Zephaniah 3:4

Geneva Bible (1560)

Her prophets are light, and wicked persons: her priests haue polluted the Sanctuarie: they haue wrested the Lawe.

📖 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 Priests haue broken my Lawe, and haue defiled mine holy things: they haue put no difference betweene the holy and prophane, neither discerned betweene the vncleane, and the cleane, and haue hid their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am prophaned among them.
• Hos 9:7 : 7 The daies of visitation are come: the daies of recompence are come: Israel shall knowe it: the Prophet is a foole: the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquitie: therefore the hatred is great.
• Mal 2:8 : 8 But yee are gone out of the way: yee haue caused many to fall by the Lawe: yee haue broken the couenant of Leui, sayeth the Lord of hostes.
• Matt 7:15 : 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you, in sheepes clothing, but inwardly they are rauening wolues.
• 2 Cor 11:13 : 13 For such false apostles are deceitfull workers, and transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ.
• 2 Pet 2:1-3 : 1 Bvt there were false prophets also among the people, euen as there shalbe false teachers among you: which priuily shall bring in damnable heresies, euen denying the Lorde, that hath bought them, and bring vpon themselues swift damnation. 2 And many shall folow their destructions, by whom the way of trueth shalbe euil spoken of, 3 And through couetousnes shall they with fained words make marchandise of you, whose condemnation long since resteth not, and their destruction slumbreth not.
• 1 John 4:1 : 1 Dearely beloued, beleeue not euery spirit, but trie the spirits whether they are of God: for many false prophets are gone out into this worlde.
• Rev 19:20 : 20 But ye beast was taken, & with him that false prophet that wrought miracles before him, whereby he deceiued them that receiued ye beastes marke, and them that worshipped his image. These both were aliue cast into a lake of fire, burning with brimstone.
• Mic 2:11 : 11 If a man walke in the Spirit, and would lie falsely, saying, I wil prophecie vnto thee of wine, and of strong drinke, he shall euen be the prophet of this people.
• Mic 3:5-6 : 5 Thus saith the Lorde, Concerning the prophets that deceiue my people, and bite them with their teeth, and cry peace, but if a man put not into their mouthes, they prepare warre against him, 6 Therefore night shalbe vnto you for a vision, and darkenesse shalbe vnto you for a diuination, and the sunne shall goe downe ouer the prophets, and the day shalbe darke ouer them.
• Ezek 44:7-8 : 7 Seeing that yee haue brought into my Sanctuarie strangers, vncircumcised in heart, and vncircumcised in flesh, to bee in my Sanctuarie, to pollute mine house, when yee offer my bread, euen fat, and blood: and they haue broken my couenant, because of all your abominations. 8 For yee haue not kept the ordinances of mine holy things: but you your selues haue set other to take the charge of my Sanctuarie.
• Hos 4:6-8 : 6 My people are destroyed for lacke of knowledge: because thou hast refused knowledge, I will also refuse thee, that thou shalt be no Priest to me: and seeing thou hast forgotten the Lawe of thy God, I will also forget thy children. 7 As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I chaunge their glorie into shame. 8 They eate vp the sinnes of my people, and lift vp their mindes in their iniquitie.
• 1 Sam 2:12-17 : 12 Now the sonnes of Eli were wicked men, and knewe not the Lord. 13 For the Priestes custome towarde the people was this: when any man offered sacrifice, the Priestes boy came, while the flesh was seething, and a fleshhooke with three teeth, in his hand, 14 And thrust it into the kettle, or into the caldron, or into the panne, or into the potte: all that the fleshhooke brought vp, the Priest tooke for himselfe: thus they did vnto all the Israelites, that came thither to Shiloh. 15 Yea, before they burnt the fat, the priests boy came and saide to the man that offered, Giue me flesh to rost for the priest: for he wil not haue sodden flesh of thee, but rawe. 16 And if any man saide vnto him, Let them burne the fatte according to the custome, then take as much as thine heart desireth: then hee would answere, No, but thou shalt giue it nowe: and if thou wilt not, I will take it by force. 17 Therefore the sinne of the yong men was very great before the Lorde: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.
• 1 Sam 2:22 : 22 So Eli was very olde, and heard all that his sonnes did vnto all Israel, and howe they laye with the women that assembled at the doore of the tabernacle of the Congregation.
• Isa 9:15 : 15 The ancient and the honorable man, he is the head: and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the taile.
• Isa 56:10-12 : 10 Their watchmen are all blinde: they haue no knowledge: they are all dumme dogs: they can not barke: they lie and sleepe and delite in sleeping. 11 And these griedy dogs can neuer haue ynough: and these shepheards cannot vnderstand: for they all looke to their owne way, euery one for his aduantage, and for his owne purpose. 12 Come, I wil bring wine, and we wil fill our selues with strong drinke, and to morowe shalbe as this day, and much more abundant.
• Jer 5:31 : 31 The Prophets prophesie lies, and ye Priests receiue giftes in their handes, and my people delite therein. What will ye then doe in the ende thereof?
• Jer 6:13-14 : 13 For from the least of them, euen vnto the greatest of them, euery one is giuen vnto couetousnesse, and from the Prophet euen vnto the Priest, they all deale falsely. 14 They haue healed also ye hurt of the daughter of my people with sweete woordes, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.
• Jer 8:10 : 10 Therefore will I giue their wiues vnto others, and their fieldes to them that shall possesse them: for euery one from the least euen vnto the greatest is giuen to couetousnesse, and from the Prophet euen vnto the Priest, euery one dealeth falsely.
