John Wesley's Notes on the Bible

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Introduction   1   2   3   Habakkuk   Haggai
Zephaniah 3
Jerusalem threatened for her wickedness, ver. 1-7. A promise of a glorious reformation, ver. 8-13. And deliverance consequent upon it, ver. 14-20.

Verse 1.   To her - Jerusalem.

Verse 2.   The voice - Of God by his mercy and judgments crying aloud.

Verse 3.   Her princes - Persons of principal place and authority. Lions - Which hunt for prey, and are ever affrighting or devouring. Wolves - Insatiable and cruel, like wolves of the evening, whetted with hunger. Gnaw not the bones - They leave nothing but the bones to be eaten on the morrow.

Verse 4.   Her prophet - So called, false prophets. Light - Unstable and inconstant. Violence to the law - Wresting it by perverse interpretation.

Verse 5.   In the midst - Observing all. Not do iniquity - He will judge them righteously. Every morning - Daily he discovers his displeasure against the wicked. Faileth not - Lets no season slip to convince them, by public and visible punishments. The unjust - But the wicked Jews proceed without shame, and without fear.

Verse 6.   The nations - Of old, the Canaanites, lastly the ten tribes, and later yet, the Assyrians.

Verse 7.   I said - I thought (speaking after the manner of men). Thou - O Jerusalem. Fear me - For the many and great judgments executed upon others. I punished them - In some measure.

Verse 8.   Therefore - Since you will not be amended. Wait ye - Attend my resolution. Until - Until I rise up to destroy first, and next to take the spoil. Upon them - The incorrigible Jews. Devoured - Consumed as if burnt up. My jealousy - That jealousy wherewith God is jealous for his own glory.

Verse 9.   A pure language - I will give them a pure way of worshipping me, the issue of a pure heart.

Verse 10.   My dispersed - The praying remnant of the scattered Jews shall return to their own land, and bring themselves an offering unto the Lord.

Verse 11.   Thy doings - Thy sins formerly committed. In thy pride - Proud formalists. No more be haughty - Ye shall no more boast, because of the city, or the temple.

Verse 12.   Of thee - In Judea and Jerusalem.

Verse 13.   Shall feed - Shall enjoy peace and plenty.

Verse 15.   Taken away - Abolished, and put an end to the judgments thy sins brought upon thee. Thine enemy - The Babylonian. Is in the midst - He is returned to redeem and govern thee. Any more - While thy carriage is as becomes my presence with thee, thou shalt neither fear, nor feel the like evils.

Verse 18.   Sorrowful - That mourn their distance from the solemn worship of God. Who are of thee - Thy children. Reproach - The taunts of their enemies.

Verse 19.   Undo - I will break their power and dissolve their kingdom. That halteth - Who is in trouble and ready to fall. Driven out - Into remote countries.

Verse 20.   A praise - So the universal church of the first-born will be, in the great day. And then the Israel of God be made a name and a praise to all eternity.


Chapter 3: | Darby | Geneva | Gill | Jamieson Faussett Brown | Matthew Henry | Matthew Henry Concise | Wesley | Index | Bible Gateway |

Introduction   1   2   3   Habakkuk   Haggai

This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.

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