Zephaniah 3:4

Bishops' Bible (1568)

Her prophetes are light persons & vnfaythful men, her priestes haue polluted the sanctuarie, & haue wrested the law.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

נְבִיאֶ֙יהָ֙ פֹּֽחֲזִ֔ים אַנְשֵׁ֖י בֹּֽגְד֑וֹת כֹּהֲנֶ֙יהָ֙ חִלְּלוּ־קֹ֔דֶשׁ חָמְס֖וּ תּוֹרָֽה

Transliteration

nebîʾêhā pōḥăzîm ʾanšê bōgedôt; kōhănêhā ḥilelû-qōdeš, ḥāmesû tôrâ

Grammar Details

• *nebîʾêhā*: masculine plural noun with 3rd feminine singular suffix - her prophets
• *pōḥăzîm*: qal participle masculine plural - reckless/wanton/arrogant
• *ʾanšê*: masculine plural construct - men of
• *bōgedôt*: feminine plural noun - treacheries/betrayals
• *kōhănêhā*: masculine plural noun with 3rd feminine singular suffix - her priests
• *ḥilelû*: piel perfect 3rd common plural - they profaned/violated
• *qōdeš*: masculine singular noun - holy things/sanctuary
• *ḥāmesû*: qal perfect 3rd common plural - they did violence to
• *tôrâ*: feminine singular noun - law/instruction

Word Meanings

• *nebîʾêhā*: her prophets
• *pōḥăzîm*: reckless/wanton/arrogant/light
• *ʾanšê*: men of
• *bōgedôt*: treacheries/betrayals/faithlessness
• *kōhănêhā*: her priests
• *ḥilelû*: profaned/violated/desecrated
• *qōdeš*: holy things/sanctuary/what is holy
• *ḥāmesû*: did violence to/violated/twisted