• Jer 14:13-15 : 13 Then answered I, Ah Lord God, beholde, the prophets say vnto them, Ye shal not see the sworde, neither shal famine come vpon you, but I wil giue you assured peace in this place. 14 Then the Lord said vnto me, The prophets prophecie lyes in my Name: I haue not sent them, neither did I command them, neither spake I vnto them, but they prophecie vnto you a false vision, and diuination, and vanitie, and deceitfulnes of their owne heart. 15 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Concerning the prophets that prophecie in my Name, whom I haue not sent, yet they say, Sworde and famine shal not be in this land, by sword and famine shal those prophets be consumed.
• Jer 23:9-9 : 9 Mine heart breaketh within mee, because of the prophets, all my bones shake: I am like a drunken man (and like a man whome wine hath ouercome) for the presence of the Lorde and for his holie wordes. 10 For the lande is full of adulterers, and because of othes the lande mourneth, the pleasant places of the wildernesse are dried vp, and their course is euill, and their force is not right. 11 For both the prophet and the Priest doe wickedly: and their wickednesse haue I found in mine House, saith the Lorde. 12 Wherefore their way shalbe vnto them as slipperie wayes in the darknesse: they shalbe driuen foorth and fall therein: for I will bring a plague vpon them, euen the yeere of their visitation, saith the Lorde. 13 And I haue seene foolishnesse in the prophets of Samaria, that prophecied in Baal, & caused my people Israel to erre. 14 I haue seene also in the prophets of Ierusalem filthines: they commit adulterie & walke in lies: they strengthen also the hands of the wicked that none can returne from his wickednesse: they are all vnto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorah. 15 Therefore thus saith the Lorde of hostes concerning the prophets, Beholde, I will feede them with wormewood, & make them drinke the water of gall: for from the prophets of Ierusalem is wickednesse gone forth into all the lande. 16 Thus sayth ye Lord of hosts, Heare not the wordes of the prophets that prophecie vnto you, and teach you vanitie: they speake the vision of their owne heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lorde. 17 They say still vnto them that despise mee, The Lord hath sayde, Ye shall haue peace: and they say vnto euery one that walketh after the stubbernesse of his owne heart, No euill shall come vpon you.
• Jer 23:25-27 : 25 I haue heard what the prophets said, that prophecie lies in my Name, saying, I haue dreamed, I haue dreamed. 26 Howe long? Doe the prophets delite to prophecie lies, euen prophecying the deceit of their owne heart? 27 Thinke they to cause my people to forget my Name by their dreames, which they tell euery man to his neyghbour, as their forefathers haue forgotten my Name for Baal?
• Jer 23:32 : 32 Beholde, I will come against them that prophecie false dreames, saith the Lorde, and doe tell them, and cause my people to erre by their lies, and by their flatteries, and I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they bring no profite vnto this people, saith the Lord.
• Jer 27:14-15 : 14 Therefore heare not the words of the prophets, that speake vnto you, saying, Ye shall not serue the King of Babel: for they prophecie a lie vnto you. 15 For I haue not sent them, saith the Lord, yet they prophecie a lie in my name, that I might cast you out, and that ye might perish, both you, and the prophets that prophecie vnto you.
• Lam 2:14 : 14 Thy Prophets haue looked out vayne, & foolish things for thee, and they haue not discouered thine iniquitie, to turne away thy captiuitie, but haue looked out for thee false prophesies, & causes of banishment.
• Ezek 13:3-9 : 3 Thus sayth the Lorde God, Woe vnto the foolish Prophets that followe their owne spirit, and haue seene nothing. 4 O Israel, thy Prophets are like the foxes in the waste places. 5 Ye haue not risen vp in the gappes, neither made vp the hedge for ye house of Israel, to stand in the battel in the daye of the Lorde. 6 They haue seene vanitie, and lying diuination, saying, The Lord sayth it, and the Lorde hath not sent them: & they haue made others to hope that they would cofirme the word of their prophecie. 7 Haue ye not seene a vaine vision? and haue yee not spoken a lying diuination? ye say, The Lorde sayth it, albeit I haue not spoken. 8 Therefore thus sayth the Lorde God, Because ye haue spoken vanytie & haue seene lyes, therefore beholde, I am agaynst you, sayth the Lorde God, 9 And mine hande shalbe vpon the Prophets that see vanity, and diuine lies: they shall not be in the assemblie of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel: & yee shall know that I am the Lord God. 10 And therefore, because they haue deceiued my people, saying, Peace, & there was no peace: and one buylt vp a wall, and behold, the others daubed it with vntempered morter, 11 Say vnto them which daube it with vntempered morter, that it shall fall: for there shall come a great showre, and I wil sende haylestones, which shall cause it to fall, and a stormie winde shall breake it. 12 Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not bee sayd vnto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye haue daubed it? 13 Therefore thus sayth the Lord God, I will cause a stormie winde to breake foorth in my wrath, & a great showre shall bee in mine anger, & hailestones in mine indignation to consume it. 14 So I wil destroy the wall that ye haue daubed with vntempered morter, and bring it downe to the ground, so that the fundation thereof shalbe discouered, and it shall fal, and ye shalbe consumed in the middes thereof, and ye shall know, that I am the Lord. 15 Thus will I accomplish my wrath vpon the wall, and vpon them that haue daubed it with vntempered morter, and will say vnto you, The wall is no more, neither the daubers thereof, 16 To wit, the Prophets of Israel, which prophesie vpon Ierusalem, and see visions of peace for it, and there is no peace, sayth the Lord God.