Zephaniah 2:3

King James Version with Strong's Numbers

Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

בַּקְּשׁ֤וּ אֶת־יְהוָה֙ כָּל־עַנְוֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִשְׁפָּט֖וֹ פָּעָ֑לוּ בַּקְּשׁוּ־צֶ֙דֶק֙ בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ עֲנָוָ֔ה אוּלַי֙ תִּסָּ֣תְר֔וּ בְּי֖וֹם אַף־יְהוָֽה׃

Transliteration

baqqəšû ʾeth-YHWH all-ʿanəwê the-ʾāreṣ who mišpāṭô pāʿālû baqqəšû-ṣedeq baqqəšû ʿănāwâ ʾûlay tissātərû in-yôm ʾap̄-YHWH

Grammar Details

• *baqqəšû*: piel imperative, masculine plural - seek/search for
• *ʾeth-YHWH*: direct object marker + divine name - YHWH
• *ʿanəwê*: adjective, masculine plural construct - humble/meek ones of
• *ʾāreṣ*: noun, feminine singular with definite article - the land/earth
• *mišpāṭô*: noun, masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix - his judgment/justice
• *pāʿālû*: qal perfect, 3rd person plural - have done/worked/practiced
• *ṣedeq*: noun, masculine singular - righteousness/justice
• *ʿănāwâ*: noun, feminine singular - humility/meekness
• *ʾûlay*: adverb - perhaps/maybe
• *tissātərû*: niphal imperfect, 2nd person masculine plural - you will be hidden/you will be sheltered
• *yôm*: noun, masculine singular with preposition - in day of

Word Meanings

• *baqqəšû*: seek/search for/inquire
• *ʿanəwê*: humble ones/meek ones/poor ones
• *pāʿālû*: have done/performed/practiced
• *ṣedeq*: righteousness/justice/what is right
• *ʿănāwâ*: humility/meekness/gentleness
• *tissātərû*: be hidden/be concealed/find shelter

Referenced Verses

• Amos 5:14-15 : 14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. 15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
• Ps 57:1 : 1 To the chief Musician{H8764)}, Altaschith{H8686)}, Michtam of David, when he fled{H8800)} from Saul in the cave. Be merciful{H8798)} unto me, O God, be merciful{H8798)} unto me: for my soul trusteth{H8804)} in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge{H8799)}, until these calamities be overpast{H8799)}.
• Ps 76:9 : 9 When God arose{H8800)} to judgment, to save{H8687)} all the meek of the earth. Selah.
• Ps 105:4 : 4 Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.
• Matt 5:5 : 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
• Ps 22:26 : 26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
• Isa 26:20-21 : 20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. 21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
• 1 Pet 3:4 : 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
• 2 Pet 3:18 : 18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
• Isa 55:6-7 : 6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
• Isa 61:1 : 1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
• Jer 3:13-14 : 13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. 14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
• Jer 4:1-2 : 1 If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove. 2 And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
• Jer 22:15-16 : 15 Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him? 16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD.
• Jer 29:12-13 : 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
• Jer 39:18 : 18 For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.
• Jer 45:5 : 5 And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.
• Hos 7:10 : 10 And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.
• Hos 10:12 : 12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
• Joel 2:13-14 : 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
• Amos 5:4-6 : 4 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live: 5 But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought. 6 Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.
• Ps 25:8-9 : 8 Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. 9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
• Ps 31:20 : 20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
• Ps 32:6-7 : 6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. 7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
• Gen 7:15-16 : 15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. 16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.
• Exod 12:27 : 27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.
• 2 Sam 12:22 : 22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
• 2 Chr 34:27-28 : 27 Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD. 28 Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.
• Matt 7:7-8 : 7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
• Phil 3:13-14 : 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
• Col 3:2-4 : 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
• 1 Thess 4:1 : 1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
• 1 Thess 4:10 : 10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
• Jas 1:21-22 : 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
• 1 Pet 1:22 : 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
• Ps 149:4 : 4 For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
• Prov 18:10 : 10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
• Isa 11:4 : 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
• Ps 91:1 : 1 He that dwelleth{H8802)} in the secret place of the most High shall abide{H8698)} under the shadow of the Almighty.
• Jonah 3:9 : 9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
• Zech 8:19 : 19 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.