Zephaniah 3:1 — Word Study
WLCה֥וֹי מֹרְאָ֖ה וְנִגְאָלָ֑ה הָעִ֖יר הַיּוֹנָֽה׃
BSAWoehôwy [a cry of sorrow, oh no] to the cityʻîyr [a place of excitement, community] of oppressorsyânâh [those who treat others violently, with injustice] rebelliousmârâʼ [filthy, polluted] and defiledgâʼal [made unclean, impure, unfit for God's presence]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| ה֥וֹי | woe to! | Particle |
| מֹרְאָ֖ה | [the] filthy [one] | Verb, Qal, participle (active) feminine singular |
| וְנִגְאָלָ֑ה | and [the] defiled [one] | Conjunction, verb niphal participle (active) feminine singular |
| הָעִ֖יר | the city | Particle, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| הַיּוֹנָֽה׃ | which oppresses | Particle, verb qal participle (active) feminine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! |
| KJV | Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city! |
| ASV | Woe to her that is rebellious and polluted! to the oppressing city! |
| YLT | Woe [to] the rebellious and polluted, The oppressing city! |
| WEB | Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, the oppressing city! |
| BBE | Sorrow to her who is uncontrolled and unclean, the cruel town! |
Where they part company is הוֹי — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause expresses the lament, with descriptive phrases elaborating on the city's condition.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbמָרָא
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Zephaniah 3:1
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Judgment of Jerusalemgenerated
Zephaniah 3:1 presents a dire warning to a city characterized by oppression and moral decay. The following verses elaborate on the city's refusal to heed correction, the corruption of its leaders, and the failure of its religious authorities. This sets the stage for the prophetic call to repentance and the consequences of continued rebellion against God.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leviticus 1:16 | And he is to remove the crop with its contents and throw it to the east side of the altar, in the place for ashes. |
| 2 | Isaiah 5:7 | For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the plant of His delight. He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard a cry of distress. |
| 3 | Isaiah 30:12 | Therefore this is what the Holy One of Israel says: “Because you have rejected this message, trusting in oppression and relying on deceit, |
| 4 | Isaiah 59:13 | rebelling and denying the LORD, turning away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering lies from the heart. |
| 5 | Jeremiah 6:6 | For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Cut down the trees and raise a siege ramp against Jerusalem. This city must be punished; there is nothing but oppression in her midst. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 12 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הוֹי, Hogenerated
The word הוֹי (hoy) is an interjection that expresses deep sorrow or distress, often translated as 'woe!' It serves as a lamentation, signaling a call to attention regarding the grievous state of the city. This word is used to convey a strong emotional response to the injustices present.
In this context, הוֹי underscores the severity of the city's condition, marking it as a place of lament rather than joy. It sets the tone for the prophetic message that follows, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse is straightforward, with a main clause expressing the lament followed by descriptive phrases. The finite verb is implicit in the phrase structure, indicating a declaration of woe directed at the city.
The phrase ה֥וֹי מֹרְאָ֖ה serves as the opening lament, immediately identifying the city and its characteristics, while the subsequent descriptors build on this initial statement.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint uses the Greek word ὦ to translate הוֹי, which similarly conveys a sense of lament. This choice reflects the emotional weight of the original Hebrew while adapting it to a Greek-speaking audience.
The translation captures the essence of the lamentation, emphasizing the gravity of the city's condition in a way that resonates with the Greek context.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Zephaniah 3:1 warns of the city's dire state, marked by oppression and rebellion. The prophet expresses sorrow for the city that has become defiled and unclean, setting the stage for a call to repentance and highlighting the need for change.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The term 'woe' expresses deep sorrow and lamentation over the city's moral failures and injustices.
The city is described as oppressive, rebellious, and defiled, indicating a severe moral and spiritual decline.
The term 'defiled' suggests that the city has become unclean and impure, unfit for God's presence due to its actions.
The lament serves as a warning and a call to repentance, highlighting the urgency of addressing the city's sinful state.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I see injustice in my community, and how can I respond to it?
- How can I ensure that I am not contributing to a culture of rebellion and defilement?
- What steps can I take to promote purity and righteousness in my surroundings?
- How does this lament from Zephaniah challenge me to reflect on my own actions and attitudes?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early church fathers comment on this verse, using it to illustrate the city's failure to heed prophetic warnings and the consequences of its rebellion.
