Zephaniah 2 · Verse 3

Zephaniah 2:3

Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.
Zephaniah 2:3, King James Version

Zephaniah 2:3 in other translations

BSBSeek the LORD, all you humble of the earth who carry out His justice. Seek righteousness; seek humility. Perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger.
WEBSeek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who have kept his ordinances. Seek righteousness. Seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD’s anger.
ASVSeek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his ordinances; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovah’s anger.
YLTSeek Jehovah, all ye humble of the land, Who His judgment have done, Seek ye righteousness, seek humility, It may be ye are hidden in a day of the anger of Jehovah.
DARBYSeek Jehovah, all ye meek of the land, who have performed his ordinance; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of Jehovah's anger.
BBEMake search for the Lord, all you quiet ones of the earth, who have done what is right in his eyes; make search for righteousness and a quiet heart: it may be that you will be safely covered in the day of the Lord's wrath.
WebsterSeek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, who have performed his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye will be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.

What does Zephaniah 2:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. As in Zep 2:1 (compare Note, see on Zep 1:12) he had warned the hardened among the people to humble themselves, so now he admonishes "the meek" to proceed in their right course, that so they may escape the general calamity (Psa 76:9). The meek bow themselves under God's chastisements to God's will, whereas the ungodly become only the more hardened by them. Seek ye the Lord--in contrast to those that "sought not the Lord" (Zep 1:6). The meek are not to regard what the multitudes do, but seek God at once. his judgment--that is, law. The true way of "seeking the Lord" is to "work judgment," not merely to be zealous about outward ordinances. seek meekness--not perversely murmuring against God's dealings, but patiently submitting to them, and composedly waiting for deliverance. it may be ye shall be hid--(Is 26:20; Am 5:6). This phrase does not imply doubt of the deliverance of the godly, but expresses the difficulty of it, as well that the ungodly may see the certainty of their doom, as also that the faithful may value the more the grace of God in their case (1Pe 4:17-19) [Calvin]. Compare 2Ki 25:12.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 Ye meek of the earth - ענוי anavey, ye oppressed and humbled of the land. It may be ye shall be hid - The sword has not a commission against you. Ask God, and he will be a refuge to you from the storm and from the tempest.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Zephaniah 2:1-3

The prophet calls to national repentance, as the only way to prevent national ruin. A nation not desiring, that has not desires toward God, is not desirous of his favour and grace, has no mind to repent and reform. Or, not desirable, not having any thing to recommend them to God; to whom God might justly say, Depart from me; but he says, Gather together to me that you may seek my face. We know what God's decree will…

Read the full comment on Zephaniah 2:1-3 →

Zephaniah 2:3 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.

בַּקְּשׁ֤וּba.ke.ShuseekH1245
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068
כָּל\־kol-O allH3605
עַנְוֵ֣י'an.Vei[the] humble [people] ofH6035
הָאָ֔רֶץha.'A.retzthe landH776
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhoH834
מִשְׁפָּט֖וֹmish.pa.Tojudgment hisH4941
פָּעָ֑לוּpa.'A.luthey have doneH6466
בַּקְּשׁוּ\־ba.ke.shu-seekH1245
צֶ֙דֶק֙tze.dekrighteousnessH6664
בַּקְּשׁ֣וּba.ke.ShuseekH1245
עֲנָוָ֔ה'a.na.VahhumilityH6038
אוּלַי֙'u.LaiperhapsH194
תִּסָּ֣תְר֔וּti.Sa.te.Ruyou will be hiddenH5641
בְּי֖וֹםbe.Yomon [the] day ofH3117
אַף\־'af-[the] anger ofH639
יְהוָֽה\׃Yah.wehYahwehH3068

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

Cross references for Zephaniah 2:3

  • Amos 5:14-15

    Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.

  • Isaiah 26:20-21

    Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

  • Psalms 76:9

    When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.

  • Jeremiah 29:12-13

    Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

  • Psalms 22:26

    The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

  • Jonah 3:9

    Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

  • Isaiah 55:6-7

    Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

  • Psalms 105:4

    Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

  • Psalms 57:1

    To the chief Musician, Al–taschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

  • Proverbs 18:10

    The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

  • Hosea 10:12

    Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

  • Jeremiah 39:18

    For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Seek ye.
Ps 105:4; Isa 55:6,7; Jer 3:13,14; 4:1,2; 29:12,13; Ho 7:10; 10:12
Am 5:4-6,14,15; Mt 7:7,8
all.
2Ch 34:27,28; Ps 22:26; 25:8,9; 76:9; 149:4; Isa 61:1; Jer 22:15,16
Zec 8:19; Mt 5:5; Jas 1:21,22; 1Pe 3:4
seek righteousness.
Php 3:13,14; 1Th 4:1,10; 1Pe 1:22; 2Pe 3:18
it may.
2Sa 12:22; Joe 2:13,14; Am 5:15; Jon 3:9
hid.
Ge 7:15,16; Ex 12:27; Ps 31:20; 32:6,7; 57:1; 91:1; Pr 18:10
Isa 26:20,21; Jer 39:18; 45:5; Col 3:2-4

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

Context

  • Zephaniah 2:2

    Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger come upon you.

  • Zephaniah 2:3

    Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.

  • Zephaniah 2:4

    For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

Read all of Zephaniah 2

Zephaniah 2:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Buscad á Jehová todos los humildes de la tierra, que pusisteis en obra su juicio; buscad justicia, buscad mansedumbre: quizás seréis guardados en el día del enojo de Jehová.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Cherchez l’ Éternel, vous, tous les débonnaires du pays, qui pratiquez ce qui est juste à ses yeux; recherchez la justice, recherchez la débonnaireté; peut-être serez-vous à couvert au jour de la colère de l’ Éternel.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Suchet Jehova, alle ihr Sanftmütigen des Landes, die ihr sein Recht gewirkt habt; suchet Gerechtigkeit, suchet Demut; vielleicht werdet ihr geborgen am Tage des Zornes Jehovas.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Quærite Dominum, omnes mansueti terræ, qui judicium ejus estis operati; quærite justum, quærite mansuetum, si quomodo abscondamini in die furoris Domini.