Zephaniah 3:4

Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

Her prophets unstable -- men of treachery, Her priests have polluted the sanctuary, They have violated 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 Its priests have wronged My law, And they pollute My holy things, Between holy and common they have not made separation, And between the unclean and the clean they have not made known, And from my sabbaths they have hidden their eyes, And I am pierced in their midst.
• Hos 9:7 : 7 Come in have the days of inspection, Come in have the days of recompence, Israel doth know! a fool `is' the prophet, Mad `is' the man of the Spirit, Because of the abundance of thine iniquity, And great `is' the hatred.
• Mal 2:8 : 8 And ye, ye have turned from the way, Ye have caused many to stumble in the law, Ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, Said Jehovah of Hosts.
• Matt 7:15 : 15 `But, take heed of the false prophets, who come unto you in sheep's clothing, and inwardly are ravening wolves.
• 2 Cor 11:13 : 13 for those such `are' false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ,
• 2 Pet 2:1-3 : 1 And there did come also false prophets among the people, as also among you there shall be false teachers, who shall bring in besides destructive sects, and the Master who bought them denying, bringing to themselves quick destruction, 2 and many shall follow out their destructive ways, because of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of, 3 and in covetousness, with moulded words, of you they shall make merchandise, whose judgment of old is not idle, and their destruction doth not slumber.
• 1 John 4:1 : 1 Beloved, every spirit believe not, but prove the spirits, if of God they are, because many false prophets have gone forth to the world;
• Rev 19:20 : 20 and the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who did the signs before him, in which he led astray those who did receive the mark of the beast, and those who did bow before his image; living they were cast -- the two -- to the lake of the fire, that is burning with brimstone;
• Mic 2:11 : 11 If one is going `with' the wind, And `with' falsehood hath lied: `I prophesy to thee of wine, and of strong drink,' He hath been the prophet of this people!
• Mic 3:5-6 : 5 Thus said Jehovah concerning the prophets Who are causing My people to err, Who are biting with their teeth, And have cried `Peace,' And he who doth not give unto their mouth, They have sanctified against him war. 6 Therefore a night ye have without vision, And darkness ye have without divination, And gone in hath the sun on the prophets, And black over them hath been the day.
• Ezek 44:7-8 : 7 In your bringing in sons of a stranger, uncircumcised of heart, and uncircumcised of flesh, to be in My sanctuary, to pollute it, even My house, in your bringing near My bread, fat, and blood, and they break My covenant by all your abominations, 8 and ye have not kept the charge of My holy things, and ye set `them' for keepers of My charge in My sanctuary for you.
• Hos 4:6-8 : 6 Cut off have been My people for lack of knowledge, Because thou knowledge hast rejected, I reject thee from being priest to Me, And thou forgettest the law of thy God, I forget thy sons, I also! 7 According to their abundance so they sinned against Me, Their honour into shame I change. 8 The sin of My people they do eat, And unto their iniquity lift up their soul.
• 1 Sam 2:12-17 : 12 and the sons of Eli `are' sons of worthlessness, they have not known Jehovah. 13 And the custom of the priests with the people `is': any man sacrificing a sacrifice -- then hath the servant of the priest come in when the flesh is boiling, and the hook of three teeth in his hand, 14 and hath struck `it' into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the hook bringeth up doth the priest take for himself; thus they do to all Israel who are coming in, there, in Shiloh. 15 Also before they make perfume with the fat -- then hath the priest's servant come in, and said to the man who is sacrificing, `Give flesh to roast for the priest, and he doth not take of thee flesh boiled, but raw;' 16 and the man saith unto him, `Let them surely make a perfume (as to-day) with the fat, then take to thee as thy soul desireth;' and he hath said to him, `Surely now thou dost give; and if not -- I have taken by strength.' 17 And the sin of the young men is very great `in' the presence of Jehovah, for the men have despised the offering of Jehovah.
• 1 Sam 2:22 : 22 And Eli `is' very old, and hath heard all that his sons do to all Israel, and how that they lie with the women who are assembling `at' the opening of the tent of meeting,
• Isa 9:15 : 15 Elder, and accepted of face, he `is' the head, Prophet, teacher of falsehood, he `is' the tail.
• Isa 56:10-12 : 10 Blind `are' his watchmen -- all of them, They have not known, All of them `are' dumb dogs, they are not able to bark, Dozing, lying down, loving to slumber. 11 And the dogs `are' strong of desire, They have not known sufficiency, And they `are' shepherds! They have not known understanding, All of them to their own way they did turn, Each to his dishonest gain from his quarter: 12 `Come ye, I take wine, And we drink, quaff strong drink, And as this day hath been to-morrow, Great -- exceeding abundant!'
• Jer 5:31 : 31 The prophets have prophesied falsely, And the priests bear rule by their means, And My people have loved `it' so, And what do they at its latter end?
• Jer 6:13-14 : 13 For from their least unto their greatest, Every one is gaining dishonest gain, And from prophet even unto priest, Every one is dealing falsely, 14 And they heal the breach of the daughter of my people slightly, Saying, `Peace, peace!' and there is no peace.
• Jer 8:10 : 10 Therefore, I give their wives to others, Their fields to dispossessors, For from the least even unto the greatest, Every one is gaining dishonest gain, From prophet even unto priest, every one is dealing falsely.