Woe to the provoking and redeemed city: the dove did not hear the voice and did not receive discipline. It did not trust in the Lord and did not approach its God. Its princes are in its midst, like roaring lions.Early Church Fathers on Zephaniah 3 →
[Jerusalem] was like this for refusing to the end to hear the word of the prophet sent to it and not accepting in any way the instruction from that source.Early Church Fathers on Zephaniah 3 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Zephaniah 3:1 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWoe to her that is filthy, and polluted,.... Meaning the city of Jerusalem, and its inhabitants; not as before the Babylonish captivity, but after their return from it, under the second temple, as
Read John Gill on Zephaniah 3 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWoe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city! Woe to her that is filthy.
Read Robert Jamieson on Zephaniah 3 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleCHAPTER 3 A sharp reproof of Jerusalem for divers sins, . An exhortation to wait for the restoration of Israel ; and to rejoice for their salvation by God, . The prophet showed us Nineveh in ruins for her sins; from this doleful spectacle he brings us to take a prospect of what would come upon Jerusalem, which ere long will be full of woes, because now full of sin. Filthy; loathsome in her sins, so foul they are, and so abominably acted. A city, that, like an infamous woman, is branded for her impudence in sin. Or, Woe to the great craw! as pointing out the gluttony of Jerusalem literally, and their swallowing the poor who were a prey to the great ones. Polluted; greatly polluted by this…
Read Matthew Poole on Zephaniah 3 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsZephaniah 3:1 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!Ver. 1. Woe to her that is filthy and polluted] Meaning Jerusalem, once a faithful city, now an harlot, Isaiah 1:21, faedissimum prostibulum, of the kind of those sordid men who are called Borboritae, of their miry filthiness, whom Epiphanius and Oecumenius speak of. The word ( ψΰι) here rendered filthy comes from a word that signifieth dung, or that signifieth an example (παραδειγμα); and so it is a metaphor taken from light women that are carted in a disgraceful way and made a public example, an infamous instance. It is rendered also gluttonous, or all craw, as Leviticus 1:16. “ Ingluvies et tempestas…
Read John Trapp on Zephaniah 3 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersIII. (1-4) The prophet denounces the corruption and moral obduracy which characterise all classes in Jerusalem. This denunciation comes in with startling abruptness. The prophet does not even name the object of his reproof. The literal rendering is, Woe, rebellious and polluted, thou oppressive city!
Read Charles John Ellicott on Zephaniah 3 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleCHAPTER III The prophet reproves Jerusalem, and all her guides and rulers, for their obstinate perseverance in impiety, notwithstanding all the warnings and corrections which they had received from God, 1-7. They are encouraged, however, after they shall have been chastised for their idolatry, and cured of it, to look for mercy and restoration, 8-13; and exited to hymns of joy at the glorious prospect, 14-17. After which the prophet concludes with large promises of favour and prosperity in the days of the Messiah, 18-20. We take this extensive view of the concluding verses of this chapter, because an apostle has expressly assured us that in EVERY prophetical book of the Old Testament…
Read AdamClarke on Zephaniah 3 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and CollegesCh. Zephaniah 3:1-8. Renewed threat against Jerusalem in particular Ch. 3 returns to Jerusalem. The city is reproached as rebellious, polluted, and full of oppression (Zephaniah 3:1); disobedient to God and neglectful of His word and of the lessons of His operations in the world of the nations (Zephaniah 3:2). All classes within her are corrupt: her princes violent, her judges venal and greedy (Zephaniah 3:3), her prophets unstable and false, and her priests profaners of what is holy and perverters of the Torah (Zephaniah 3:4 ff.).
Read Cambridge on Zephaniah 3 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe “woe,” having gone round the pagan nations, again circles round where it began, the “Jerusalem that killed the prophets and stoned those that were sent unto her” Matthew 23:37.
Read Albert Barnes on Zephaniah 3 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled!
Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, the oppressing city!
Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled!
The filthy, stained city is as good as dead; the city filled with oppressors is finished!
Tyndale line
Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
Woe to her that is rebellious and polluted! to the oppressing city!
Woe to her that is rebellious and polluted, to the oppressing city!
Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
Woe to her that is filthie and polluted, to the robbing citie.
Strictly literal
Woe to her that is rebellious and corrupted, to the oppressing city!
Woe [to] the rebellious and polluted, The oppressing city!
Woe [to] the rebelling and defiling, || The oppressing city!
Woe to her that is rebellious and polluted, to the oppressing city!
Woe to the rebellious city! The violent city is defiled.
From the Latin
Woe to the provoking, and redeemed city, the dove.
