Zephaniah 1 · Verse 8

Zephaniah 1:8

And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.
Zephaniah 1:8, King James Version

Zephaniah 1:8 in other translations

BSB“On the Day of the LORD’s sacrifice I will punish the princes, the sons of the king, and all who are dressed in foreign apparel.
WEBIt will happen in the day of the LORD’s sacrifice that I will punish the princes, the king’s sons, and all those who are clothed with foreign clothing.
ASVAnd it shall come to pass in the day of Jehovah’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s sons, and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.
YLTAnd it hath come to pass, In the day of the sacrifice of Jehovah, That I have laid a charge on the heads, And on sons of the king, And on all putting on strange clothing.
DARBYAnd it shall come to pass in the day of Jehovah's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's sons, and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.
BBEAnd it will come about in the day of the Lord's offering, that I will send punishment on the rulers and the king's sons and all who are clothed in robes from strange lands.
WebsterAnd it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.

What does Zephaniah 1:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. the princes--who ought to have been an example of good to others, but were ringleaders in all evil. the king's children--fulfilled on Zedekiah's children (Jr 39:6); and previously, on Jehoahaz and Eliakim, the sons of Josiah (2Ki 23:31, 36; 2Ch 36:6; compare also 2Ki 20:18; 21:13). Huldah the prophetess (2Ki 22:20) intimated that which Zephaniah now more expressly foretells. all such as are clothed with strange apparel--the princes or courtiers who attired themselves in costly garments, imported from abroad; partly for the sake of luxury, and partly to ingratiate themselves with foreign great nations whose costume as well as their idolatries they imitated, [Calvin]; whereas in costume, as in other respects, God would have them to be separate from the nations. Grotius refers the "strange apparel" to garments forbidden by the law, for example, men's garments worn by women, and vice versa, a heathen usage in the worship of Mars and Venus (De 22:5).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 I will punish the princes, and the king's children - After the death of Josiah the kingdom of Judah saw no prosperity, and every reign terminated miserably; until at last King Zedekiah and the king's children were cruelly massacred at Riblah, when Nebuchadnezzar had taken Jerusalem. Strange apparel - I really think this refers more to their embracing idolatrous customs and heathen usages, than to their changing their dress. They acquired new habits, as we would say; customs, that they used as they did their clothing - at all times, and in every thing.

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 1:8 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.

וְהָיָ֗הve.ha.Yahand it will beH1961
בְּיוֹם֙be.yOmon [the] day ofH3117
זֶ֣בַחZe.vach[the] sacrifice ofH2077
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וּפָקַדְתִּ֥יu.fa.kad.Tiand I will visit [judgment]H6485
עַל\־'al-onH5921
הַשָּׂרִ֖יםha.sa.Rimthe princesH8269
וְעַל\־ve.'al-and onH5921
בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] sons ofH1121
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
וְעַ֥לve.'Aland onH5921
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
הַלֹּבְשִׁ֖יםha.loe.Shimthose [who] are clothedH3847
מַלְבּ֥וּשׁmal.BushclothingH4403
נָכְרִֽי\׃na.khe.RiforeignH5237

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

Cross references for Zephaniah 1:8

  • Isaiah 24:21

    And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.

  • Isaiah 3:18-24

    In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, The rings, and nose jewels, …

  • Isaiah 39:7

    And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

  • 2 Kings 25:19-21

    And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king’s presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city: And Nebuzar–adan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah: And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.

  • Jeremiah 22:11-19

    For thus saith the Lord touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place; He shall not return thither any more: But he shall die in the place whither they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more. Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour’s service without wages, and giveth him not for his work; That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion. …

  • Jeremiah 22:24-30

    As I live, saith the Lord, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence; And I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans. And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die. But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return. …

  • Jeremiah 39:6-7

    Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah. Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.

  • 2 Kings 23:30-34

    And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulchre. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father’s stead. Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. And Pharaoh–nechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold. …

  • 2 Kings 25:6-7

    So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.

  • 2 Kings 10:22

    And he said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.

  • 2 Kings 24:12-13

    And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord, as the Lord had said.

  • Isaiah 10:12

    Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
punish. Heb. visit upon.
Isa 10:12; 24:21; *margins
the princes.
2Ki 23:30-34; 24:12,13; 25:6,7,19-21; Isa 39:7; Jer 22:11-19,24-30
Jer 39:6,7
strange.
De 22:5; 2Ki 10:22; Isa 3:18-24

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

Context

  • Zephaniah 1:7

    Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.

  • Zephaniah 1:8

    And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.

  • Zephaniah 1:9

    In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.

Read all of Zephaniah 1

Zephaniah 1:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y será que en el día del sacrificio de Jehová, haré visitación sobre los príncipes, y sobre los hijos del rey, y sobre todos los que visten vestido extranjero.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et il arrivera, au jour du sacrifice de l’ Éternel, que je punirai les princes et les fils du roi, et tous ceux qui se vêtent de vêtements étrangers.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und es wird geschehen an dem Tage des Schlachtopfers Jehovas, da werde ich die Fürsten und die Königssöhne heimsuchen und alle, die sich mit fremder Kleidung bekleiden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et erit: in die hostiæ Domini, visitabo super principes, et super filios regis, et super omnes qui induti sunt veste peregrina;