Zephaniah 1:15

Zephaniah 1:15 in Multiple Translations

Berean Standard Bible BSB

That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,

King James Version KJV

That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

American Standard Version ASV

That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

Bible in Basic English BBE

That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and sorrow, a day of wasting and destruction, a day of dark night and deep shade, a day of cloud and thick dark.

Free Bible Version FBV

It will be a day of anger, a day of trouble and distress, a day of disaster and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,

Geneva Bible 1599 GNV

That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and heauinesse, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of obscuritie and darkenesse, a day of cloudes and blackenesse,

Young's Literal Translation YLT

A day of wrath [is] that day, A day of adversity and distress, A day of waste and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of cloud and thick darkness.

World English Bible WEB

That day is a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,

Noah Webster Bible WBS

That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasting and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

Douay-Rheims 1899 DRV

That day is a day of wrath, a day of tribulation and distress, a day of calamity and misery, a day of darkness and obscurity, a day of clouds and whirlwinds,

Translation for Translators T4T

It will be a time when God shows that he is very angry, a time when people experience much distress/suffering and trouble. It will be a time when many things are ruined and destroyed [DOU]. It will be a time when it is very gloomy and dark [DOU], when the clouds are very black.

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Berean Amplified Bible — Zephaniah 1:15

BAB

Word Study

Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.

Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.

Zephaniah 1:15 Interlinear (Deep Study)

BIB

HEB י֥וֹם עֶבְרָ֖ה הַ/יּ֣וֹם הַ/ה֑וּא י֧וֹם צָרָ֣ה וּ/מְצוּקָ֗ה י֤וֹם שֹׁאָה֙ וּ/מְשׁוֹאָ֔ה י֥וֹם חֹ֨שֶׁךְ֙ וַ/אֲפֵלָ֔ה י֥וֹם עָנָ֖ן וַ/עֲרָפֶֽל

י֥וֹם yôwm H3117 day N-ms

עֶבְרָ֖ה ʻebrâh H5678 fury N-fs

הַ/יּ֣וֹם yôwm H3117 day Art | N-ms

הַ/ה֑וּא hûwʼ H1931 he/she/it Art | Pron

י֧וֹם yôwm H3117 day N-ms

צָרָ֣ה tsârâh H6869 dearth N-fs

וּ/מְצוּקָ֗ה mᵉtsûwqâh H4691 distress Conj | N-fs

י֤וֹם yôwm H3117 day N-ms

שֹׁאָה֙ shôwʼ H7722 ravage N-fs

וּ/מְשׁוֹאָ֔ה mᵉshôwʼâh H4875 desolation Conj | N-fs

י֥וֹם yôwm H3117 day N-ms

חֹ֨שֶׁךְ֙ chôshek H2822 darkness N-ms

וַ/אֲפֵלָ֔ה ʼăphêlâh H653 darkness Conj | N-fs

י֥וֹם yôwm H3117 day N-ms

עָנָ֖ן ʻânân H6051 cloud N-ms

וַ/עֲרָפֶֽל ʻărâphel H6205 cloud Conj | N-ms

Hebrew Word Study

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Hebrew Word Reference — Zephaniah 1:15

י֥וֹם yôwm H3117 "day" N-ms

The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.

Definition: : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow

Usage: Occurs in 1930 OT verses. KJV: age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger. See also: Genesis 1:5; Genesis 33:13; Exodus 23:15.

עֶבְרָ֖ה ʻebrâh H5678 "fury" N-fs

This Hebrew word means an outburst of passion, such as anger, rage, or wrath, often describing God's response to sin. It's used to convey intense emotions in the Bible.

Definition: 1) outpouring, overflow, excess, fury, wrath, arrogance 1a) overflow, excess, outburst 1b) arrogance 1c) overflowing rage or fury

Usage: Occurs in 34 OT verses. KJV: anger, rage, wrath. See also: Genesis 49:7; Isaiah 14:6; Psalms 7:7.

הַ/יּ֣וֹם yôwm H3117 "day" Art | N-ms

הַ/ה֑וּא hûwʼ H1931 "he/she/it" Art | Pron

This word is a pronoun meaning 'he', 'she', or 'it', used to refer to a person or thing. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a subject or make it clear who is being talked about.

Definition: pron 3p s 1) he, she, it 1a) himself (with emphasis) 1b) resuming subj with emphasis 1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate) 1d) (anticipating subj) 1e) (emphasising predicate) 1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron 2) that (with article)

Usage: Occurs in 1693 OT verses. KJV: he, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who. See also: Genesis 2:11; Genesis 32:19; Exodus 21:3.

