Zephaniah 3 · Verse 8

Zephaniah 3:8

Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
Zephaniah 3:8, King James Version

Zephaniah 3:8 in other translations

BSBTherefore wait for Me,” declares the LORD, “until the day I rise to testify. For My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them My indignation— all My burning anger. For all the earth will be consumed by the fire of My jealousy.
WEB“Therefore wait for me”, says the LORD, “until the day that I rise up to the prey, for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms to pour on them my indignation, even all my fierce anger, for all the earth will be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
ASVTherefore wait ye for me, saith Jehovah, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
YLTTherefore, wait for Me--an affirmation of Jehovah, For the day of My rising for prey, For My judgment is to gather nations, To assemble kingdoms, To pour out on them Mine indignation, All the heat of Mine anger, For by the fire of My jealousy consumed is all the earth.
DARBYTherefore wait ye for me, saith Jehovah, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for my determination is to assemble the nations, that I may gather the kingdoms together, to pour upon them mine indignation, — all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
BBEFor this reason, go on waiting for me, says the Lord, till the day when I come up as a witness: for my purpose is to send for the nations and to get the kingdoms together, so that I may let loose on them my passion, even all my burning wrath: for all the earth will be burned up in the fire of my bitter passion.
WebsterTherefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them my indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

What does Zephaniah 3:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. wait ye upon me--Here Jehovah turns to the pious Jews. Amidst all these judgments on the Jewish nation, look forward to the glorious time of restoration to be ushered in by God's precious outpouring of wrath on all nations, Is 30:18-33; where the same phrase, "blessed are all they that wait for Him," is used as to the same great event. Calvin erroneously makes this verse an address to the ungodly; and so Maurer, "Ye shall not have to wait for Me in vain"; I will presently come armed with indignation: I will no longer contend with you by My prophets. until the day--that is, waiting for the day (Ha 2:3). rise up to the prey--like a savage beast rising from his lair, greedy for the prey (compare Mt 24:28). Or rather, as a warrior leading Israel to certain victory, which is expressed by "the prey," or booty, which is the reward of victory. The Septuagint and Syriac versions read the Hebrew, "I rise up as a witness" (compare Job 16:8; Mal 3:5). Jehovah being in this view witness, accuser, and judge. English Version is better (compare Is 33:23). gather the nations--against Jerusalem (Zec 14:2), to pour out His indignation upon them there (Joe 3:2; Zec 12:2, 3).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 Wait ye upon me - Expect the fulfilment of all my promises and threatenings: I am God, and change not. For all the earth - All the land of Judah.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Zephaniah 3:8-13
The preaching of the gospel is predicted, when vengeance would be executed on the Jewish nation. The purifying doctrines of the gospel, or the pure language of the grace of the Lord, would teach men to use the language of humility, repentance, and faith. Purity and piety in common conversation is good. The pure and happy state of the church in the latter days seems intended. The Lord will shut out boasting, and leave men nothing to glory in, save the Lord Jesus, as made of God to them wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Humiliation for sin, and obligations to the Redeemer, will make true believers upright and sincere, whatever may be the case among mere professors.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Zephaniah 3:8 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.

לָכֵ֤ןla.Khen<to> thereforeH3651
חַכּוּ\־cha.ku-waitH2442
לִי֙lifor me
נְאֻם\־ne.'um-[the] utterance ofH5002
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
לְי֖וֹםle.Yomfor [the] dayH3117
קוּמִ֣יku.Mito arise IH6965
לְעַ֑דle.'Adfor bootyH5707
כִּ֣יkiforH3588
מִשְׁפָּטִי֩mish.pa.Tijudgment myH4941
לֶאֱסֹ֨ףle.'e.Sof[is] to gatherH622
גּוֹיִ֜םgo.YimnationsH1471
לְקָבְצִ֣יle.ka.ve.Tzito assemble IH6908
מַמְלָכ֗וֹתmam.la.KhotkingdomsH4467
לִשְׁפֹּ֨ךְlish.Pokhto pour outH8210
עֲלֵיהֶ֤ם'a.lei.Hemon themH5921
זַעְמִי֙za'.Miindignation myH2195
כֹּ֚לkolallH3605
חֲר֣וֹןcha.Ron[the] burning ofH2740
אַפִּ֔י'a.Pianger myH639
כִּ֚יkiforH3588
בְּאֵ֣שׁbe.'Eshin [the] fire ofH784
קִנְאָתִ֔יkin.'a.Tijealousy myH7068
תֵּאָכֵ֖לte.'a.Khelit will be consumedH398
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
הָאָֽרֶץ\׃ha.'A.retzthe earthH776

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

Cross references for Zephaniah 3:8

  • Joel 3:2

    I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

  • Zephaniah 1:18

    Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

  • Psalms 27:14

    Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

  • Micah 7:7

    Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.

  • 2 Peter 3:10

    But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

  • Zechariah 14:2-3

    For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

  • Matthew 25:32

    And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

  • Joel 3:9-16

    Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. …

  • Revelation 16:14

    For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

  • Lamentations 3:25-26

    The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

  • Habakkuk 2:3

    For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

  • Hosea 12:6

    Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
wait.
Ps 27:14; 37:7,34; 62:1,5; 123:2; 130:5,6; Pr 20:22; Isa 30:18
La 3:25,26; Ho 12:6; Mic 7:7; Jas 5:7,8
rise.
Ps 12:5; 78:65,66; Isa 42:13,14; 59:16-18
to gather.
Eze 38:14-23; Joe 3:2,9-16; Mic 4:11-13; Zec 14:2,3; Mt 25:32
Re 16:14; 19:17-19
for all.
1:18; De 32:21,22; So 8:6; Eze 36:5,6; 38:19; 2Pe 3:10

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

Context

  • Zephaniah 3:7

    I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.

  • Zephaniah 3:8

    Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

  • Zephaniah 3:9

    For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.

Read all of Zephaniah 3

Zephaniah 3:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Por tanto, esperadme, dice Jehová, al día que me levantaré al despojo: porque mi determinación es reunir las gentes, juntar los reinos, para derramar sobre ellos mi enojo, todo el furor de mi ira; porque del fuego de mi celo será consumida toda la tierra.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
C’est pourquoi, attendez-moi, dit l’ Éternel, pour le jour où je me lèverai pour le butin. Car ma détermination c’est de rassembler les nations, de réunir les royaumes pour verser sur eux mon indignation, toute l’ardeur de ma colère; car toute la terre sera dévorée par le feu de ma jalousie.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Darum harret auf mich, spricht Jehova, auf den Tag, da ich mich aufmache zur Beute! Denn mein Rechtsspruch ist, die Nationen zu versammeln, die Königreiche zusammenzubringen, um meinen Grimm über sie auszugießen, die ganze Glut meines Zornes; denn durch das Feuer meines Eifers wird die ganze Erde verzehrt werden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Quapropter exspecta me, dicit Dominus, in die resurrectionis meæ in futurum: quia judicium meum ut congregem gentes, et colligam regna, et effundam super eos indignationem meam, omnem iram furoris mei: in igne enim zeli mei devorabitur omnis terra.