Referenced Verses

• Ezek 22:26 : 26 Her priestes haue broken my lawe, and defiled my holy thynges, they put no difference betweene the holy & vnholy, neither discerne they betweene the cleane & vncleane: they turne their eyes from my Sabbathes, and I am defiled among them.
• Hos 9:7 : 7 The dayes of visitation are come, the dayes of recompence are come: and then shall Israel knowe that they were deceaued by a foolishe, mad, & franticke prophete: for the multitude of thine iniquitie God shall multiplie enemies agaynst thee.
• Mal 2:8 : 8 But ye haue gone out of the way, ye haue caused many to fall by the lawe: ye haue corrupted the couenaunt of Leui, saith the Lorde of hoastes.
• Matt 7:15 : 15 Beware of false prophetes, which come to you in sheepes clothyng: but inwardly they are rauenyng woolfes.
• 2 Cor 11:13 : 13 For such false Apostles are disceiptfull workers, transfourmed into ye Apostles of Christe.
• 2 Pet 2:1-3 : 1 There were false prophetes also among the people, eue as there shalbe false teachers among you, whiche pryuyly shal bryng in damnable heresies, euen denying the Lorde that hath bought them, and bryng vpo them selues swyft damnation. 2 And many shall folowe their damnable wayes, by whom the way of trueth shalbe euyll spoken of: 3 And through couetousnesse, shall they with fayned wordes make marchaudize of you, whose iudgement is nowe not farre of, and their damnation sleepeth not.
• 1 John 4:1 : 1 Dearly beloued, beleue not euery spirite: but proue the spirites whether they are of God or not: for many false prophetes are gone out into the worlde.
• Rev 19:20 : 20 And the beast was taken, and with hym that false prophete that wrought miracles before hym, with which he deceaued them that receaued the beastes marke, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast quicke into a ponde of fire, burnyng with brymstone:
• Mic 2:11 : 11 If a man walke in the spirite, and would lye falsely saying I wyl prophecie to thee of wine and strong drinke: that were a prophete for this people.
• Mic 3:5-6 : 5 Thus saith the Lorde concerning the prophetes that deceaue my people and bite them with their teeth, and crye peace: but if a man put not into their mouthes, they prepare warre against him. 6 Therfore night shalbe vnto you for a vision, and darkenesse shalbe vnto you for a diuination: and the sunne shall go downe ouer the prophetes, and the day shalbe darke ouer them.
• Ezek 44:7-8 : 7 Seeing ye haue brought into my sanctuary straungers hauing vncircumcized heartes and vncircumcized fleshe, to be in my sanctuarie to pollute my house, when ye offer my bread, fat, and blood, and they haue broken my couenaunt because of all your abhominations: 8 And ye haue not kept the ordinaunces of my holy thinges, and ye haue set kepers to kepe my sanctuarie for you.
• Hos 4:6-8 : 6 My people perishe for lacke of knowledge: because thou hast refused knowledge, therfore wyll I refuse thee also, so that thou shalt no more be my priest: and forsomuche as thou hast forgotten the lawe of thy God, I wyll also forget thy chyldren. 7 The more they increased in multitude, the more they sinned against me, therfore wyll I chaunge their honour into shame. 8 They eate vp the sinnes of my people, and encourage them in their wickednesse.
• 1 Sam 2:12-17 : 12 But the sonnes of Eli were children of Belial, and knewe not the Lord. 13 And the priestes custome toward the people was, that whensoeuer any man offered any offring, ye priestes lad came whyle the fleshe was a seethyng, and a fleshhoke with three teeth in his hande: 14 And thrust it into the panne, kettle, caldren, or pot: and all that the fleshehoke brought vp, that the priest toke for hym self: And so they dyd vnto all the Israelites that came thyther to Silo. 15 Yea, and thereto before they burnt the fat, the priestes lad came and sayde to the man that offered, Geue fleshe, that I may roste it for the priest: for he wyll not haue sodde fleshe of thee, but rawe. 16 And yf any man sayde vnto hym, Let them burne the fat according to the custome, and then take as much as thyne hearte desireth: Then he would aunswere hym, Yea, thou shalt geue it me nowe: and if thou wilt not, I wyll take it with violence. 17 And the sinne of the young men was very great before the Lord: For men abhorred the offering of the Lord.
• 1 Sam 2:22 : 22 Eli was very olde, and heard all that his sonnes did vnto Israel, & how they lay with the women that wayted at the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation.
• Isa 9:15 : 15 By the head, is vnderstande the senatour and honourable man, and by the tayle, the prophete that preached lyes.
• Isa 56:10-12 : 10 For his watchmen are all blynde, they haue altogether no vnderstanding, they are all dumbe dogges not beyng able to barke, they are sleepy, sluggishe are they and lye snortyng. 11 They are shamelesse dogges that be neuer satisfied: The sheepheardes also in like maner haue no vnderstandyng, but euery man turneth his owne way, euery one after his owne couetousnesse with all his power. 12 Come say they I wyll fetche wine, so shall we fyll our selues, that we may be drunken: and do to morowe lyke as to day, yea and much more.
• Jer 5:31 : 31 The prophetes teache falsely, and the preachers receaue giftes, and my people hath pleasure therein: what wyll come thereof at the last.
• Jer 6:13-14 : 13 For from the least to the most they hang all vpon couetousnesse: and from the prophete vnto the priest, they go about falshood and lyes. 14 And beside that, they heale the hurt of my people with sweete wordes, saying, Peace, peace: when there is no peace at all.
• Jer 8:10 : 10 Wherfore I wyl geue their wiues vnto aliauntes, and their fields to destroyers: For from the lowest vnto the hyest they folowe filthy lucre, and from the prophete vnto the priest they deale all with lies.