י֧וֹם yôwm H3117 "day" N-ms

צָרָ֣ה tsârâh H6869 "dearth" N-fs

A vexer is someone who causes trouble or distress, like a rival wife, used in the Bible to describe relationships or situations that cause anguish or affliction, as seen in the book of Genesis.

Definition: death, destitution

Usage: Occurs in 72 OT verses. KJV: adversary, adversity, affliction, anguish, distress, tribulation, trouble. See also: Genesis 35:3; Psalms 116:3; Psalms 9:10.

וּ/מְצוּקָ֗ה mᵉtsûwqâh H4691 "distress" Conj | N-fs

This Hebrew word means distress or trouble, like being in a tight spot. It appears in the Bible to describe anguish or hardship, such as in Psalm 119:143. It's about feeling squeezed or pressed in.

Definition: straitness, distress, straits, stress

Usage: Occurs in 7 OT verses. KJV: anguish, distress. See also: Job 15:24; Psalms 107:13; Psalms 25:17.

י֤וֹם yôwm H3117 "day" N-ms

שֹׁאָה֙ shôwʼ H7722 "ravage" N-fs

Devastation or destruction, this word describes a place or thing that has been ruined or laid waste, like the desolate land described in Jeremiah 4:23, or the destruction caused by a storm, as in Psalm 107:25.

Definition: ravage

Usage: Occurs in 12 OT verses. KJV: desolate(-ion), destroy, destruction, storm, wasteness. See also: Job 30:3; Proverbs 1:27; Psalms 35:8.

וּ/מְשׁוֹאָ֔ה mᵉshôwʼâh H4875 "desolation" Conj | N-fs

Desolation or ruin, like a destroyed city or a wasteland, as seen in Isaiah's prophecies. It describes a state of devastation or emptiness, often resulting from war or disaster. Desolation is a theme in many biblical books.

Definition: desolation, ruin

Usage: Occurs in 3 OT verses. KJV: desolation, waste. See also: Job 30:3; Job 38:27; Zephaniah 1:15.

י֥וֹם yôwm H3117 "day" N-ms

חֹ֨שֶׁךְ֙ chôshek H2822 "darkness" N-ms

This word refers to darkness, both physical and spiritual. It can also mean misery, destruction, or wickedness. In the Bible, it is often used to describe a state of being without light or hope.

Definition: 1) darkness, obscurity 1a) darkness 1b) secret place

Usage: Occurs in 77 OT verses. KJV: dark(-ness), night, obscurity. See also: Genesis 1:2; Psalms 35:6; Psalms 18:12.

וַ/אֲפֵלָ֔ה ʼăphêlâh H653 "darkness" Conj | N-fs

This Hebrew word describes a state of darkness or gloom, often used to describe a difficult or trying time. In the book of Isaiah, it is used to describe a time of sadness and despair.

Definition: 1) darkness, gloominess, calamity 2) wickedness (fig.)

Usage: Occurs in 10 OT verses. KJV: dark, darkness, gloominess, [idiom] thick. See also: Exodus 10:22; Isaiah 58:10; Proverbs 4:19.

י֥וֹם yôwm H3117 "day" N-ms

עָנָ֖ן ʻânân H6051 "cloud" N-ms

This Hebrew word means a cloud or cloudy, and is used to describe the cloud that God uses to appear to his people. It appears in the Bible to describe God's presence, and is translated as cloud in the KJV.

Definition: 1) cloud, cloudy, cloud-mass 1a) cloud-mass (of theophanic cloud) 1b) cloud Aramaic equivalent: a.nan (עֲנָן "cloud" H6050)

Usage: Occurs in 80 OT verses. KJV: cloud(-y). See also: Genesis 9:13; Deuteronomy 1:33; Psalms 78:14.

וַ/עֲרָפֶֽל ʻărâphel H6205 "cloud" Conj | N-ms

A cloud or dark cloud symbolizes gloom or thick darkness, often used to describe a heavy or ominous sky.

Definition: cloud, heavy or dark cloud, darkness, gross darkness, thick darkness

Usage: Occurs in 15 OT verses. KJV: (gross, thick) dark (cloud, -ness). See also: Exodus 20:21; Job 38:9; Psalms 18:10.

Study Notes — Zephaniah 1:15

Show Verse Quote Highlights

Context
Cross References
Zephaniah 1:15 Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
Reflection Questions
Gill's Exposition on Zephaniah 1:15
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Zephaniah 1:15
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Zephaniah 1:15
Trapp's Commentary on Zephaniah 1:15
Ellicott's Commentary on Zephaniah 1:15
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Zephaniah 1:15
Cambridge Bible on Zephaniah 1:15
Barnes' Notes on Zephaniah 1:15
Whedon's Commentary on Zephaniah 1:15
Sermons on Zephaniah 1:15

Context — The Day of the LORD

13Their wealth will be plundered and their houses laid waste. They will build houses but not inhabit them, and plant vineyards but never drink their wine. 14The great Day of the LORD is near— near and coming quickly. Listen, the Day of the LORD! Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter.