Simplified
What disaster is coming to corrupted, rebellious Jerusalem, you who oppress people!
Sorrow to her who is uncontrolled and unclean, the cruel town!
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads ה֥וֹי מֹרְאָ֖ה וְנִגְאָלָ֑ה הָעִ֖יר הַיּוֹנָֽה׃, while the Septuagint matches four of the five words, indicating a strong agreement in the core message. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain variations, with some words restored by editors, but the essential lament remains intact.
ה֥וֹי מֹרְאָ֖ה וְנִגְאָלָ֑ה הָעִ֖יר הַיּוֹנָֽה׃
4 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[הוי] [מראה] [ונגאלה] [העיר] [היונה]
nothing on the leather here — 5 supplied entire by an editor.
[הוי] מראה ונגאלה העיר היונה
3 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 1 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Zephaniah 3:1
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
הוֹי (hoy) is an interjection expressing dissatisfaction and pain, often translated as 'ah,' 'alas,' or 'woe.' It is used in lamentations and conveys a sense of sorrow or distress. The word is a prolonged form of another Hebrew term, indicating its emotional weight.
הוֹי 81 interj. expressing usually dissatisfaction and pain, Ah, Alas, Ha (not distinctly Woe!) used in lamentations
base
H1945 הוֹי expressing usually dissatisfaction and pain, Ah, Alas, Ha (not distinctly Woe!) used in lamentations
1945 howy hoh'ee
a prolonged form of 1930 (akin to 188); oh!:--ah, alas, ho,
O, woe.
see HEBREW for 01930
see HEBREW for 0188
הוֹי (hoy) — woe!.
ah!, alas!, ha!, ho!, O!, woe!
Part — ParticleHTj
Is sometimes used in our Bibles where a softer expression would be at least equally proper: "Woe to such a one!" is in our language a threat or imprecation of some calamity, natural or judicial, to befall a person; but this is not always the meaning of the word in Scripture. We find the expression, "Woe is me!" that is, Alas for my sufferings! And, "Woe to the women with child, and those who give suck!" that is, Alas for their redoubled sufferings in times of distress! If in the denunciatory language of Christ, we should read, "Alas for thee, Chorazin! Alas for thee, Bethsaida!" we should do not injustice to the general sentiments of the passage.
Yet in many cases the word woe is used in a fuller and more awful sense, expressing an inspired denunciation and foreshadowing of God’s wrath upon sinners; as when we read, "Woe to those who build houses by unrighteousness, and cities by blood;"…
מָרָא (mara') is a primitive root meaning to rebel, but it also conveys the idea of maltreatment, such as whipping or flapping. The entries suggest it can mean to flap wings or be filthy, with some uncertainty in its precise meanings. Notably, it appears in Job 39:18.
[מָרָא] vb. only Hiph.: mng. dub., perh. beat the air, or flap the wings;—Jb 39:18
ref
H4754 מָרָא
4754 mara' maw-raw'
a primitive root; to rebel; hence (through the idea of
maltreating) to whip, i.e. lash (self with wings, as the
ostrich in running):--be filthy, lift up self.
מָרָא (ma.ra) — to flap.
1) (Hiphil) to beat (the air), flap (the wings)
1a) meaning uncertain
2) (Qal) filthy
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) feminine singularHVqrfsa
wun.
See NUMBER.
גָּאַל (ga'al) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning to defile or pollute. It encompasses various forms, including being defiled, desecrating, and staining. The entries suggest a connection to the idea of freeing or repudiating, as seen in its relation to another root. Specific uses include removal from the priesthood and personal defilement.
[גָּאַל] vb. defile, late
Niph. be defiled
Pi. pollute, desecrate
Pu. and they were desecrated out of the priesthood
Hiph. I have polluted, i.e. stained, all my raiment.
Hithp. defile himself
base
H1351 גָּאַל defile, late . be defiled
. pollute, desecrate
. and they were desecrated out of the priesthood
. I have polluted, i.e. stained, all my raiment.
. defile himself
1351 ga'al gaw-al'
a primitive root, (rather identified with 1350, through the
idea of freeing, i.e. repudiating); to soil or (figuratively)
desecrate:--defile, pollute, stain.
see HEBREW for 01350
גָּאַל (ga.al) — to defile.
1) to defile, pollute, desecrate
1a) (Niphal) to be defiled, be polluted
1b) (Piel) to pollute, desecrate
1c)(Pual) to be desecrated (of removal from priesthood)
1d) (Hiphil) to pollute, stain
1e) (Hithpael) to defile oneself
Conj | V-Niphal-Inf-c — Conjunction · verb niphal participle (active) feminine singularHC/VNrfsa
wun.
