night Exodus 21:6 - the judges Deuteronomy 16:19 - wrest 1 Samuel 22:18 - he fell 2 Chronicles 36:14 - all the chief Job 24:5 - rising Proverbs 4:17 - General Proverbs 30:14 - to devour Ecclesiastes 3:16 - General Isaiah 59:6 - their works Jeremiah 5:5 - but these Jeremiah 6:13 - For Jeremiah 23:1 - pastors Jeremiah 34:19 - princes Lamentations 4:13 - the sins Ezekiel 7:23 - for Ezekiel 11:6 - General Ezekiel 22:3 - sheddeth Ezekiel 22:12 - taken gifts Ezekiel 22:26 - priests Ezekiel 22:27 - princes Ezekiel 33:26 - stand Ezekiel 34:2 - Woe Ezekiel 34:3 - ye kill Hosea 6:9 - so Hosea 9:15 - all Amos 2:7 - pant Micah 3:2 - pluck Micah 3:10 - build up Zion Micah 3:11 - heads Micah 6:12 - the rich Nahum 2:11 - the dwelling Zechariah 11:3 - a voice Matthew 7:15 - are Luke 10:3 - wolves Luke 11:39 - ravening Luke 13:32 - that fox John 10:8 - came Acts 20:29 - wolves

Cross-References

Genesis 3:12
The man replied, "It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it."
Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The serpent deceived me," she replied. "That's why I ate it."
Genesis 3:16
Then he said to the woman, "I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you."
Genesis 3:17
And to the man he said, "Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.
Genesis 20:6
In the dream God responded, "Yes, I know you are innocent. That's why I kept you from sinning against me, and why I did not let you touch her.
1 Chronicles 16:22
"Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets."
Job 1:11
But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!"
Job 2:5
But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!"
Job 19:21
"Have mercy on me, my friends, have mercy, for the hand of God has struck me.
1 Corinthians 7:1
Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Her princes within her [are] roaring lions,.... Or, "as roaring lions"; there being a defect of the note of similitude; which is supplied by the Targum, Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions. This is to be understood, not of the princes of the blood; but of civil magistrates in common; the members of the grand sanhedrim; the princes of the Jewish world, that crucified the Lord of glory; and who gaped upon him with their mouths like ravening and roaring lions, as is foretold they should, Psalms 22:12 and who breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of Christ; and by their menaces endeavoured to frighten and deter them from preaching in his name, and from a profession of him; see 1 Corinthians 2:8:

her judges [are] evening wolves; or, like them, cruel, voracious, never satisfied; especially are very ravenous in the evening, having had no food all day; not daring to go abroad in the daytime to seek their prey; see Jeremiah 5:6. The Septuagint and Arabic versions read "wolves of Arabia"; but wrongly; Jeremiah 5:6- : such rapacious covetous judges were there in Christ's time; who gives us an instance in one, by which we may judge of the rest, who feared not God, nor regarded men, Luke 18:2 such as these were hungry and greedy after gifts and bribes to pervert judgment, and to devour the poor, the widow, and the fatherless, on whom they had no mercy:

they gnaw not the bones till the morrow; or rather, "in the morning" z; that is, either they leave not the bones till the morning, as Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it; they are so hungry, that they eat up bones and all at once, and reserve nothing for the next day; which expresses both the greediness of these judges, and the total consumption of the estates of men made by them: or else the sense is, that not having gnawn any bones in the morning, or eaten anything that day, hence they are so greedy in the evening; and so this last clause gives a reason why evening wolves are so voracious; for which such cruel judges are compared to them.

z לבקר "in mane", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius; "matutino", Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The prophet having declared the wickedness of the whole city, rehearses how each in Church and state, the ministers of God in either, who should have corrected the evil, themselves aggravated it. Not enemies, without, destroy her, but

Her princes within her - In the very midst of the flock, whom they should in God’s stead “feed with a true heart,” destroy her as they will, having no protection against them. “Her judges are evening wolves” (see Habakkuk 1:8); these who should in the Name of God redress all grievances and wrongs, are themselves like wild beasts, when most driven by famine. “They gnaw not the bones until the morrow or on the morrow” (literally, in the morning). They reserve nothing until the morning light, but do in darkness the works of darkness, shrinking from the light, and, in extreme rapacity, devouring at once the whole substance of the poor. As Isaiah says, “Thy princes are rebellious and companions of thieves” Isaiah 1:23, and “The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of His people and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard: the spoil of the poor is in your houses” Isaiah 3:14. And Ezekiel, “Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves, ravening the prey to shed blood, to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain” Ezekiel 22:27.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Zephaniah 3:3. Her princes - are roaring lions — Tearing all to pieces without shadow of law, except their own despotic power.

Her judges are evening wolves — Being a little afraid of the lion-like princes, they practise their unjust dealings from evening to morning, and take the day to find their rest.

They gnaw not the bones till the morrow. — They devour the flesh in the night, and gnaw the bones and extract the marrow afterwards. They use all violence and predatory oppression, like wild beasts; they shun the light, and turn day into night by their revellings.


 
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