15That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,

16a day of horn blast and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers. 17I will bring such distress on mankind that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung.

Cross References

	Reference	Text (BSB)
1	Joel 2:2	a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come.
2	Isaiah 22:5	For the Lord GOD of Hosts has set a day of tumult and trampling and confusion in the Valley of Vision— of breaking down the walls and crying to the mountains.
3	Revelation 6:17	For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?”
4	Jeremiah 30:7	How awful that day will be! None will be like it! It is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be saved out of it.
5	Amos 5:18–20	Woe to you who long for the Day of the LORD! What will the Day of the LORD be for you? It will be darkness and not light. It will be like a man who flees from a lion, only to encounter a bear, or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a snake. Will not the Day of the LORD be darkness and not light, even gloom with no brightness in it?
6	Luke 21:22–23	For these are the days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people.
7	Joel 2:11	The LORD raises His voice in the presence of His army. Indeed, His camp is very large, for mighty are those who obey His command. For the Day of the LORD is great and very dreadful. Who can endure it?
8	Zephaniah 1:18	Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He will make a sudden end of all who dwell on the earth.
9	Romans 2:5	But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
10	Job 3:4–8	If only that day had turned to darkness! May God above disregard it; may no light shine upon it. May darkness and gloom reclaim it, and a cloud settle over it; may the blackness of the day overwhelm it. If only darkness had taken that night away! May it not appear among the days of the year; may it never be entered in any of the months. Behold, may that night be barren; may no joyful voice come into it. May it be cursed by those who curse the day — those prepared to rouse Leviathan.

Zephaniah 1:15 Summary

Zephaniah 1:15 describes a future time of great trouble and judgment, known as the Day of the LORD. This will be a day of wrath, darkness, and despair, and it will be a time when God pours out His anger on those who have rebelled against Him (see also Romans 2:5-11). However, even in the midst of this judgment, there is a message of hope for those who turn to God in repentance and faith (see Joel 2:32). As we consider this verse, we are reminded to examine our own hearts and lives, and to make sure we are living in obedience to God's commands (see 2 Peter 3:10-13).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Day of the LORD mentioned in Zephaniah 1:15?

The Day of the LORD refers to a time of God's judgment and wrath, as seen in verses like Isaiah 13:6 and Joel 2:31, where God pours out His wrath on those who have rebelled against Him.

Why is the Day of the LORD described with such intense language?

The intense language used to describe the Day of the LORD, such as 'day of wrath' and 'day of darkness', emphasizes the severity of God's judgment and the terror it will inspire, as also seen in Revelation 6:17, where people try to hide from the wrath of the Lamb.

How does this verse relate to the rest of the Bible's teaching on judgment?

Zephaniah 1:15 is consistent with the Bible's overall teaching on judgment, as seen in passages like Romans 2:5-11, which describes God's righteous judgment on all people, and 2 Peter 3:10-13, which warns of the coming day of the LORD.

Is the Day of the LORD only a time of judgment, or is there also a message of hope?

While the Day of the LORD is primarily a time of judgment, as seen in Zephaniah 1:15, it also contains a message of hope for those who repent and turn to God, as seen in verses like Joel 2:32, which promises salvation to those who call on the name of the LORD.

Reflection Questions

What are some ways I can prepare myself for the Day of the LORD, and how can I be sure I am not living in rebellion against God?
How does the description of the Day of the LORD in Zephaniah 1:15 make me feel, and what does that reveal about my current relationship with God?
In what ways am I currently experiencing 'darkness and gloom' in my life, and how can I find hope and light in the midst of those struggles?
How can I use the warning of the Day of the LORD to share the gospel with those around me, and to call them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ?

Gill's Exposition on Zephaniah 1:15

That day [is] a day of wrath,.... Both of the wrath of God against his people for their sins; these judgments being the effects of his wrath, provoked by their iniquities; and of the wrath and

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Zephaniah 1:15

That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of wasteness and desolation.

