Zephaniah 1 · Verse 12

Zephaniah 1:12

And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.
Zephaniah 1:12, King James Version

Zephaniah 1:12 in other translations

BSBAnd at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men settled in complacency, who say to themselves, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’
WEBIt will happen at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are settled on their dregs, who say in their heart, “The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.”
ASVAnd it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps; and I will punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart, Jehovah will not do good, neither will he do evil.
YLTAnd it hath come to pass, at that time, I search Jerusalem with lights, And I have laid a charge on the men Who are hardened on their preserved things, Who are saying in their heart: Jehovah doth no good, nor doth He evil.
DARBYAnd it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart, Jehovah will not do good, neither will he do evil.
BBEAnd it will come about at that time, that I will go searching through Jerusalem with lights; and I will send punishment on the men who have become like wine stored over-long, who say to themselves, The Lord will not do good and will not do evil.
WebsterAnd it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.

What does Zephaniah 1:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. search ... with candles--or lamps; so as to leave no dark corner in it wherein sin can escape the punishment, of which the Chaldeans are My instruments (compare Zep 1:13; Lu 15:8). settled on their lees--"hardened" or crusted; image from the crust formed at the bottom of wines long left undisturbed (Jr 48:11). The effect of wealthy undisturbed ease ("lees") on the ungodly is hardening: they become stupidly secure (compare Psa 55:19; Am 6:1). Lord will not do good ... evil--They deny that God regards human affairs, or renders good to the good; or evil to the evil, but that all things go haphazard (Psa 10:4; Mal 2:17).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 I will search Jerusalem with candles - I will make a universal and thorough search. That are settled on their lees - Those who are careless, satisfied with the goods of this life; who trust in their riches, and are completely irreligious; who, while they acknowledge that there is a God, think, like the Aristotelians, that he is so supremely happy in the contemplation of his own excellences, that he feels it beneath his dignity to concern himself with the affairs of mortals.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Zephaniah 1:7-13

God's day is at hand; the punishment of presumptuous sinners is a sacrifice to the justice of God. The Jewish royal family shall be reckoned with for their pride and vanity; and those that leap on the threshold, invading their neighbours' rights, and seizing their possessions. The trading people and the rich merchants are called to account. Secure and careless people are reckoned with. They are secure and easy; they…

Read the full comment on Zephaniah 1:7-13 →

Zephaniah 1:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְהָיָה֙ve.ha.Yahand it will beH1961
בָּעֵ֣תba.'Etat the timeH6256
הַהִ֔יאha.Hi'<the> thatH1931
אֲחַפֵּ֥שׂ'a.cha.PesI will searchH2664
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖םye.ru.sha.LimJerusalemH3389
בַּנֵּר֑וֹתba.ne.Rotwith <the> lampsH5216
וּפָקַדְתִּ֣יu.fa.kad.Tiand I will visit [judgment]H6485
עַל\־'al-onH5921
הָאֲנָשִׁ֗יםha.'a.na.Shimthe peopleH582
הַקֹּֽפְאִים֙ha.ko.fe.'Imwho are thickeningH7087
עַל\־'al-onH5921
שִׁמְרֵיהֶ֔םshim.rei.Hemlees theirH8105
הָאֹֽמְרִים֙ha.'o.me.Rimwho are sayingH559
בִּלְבָבָ֔םbil.va.Vamin heart theirH3824
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
יֵיטִ֥יבyei.Tivhe will do goodH3190
יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וְלֹ֥אve.Lo'and notH3808
יָרֵֽעַ\׃ya.Re.a'he will do harmH7489

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Zephaniah 1:12

  • Amos 6:1

    Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

  • Jeremiah 48:11

    Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.

  • Ezekiel 8:12

    Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth.

  • Ezekiel 9:9

    Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not.

  • Malachi 3:14-15

    Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

  • Amos 9:1-3

    I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered. Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down: And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:

  • Revelation 2:23

    And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

  • Obadiah 1:6

    How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!

  • Psalms 94:7

    Yet they say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.

  • Jeremiah 10:5

    They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

  • Jeremiah 16:16-17

    Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.

  • Psalms 14:1

    To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
that I.
Jer 16:16,17; Am 9:1-3; Ob 1:6
the men.
Jer 48:11; Am 6:1; Re 2:23
settled. Heb. curded, or thickened. The Lord.
Job 21:15; Ps 10:11-13; 14:1; 94:7; Isa 5:19; Jer 10:5; Eze 8:12; 9:9
Mal 3:14,15; 2Pe 3:4

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Zephaniah 1:11

    Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.

  • Zephaniah 1:12

    And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.

  • Zephaniah 1:13

    Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.

Read all of Zephaniah 1

Zephaniah 1:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y será en aquel tiempo, que yo escudriñaré á Jerusalem con candiles, y haré visitación sobre los hombres que están sentados sobre sus heces, los cuales dicen en su corazón: Jehová ni hará bien ni mal.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et il arrivera, en ce temps-là, que je fouillerai Jérusalem avec des lampes; et je punirai les hommes qui reposent sur leurs lies, – qui disent dans leur cœur: L’ Éternel ne fera ni bien ni mal.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und es wird geschehen zu jener Zeit, da werde ich Jerusalem mit Leuchten durchsuchen; und ich werde die Männer heimsuchen, welche auf ihren Hefen liegen, die in ihrem Herzen sprechen: Jehova tut nichts Gutes und tut nichts Böses.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et erit in tempore illo: scrutabor Jerusalem in lucernis, et visitabo super viros defixos in fæcibus suis, qui dicunt in cordibus suis: Non faciet bene Dominus, et non faciet male.