• Jer 14:13-15 : 13 And I say, `Ah, Lord Jehovah, Lo, the prophets are saying to them: Ye do not see a sword, yea, famine is not to you, For true peace I give to you in this place.' 14 And Jehovah saith unto me: Falsehood the prophets are prophesying in My name, I did not send them, nor command them, Nor have I spoken unto them: A false vision, and divination, and vanity, And the deceit of their own heart, they are prophesying to you. 15 Therefore, thus said Jehovah concerning the prophets who are prophesying in My name, and I have not sent them, and they are saying, Sword and famine is not in this land: By sword and by famine are these prophets consumed.
• Jer 23:9-9 : 9 In reference to the prophets: Broken hath been my heart in my midst, Fluttered have all my bones, I have been as a man -- a drunkard, And as a man -- wine hath passed over him, Because of Jehovah, and of His holy words. 10 For of adulterers hath the land been full, For because of these hath the land mourned, Dried up hath been the pleasant places of the wilderness, And their course is evil, and their might -- not right. 11 For both prophet and priest have been profane, Yea, in My house I found their wickedness, An affirmation of Jehovah. 12 Therefore is their way to them as slippery places, Into thick darkness they are driven, And they have fallen in it, For I bring in against them evil, The year of their inspection, An affirmation of Jehovah. 13 And in prophets of Samaria I have seen folly, They have prophesied by Baal, And cause my people -- Israel -- to err. 14 And in prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing, Committing adultery, and walking falsely, Yea, they strengthened the hands of evil doers, So that they have not turned back Each from his wickedness, They have been to me -- all of them -- as Sodom, And its inhabitants as Gomorrah. 15 Therefore, thus said Jehovah of Hosts, concerning the prophets: Lo, I am causing them to eat wormwood, And have caused them to drink water of gall, For, from prophets of Jerusalem Hath profanity gone forth to all the land. 16 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Ye do not hearken unto the words Of the prophets who are prophesying to you, They are making you vain things, A vision of their own heart they speak, Not from the mouth of Jehovah. 17 Saying diligently to those despising The word of Jehovah: Peace is for you, And `to' every one walking in the stubbornness of his heart they have said: Evil doth not come in unto you.
• Jer 23:25-27 : 25 I have heard that which the prophets said, Who prophesy in My name falsehood, saying, `I have dreamed, I have dreamed.' 26 Till when is it in the heart of the prophets? The prophets of falsehood, Yea, prophets of the deceit of their heart, 27 Who are devising to cause My people To forget My name by their dreams, That they recount each to his neighbour, As their fathers forgot my name for Baal.
• Jer 23:32 : 32 Lo, I `am' against the prophets of false dreams, An affirmation of Jehovah, And they recount them, and cause my people to err, By their falsehoods, and by their instability, And I -- I have not sent them, Nor have I commanded them, And they are not at all profitable to this people, An affirmation of Jehovah.
• Jer 27:14-15 : 14 `And ye do not hearken unto the words of the prophets who are speaking unto you, saying, Ye do not serve the king of Babylon, -- for falsehood they are prophesying to you. 15 For I have not sent them -- an affirmation of Jehovah -- and they are prophesying in My name falsely, so as to drive you out, and ye have perished, ye, and the prophets who are prophesying to you.'
• Lam 2:14 : 14 Thy prophets have seen for thee a false and insipid thing, And have not revealed concerning thine iniquity, To turn back thy captivity, And they see for thee false burdens and causes of expulsion.
• Ezek 13:3-9 : 3 Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Wo unto the prophets who are foolish, Who are going after their own spirit, And they have seen nothing. 4 As foxes in the wastes, Thy prophets, O Israel, have been. 5 Ye have not gone up into breaches, Nor do ye make a fence for the house of Israel, To stand in battle in a day of Jehovah. 6 They have seen vanity, and lying divination, Who are saying: An affirmation of Jehovah, And Jehovah hath not sent them, And they have hoped to establish a word. 7 A vain vision have ye not seen, And a lying divination spoken, When ye say: An affirmation of Jehovah, And I have not spoken? 8 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen a lie, Therefore, lo, I `am' against you, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah. 9 And My hand hath been on the prophets, Who are seeing vanity, and who are divining a lie, In the assembly of My people they are not, And in the writing of the house of Israel they are not written, And unto the ground of Israel they come not, And ye have known that I `am' the Lord Jehovah. 10 Because, even because, they did cause My people to err, Saying, Peace! and there is no peace, And that one is building a wall, And lo, they are daubing it with chalk. 11 Say to those daubing with chalk -- It falleth, There hath been an overflowing shower, And ye, O hailstones, do fall, And a tempestuous wind doth rend, 12 And lo, fallen hath the wall! Doth not one say unto you, Where `is' the daubing that ye daubed? 13 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: I have rent with a tempestuous wind in My fury, And an overflowing shower is in Mine anger, And hailstones in My fury -- to consume. 14 And I have broken down the wall that ye daubed with chalk, And have caused it to come unto the earth, And revealed hath been its foundation, And it hath fallen, And ye have been consumed in its midst, And ye have known that I `am' Jehovah. 15 And I have completed My wrath on the wall, And on those daubing it with chalk, And I say to you: The wall is not, And those daubing it are not; 16 The prophets of Israel who are prophesying concerning Jerusalem, And who are seeing for her a vision of peace, And there is no peace, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.