Matthew Poole's Commentary on Zephaniah 1:15

That day, great day, , is a day of wrath, from the Chaldeans; and from the Lord, actively, upon the Jews, passively. A day of trouble and distress: here the prophet heapeth up words of much the same sense, to express the grievousness of the troubles of those times which shall suddenly come upon them; most distressing trouble, none knowing how to bear it, or where to hide from it. Of wasteness and desolation; most desolate wasteness in city, villages, and fields; every where the spoiling soldier shall lay waste, carrying away all he can, and destroying what he cannot carry away, Of darkness and gloominess; possibly it might be so as to the temper of the air, dark and gloomy, but figuratively I am sure it was so. Of clouds and thick darkness; either literally, from the heavens clouded over them, or (if it refer, as it may, to the day of sacking Jerusalem, and effects of it) darkness, gloominess, clouds, and thick darkness, arising from the smoke and fire of the city every where fired by the enemy; but metaphorically these speak the most unparalleled calamities.

Trapp's Commentary on Zephaniah 1:15

Zephaniah 1:15 That day [is] a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,Ver. 15. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress] By this synathroismos, or heap of words, the prophet would frighten and arouse these dead and indolent sinners, settled upon their lees, so wedded and wedged to their wicked practices that nothing can sunder them but an extraordinary touch from the hand of Heaven. See Joe 2:1-3 cf. Amos 5:18-20, and consider what the terror of the Lord’ s last day will be.

Ellicott's Commentary on Zephaniah 1:15

(15) Clouds and thick darkness.—As when Jehovah revealed Himself on Mount Sinai: see Deuteronomy 4:11.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on Zephaniah 1:15

Verse 15. That day is a day of wrath] See the parallel passages in the margin (Isaiah 22:5; Jeremiah 30:7; Joe 2:2, Joe 2:11; Amos 5:18; Zephaniah 1:18), and the notes there. From the fourteenth to the sixteenth verse inclusive (Zephaniah 1:14-16) there is a most beautiful amplification of the disasters that were coming on Jerusalem; the invasion, incursion, attack, carnage, confusion, horrible din occasioned by the sound of the trumpet, the cries of the people, and the shrieks and groans of the dying, are pointed out with great force and mighty effect.

Cambridge Bible on Zephaniah 1:15

15. a day of wrath] i.e. of the outpouring of the wrath of God. The effects of this wrath are then detailed: (1) trouble and distress; (2) wasteness and desolation; (3) darkness and gloominess, clouds and thick darkness. The combination “trouble and distress” is found again Job 15:24; cf. Isaiah 30:6; “wasteness” or devastation “and desolation,” Job 38:27; and the phrase “a day of darkness,” &c. Joe 2:2. Cf. Isaiah 13:10; Amos 5:18. These supernatural terrors are not to be regarded as figures, they are realities; the world is a human and moral world: nature is convulsed and dissolved in man’s judgment, and transfigured and glorified in his redemption. The first words of the Vulgate translation of this verse, Dies iræ dies illa, were adopted by Thomas of Celano as the opening words of his splendid hymn on the Last Judgment. See Trench, Sacred Latin Poetry, p. 296.

Barnes' Notes on Zephaniah 1:15

A day of wrath - In which all the wrath of Almighty God, which evil angels and evil men have treasured to them for that day, shall be poured out: “the” day of wrath, because then they shall be

Whedon's Commentary on Zephaniah 1:15

The terrors of the day of Jehovah, Zephaniah 1:14-18.In Zephaniah 1:14 Zephaniah calls attention once more to the nearness of the day of Jehovah (compare Zephaniah 1:7); in the succeeding verses he

Sermons on Zephaniah 1:15

	Sermon	Description
	Corporate Confession and Repentance - Part 1 by Richard Owen Roberts	In this sermon, the preacher begins by describing a scenario of a young girl getting married to an older man, emphasizing the importance of finding the right partner in God's eyes.
	Judgment Mercy and 144,000 by Danny Bond	In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the judgment restrained as described in Revelation 7:1. He highlights the presence of four powerful angels standing at the four corners of t
	What a Great Responsibility! by A.W. Tozer	A.W. Tozer emphasizes the immense responsibility placed on preachers and teachers of the gospel, highlighting the accountability they will face on the day of God's wrath. He questi
	His Wrath by Catherine Booth	Catherine Booth preaches about the impending great day of God's wrath, drawing parallels to past instances of divine judgment such as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the flo
	Dvd - 23: Timeless Interview (High Quality) by Art Katz	This sermon by Art Katz discusses his journey from being a professional atheist to accepting Jesus Christ as his Messiah. He emphasizes the importance of authenticity in the church
	Timeless Interview by Art Katz	This sermon by Art Katz delves into the importance of authenticity, truth, and anointing in the church. He highlights the need for a genuine relationship with God, the dangers of r
	Art's Testimony - Part 2 by Art Katz	This sermon emphasizes the need for individuals, particularly the Jewish people, to anticipate a last-day shaking and a time of deep trouble to break down their self-sufficiency an