See NUMBER.
The Hebrew word עִיר (*'iyr*) has meanings related to both excitement and city. It can denote excitement, particularly of terror or rage, as well as refer to a city or town, indicating a place that is guarded or inhabited. The entries suggest a broad application, from fortified cities to simple encampments. There is a specific mention of a man named Ir in 1 Chronicles 4:12.
עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage
base
עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town
city, town, abode of men
of fortress in a city
appar. fortified place, of any size
base
H5892a עִיר excitement;—of terror; of rage H5892b עִיר city, town . city, town, abode of men
. of fortress in a city
. appar. fortified place, of any size
5892 `iyr eer
or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4)
{aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a
watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or
post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.
see HEBREW for 05782
עִיר (ir) — excitement.
1) excitement, anguish
1a) of terror
עִיר (ir) — city.
1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)
1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)
1a) city, town
עִיר (ir) — City (of On).
Combined with on (אֹן "On" H0204)
This name means city, town
Another name of on (אֹן "On" H0204)
עִיר (ir) — Ir-.
#A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.12;
son of: Tehinnah (H8468)
Art | N-fs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absoluteHTd/Ncfsa
sit'-i (`ir, qiryah; polis):
I. THE CANAANITE CITY
1. Origin
2. Extent
3. Villages
4. Sites
5. External Appearance
6. General
II. THE CITY OF THE JEWISH OCCUPATION
1. Tower or Stronghold
2. High Place
3. Broad Place
4. Streets
5. General Characteristics
III. STORE CITIES
IV. LEVITICAL CITIES
LITERATURE
I. The Canaanite City.
1. Origin:
The development of the Canaanite city has been traced by Macalister in his report on the excavation at Gezer (Palestine Exploration Fund Statement, 1904, 108 ff). It originated on the slopes of a bare rocky spur, in which the Neolithic Troglodytes quarried their habitations out of the solid rock, the stones therefrom being used to form a casing to the earthen ramparts, with which the site was afterwards surrounded and which served as a protection against the intrusion of enemies. Later Semitic intruders occupied the site, stone houses were built, and high stone defense…
City
The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain (Gen. 4:17). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12). Next, we have a record of the cities of the Canaanites, Sidon, Gaza, Sodom, etc. (10:12, 19; 11:3, 9; 36:31-39). The earliest description of a city is that of Sodom (19:1-22). Damascus is said to be the oldest existing city in the world. Before the time of Abraham there were cities in Egypt (Num. 13:22). The Israelites in Egypt were employed in building the “treasure cities” of Pithom and Raamses (Ex. 1:11); but it does not seem that they had any cities of their own in Goshen (Gen.…
The towns and cities of Palestine were commonly built on heights, for better security against robbers or invaders. These heights, surrounded by walls, sometimes formed the entire city. In other cases, the citadel alone crowned the hill, around and at the base of which the town was built; and in time of danger the surrounding population all took refuge in the fortified place. Larger towns and cities were often not only defended by strong outer walls, with towers and gates, but by a citadel or castle within these limits-a last resort when the rest of the city was taken, Jud 9:46,51. The "fenced cities" of the Jews, De 3:5, were of various sizes and degrees of strength; some being surrounded by high and thick stone walls, and others by feebler ramparts, often of clay or sun-dried…
יָנָה (yanah) is a Hebrew verb that conveys the idea of oppression and maltreatment. It can mean to suppress or treat violently, with its roots suggesting actions like vexing or doing wrong. The verb appears in different forms, such as Qal and Hiphil, indicating various nuances of oppression and maltreatment.
[יָנָה] vb. suppress (?), oppress, maltreat
Qal suppress (?)
Hiph. oppress, maltreat
base
H3238 [יָנָה] suppress (?), oppress, maltreat
3238 yanah yaw-naw'
a primitive root; to rage or be violent: by implication, to
suppress, to maltreat:--destroy, (thrust out by)
oppress(-ing, -ion, -or), proud, vex, do violence.
יָנָה (ya.nah) — to oppress.
1) to oppress, suppress, treat violently, maltreat, vex, do wrong
1a) (Qal) to oppress, suppress
1b) (Hiphil) to treat violently, maltreat
Art | V-Qal — Particle · verb qal participle (active) feminine singularHTd/Vqrfsa