• Jer 14:13-15 : 13 Then aunswered I: O Lorde God, the prophetes say vnto them, Tushe, ye shall neede to feare no sworde, and no hunger shall come vpon you: but the Lorde shall geue you sure rest in this place. 14 And the Lorde sayde vnto me, The prophetes preach lyes in my name, wheras I haue not sent them, neither gaue I them any charge, neither did I speake vnto them: yet they preache vnto you false visions, charming, vanitie, and deceiptfulnesse of their owne heart. 15 Therfore thus saith the Lorde: As for those prophetes that preache in my name, whom I neuerthelesse haue not sent, and that say, Tushe, there shall no sworde nor hunger be in this lande: with sworde and with hunger shall those prophetes perishe.
• Jer 23:9-9 : 9 My heart breaketh in my body, because of the false prophetes all my bones shake, I am become like a drunken man that by the reason of wine can take no rest, for very feare of the Lorde and his holy wordes. 10 Because the lande is full of adulterers, and thorowe swearing it mourneth, and the pleasaunt pastures of the desert are dryed vp: yea the way that men take is wicked, and their power is nothing right. 11 For the prophetes and the priestes them selues are polluted hypocrites, and their wickednesse haue I founde in my house, saith the Lorde. 12 Wherefore their way shalbe slipperie in the darknesse, wherein they may stacker and fall: for I wyll bryng a plague vpon them, euen the yere of their visitation, saith the Lorde. 13 I haue seene folly among the prophetes of Samaria, that preached for Baal, and deceaued my people of Israel. 14 I haue seene also among the prophetes of Hierusalem foule adultrie, and presumptuous lyes: they take the most shamefull men by the hande, flattering them, so that they can not returne from their wickednes: all these with their citizens are vnto me as Sodom, and as the inhabitours of Gomorre. 15 Therefore thus saith the Lorde of hoastes concerning these prophetes: Beholde, I wyll feede them with wormewood, and make them drinke the water of gall: For from the prophetes of Hierusalem is hypocrisie come into all the lande. 16 And therfore the Lorde of hoastes geueth you this warning: Heare not the wordes of the prophetes that preache vnto you and deceaue you, truely they reache you vanitie: for they speake the meaning of their owne heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lorde. 17 They say vnto them that despise me, The Lorde hath spoken it, tushe, ye shall prosper right well: and vnto all them that walke after the lust of their owne heart, they say, tushe, there shall no misfortune happen you.
• Jer 23:25-27 : 25 I haue hearde well inough what the prophetes say that preache lyes in my name, saying, I haue dreamed, I haue dreamed. 26 Howe long wyll this continue in the prophetes heart to tell lies, and preache the craftie subtiltie of their owne heart? 27 Whose purpose is with the dreames that euery one tell, to make my people forget my name, as their fathers dyd when Baal came vp.
• Jer 23:32 : 32 Beholde, here am I saith the Lorde, against those prophetes that dare prophecie lying dreames, and deceaue my people with their vanities and inconstant deuices, yet I neuer sent nor commaunded them: They shall do this people no good at all, saith the Lorde.
• Jer 27:14-15 : 14 Therfore geue no eare vnto those prophetes that tell you, Ye shall not serue the kyng of Babylon: for they preache you lyes. 15 Neither haue I sent them saith the Lorde: howbeit they are bolde falsly to prophecie in my name, that I myght the sooner driue you out, and that ye myght perishe, with your preachers.
• Lam 2:14 : 14 Thy prophetes haue looke dout vayne and foolish thinges for thee, they haue not shewed thee of thy wickednesse, to kepe thee from captiuitie: but they haue seene out for thee burthens of vanitie and banishment.
• Ezek 13:3-9 : 3 Thus saith the Lord God, wo be vnto those foolishe prophetes that folowe their owne spirit, & haue seene nothing. 4 O Israel, thy prophetes are lyke the fores in desert places. 5 For ye haue not stand vp in the gappes, nor made a hedge for the house of Israel, to stande in the battayle in the day of the Lorde. 6 They haue seene vanitie and lying diuination, saying: the Lorde saith it, and the Lorde hath not sent them, and they haue made me hope that they woulde confirme the worde. 7 Haue ye not seene vayne visions, and spoken false prophecies, when ye say, the Lorde hath spoken it, whereas I neuer sayde it. 8 Therfore thus saith the Lorde God, Because ye haue spoken vanitie, and haue seene lies: therfore beholde I am against you, saith the Lorde God: 9 Mine handes shal come vpon the prophetes that see vanities, and deuine lies: they shall not be in the counsell of my people, nor written in the booke of the house of Israel, neither shal they come in the lande of Israel, that ye may know howe that I am the Lord God: 10 And that for because they haue deceaued my people, and told them of peace where no peace was: one setteth vp a wall, and they daube it with vntempered clay. 11 Therfore tell them which daube with vntempred morter, that it shall fall: for there shal come a great showre of raine, I will sende haylestones to cause it to fall, and a great storme of winde shall breake it. 12 And lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not then be sayd vnto you, Where is nowe your morter that ye daubed it withall? 13 Therfore thus saith the Lorde God: I wyll cause a stormie winde to breake out in my wrathfull displeasure, so that in mine anger there shall come a mightie showre of raine, and haylestones in my wrath to destroy it. 14 As for the wall that ye haue daubed with vntempered morter, I wil breake it downe, and make it euen with the grounde, so that the foundation therof shalbe discouered, and it shall fall: yea and ye your selues shall perishe in the middes therof, and ye shall knowe that I am the Lorde. 15 Thus wyll I perfourme my wrath vpon this wall, and vpon them that haue daubed it with vntempred morter, and then wyl I say vnto you, The wall is gone, and the daubers of it. 16 To wit the prophetes of Israel, whiche prophecie vnto Hierusalem, and looke out visions of peace for it, wheras no peace is, saith the Lorde God.