Zephaniah 1:6 (DBY)

Passage

and them that turn back from after Jehovah, and that do not seek Jehovah, nor inquire for him.

Nearby Context

Zephaniah 1:4 And I will stretch forth my hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, the name of the Chemarim with the priests;

Zephaniah 1:5 and them that bow down to the host of the heavens upon the housetops; and them that bow down to Jehovah, that swear by [him], and swear by Malcham;

Zephaniah 1:6 and them that turn back from after Jehovah, and that do not seek Jehovah, nor inquire for him.

Zephaniah 1:7 Be silent at the presence of the Lord Jehovah; for the day of Jehovah is at hand; for Jehovah hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath hallowed his guests.

Zephaniah 1:8 And it shall come to pass in the day of Jehovah's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's sons, and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "turn", "back", "after", "jehovah", "seek", and "inquire". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "turn" and "back", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 5's "and them that bow down to the..." into verse 7's "Be silent at the presence of the...", so "turn" and "back" belong inside that flow. In Zephaniah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "turn" and "back" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.