Zephaniah 3:8 - The Biblical Illustrator

Reader Related Verse
Bible Comments

I have cut off the nations.

Terrible calamities in human history

In these verses the prophet sums up all that he had said in the preceding verses of this chapter, and thus closes his admonition to repentance with the announcement of tremendous judgments. These verses remind us of the following great truths--

I. That there is a sense in which the most terrible calamities in human history may be ascribed to God. Here He is represented as cutting off the nations, destroying their “towers,” making their “streets waste,” so that “there is no man,” and “none inhabitant.”

II. That the grand design of such calamities is the promotion of moral improvement amongst mankind. As the storms, the snows, the frosts, and the cutting winds of winter help to bring on the luxuriant spring, so the calamities in human life contribute to the moral regeneration of mankind.

III. That the non-realisation of this design amongst a people exposes them to terrible retribution. “But they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.” The men of Jerusalem, instead of getting better for these terrible calamities, grew worse. They “corrupted all their doings.” This they did with assiduity. (Homilist.)

Related Commentaries of Zephaniah 3:6

Zephaniah 3:6-8

6 I have cut off the nations: their towersb are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.

7 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.

8 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.